The lines are drawn and the Cross Country Battlefield is set.  Girls and Boys from Virginia, Maryland, West Virginia and the District of Columbia will face off and determine whose “home” can claim the title of Best in Cross Country along the Potomac River.   “Our event (XC BORDER WAR) is now established on the post-season high school cross country calendar.  It was only right to formally add the other state and homeland bordering the Potomac River to the Battle of the Potomac”, commented Dave Watt, Event Director.  

MileStat.com will have a very active meet schedule of on-site coverage this indoor season as MileStat.com's Brandon Miles is now back to working full-time on the site and taking a break from coaching. Take a look at the meets which are scheduled tentatively to have on-site coverage at this upcoming season. Keep in mind others will be contributing photos and videos from meets elsewhere on these dates.

An updated November 18th list of all athletes currently registered for Foot Locker South including a good representation of Virginians. From the recent 11/11 Cream of the Crop Rankings, the top 7 ranked Virginia boys are all set to compete in Charlotte and 13 of the top 25. Meanwhile, 8 of the top 25 ranked girls will be racing at McAlpine Greenway Park as more top ranked girls are on NXN berth vying squads than boys. More information on registering for Foot Locker South can be found at http://footlockercc.com/south/   Foot Locker South Entries by State (PDF file)

After being dormant this fall, the track stars of Virginia began practice this week with the indoor track season beginning with the first official practices. Here is a look at the top returnees based on last year's indoor season performances including Great Bridge sophomore Shakeela Saunders, who expects to assert herself as one of the state's most dominant track athletes after a stellar freshmen year in which she excelled in the sprints and jumps with national caliber performances. (Photo by John Herzog)

There are quite a few post-season racing opportunities this weekend for Virginia high school cross country runners to extend their season or prep for the Foot Locker or Nike Cross regionals over Thanksgiving weekend. Two of the faster 5K courses in the state wil be having meets hosted on their venues with the Run for Sight 5K at Norfolk Academy's flat and swift 5K layout on their school grounds while the AAU State Meet is being held for the first time on the Pocahontas State Park 5K in Chesterfield, which saw many of the state's fastest 5K performances of the season earlier from the MileStat.com Invitational. It is not uncommon for runners fresh off a cross country season to step on the track and pop a huge track PR, which runners will get an opportunity to run a new PB in the 3200 meter run if they chose to compete at Charger 3200 Open in Fairfax County. If you are proud to be a Virginian then you should consider jumping in the Battle of the Potomac, which is a border war race with runners from the state of Maryland held at Smokey Glen Farm in Gaithersburg, MD. Runners will be given Team VA singlets and a barbeque chicken dinner to follow the race. All four meets are accepting pre-race and race day registration, but would encourage register prior to the meet. MileStat.com will attempt to get photo coverage at all four events, so any parent photographers willing to take pictures please let us know.

No new rankings for each classification as there was a state meet this past weekend to settle those debates, but an updated All-Class state rankings is now released with the top 15 ranked teams and top 25 ranked individuals in the state of Virginia. Nike Cross Southeast Regionals and Foot Locker South in two weeks will help determine the end of season rankings.

Very poor and muddy course conditions, which got progressively worse as the day went on. The largest classification Group AAA were the last races of the day. Times slowed by at least 15-20 seconds if not more based off last year's results in ideal course conditions. Temperature was ideal in the 50s with cloud cover, except for the last half of the Group AA girls when the sun came out and several runners struggled to get to the line including two of Blacksburg's key scorers. Course record by Kathleen Stevens (17:34) of Blacksburg. Previous record 17:38 set last by Megan Marsico (2008 Foot Locker South runner-up). Twin sister Joanna Stevens was second in the Group AA girls race in 17:39. Midlothian girls streak of 4 AAA state titles and Blacksburg girls streak of 3 AA titles are snapped by Lake Braddock and Hidden Valley respectively. Lake Braddock was the major upset of the day as their freshmen Sophie Chase led the charge literally with a hot pace to put herself in front and held on for a third place finish as Lake Braddock added a ninth state title to their rich history of state championship excellence. Hidden Valley had a slower team average than Blacksburg by 17 seconds, yet still found a way to win with five runners among the top 25. No drama to determine boys team champions as Mountain View (AAA), Blacksburg (AA), and Clarke County (A) dominate their respective classifications with Mountain View posting a team average of 16:33. Ted Richardson of James River won in a well packed AAA boys race till late with the day's fastest performance in 15:34 as Western Branch's Blake Theroux had made the move to break up the pack with 1200 meters to go and finished runner-up with a time of 15:38. A thrilling finish for Group AA boys as early race leader Colin Mearns of Jamestown collapsed in the final 150 meters and Kyle King of Grafton seized upon the opportunity as the 16:01 winner.  More to come...   Results: Group A Boys - Group A Girls - Group AA Boys - Group AA Girls - Group AAA Boys - Group AAA Girls and State Meet Race Videos & Interviews

The private school runners on Friday at Woodberry Forest gave a sneak peak of what might be in store for the public school runners on Saturday at Great Meadow. The Division I boys got to break in the course with their spikes as the first race of the day, while the Division II girls had to navigate around the slop and mud in the last race of the day. The champions in the field though were not affected by the conditions as many of last year's winners once again claimed VISAA state cross country titles. Complete results, race videos, and photo gallery posted.

You better like some mud or you might as well stay home this weekend. Champions will be crowned in likely very adverse course conditions on Friday at the VISAA State Championships (private schools) and on Saturday at the VHSL State Championships (public schools). The remnants of Tropical Storm Ida, which has developed into a powerful northeaster storm, has pounded the state of Virginia this week with heavy rainfall and wind. Both state meets will be run as scheduled, while many in the state are without power, schools are closed on Friday, and travel is difficult due to severe flooding. MileStat.com will be providing on-site coverage from both meets.

MileStat.com has been informed by meet management that Friday's VISAA State Championships at Woodberry Forest School will be run as scheduled. The first race will start as originally scheduled at 2:30 PM with the Division 1 boys followed by Division 1 Girls (3:00 PM), Division 2 Boys (3:30 PM), and Division 2 girls (4:00 PM).

From the VHSL (Thursday 12:31 PM) – Due to the inclement weather, the course at Great Meadows in Warrenton will not be available for practice on Friday, November 13, 2009.  

This year's VHSL State Championships could be a historic meet for the Northwest Region. The Northwest Region has arguably the greatest assembly of individual state title contenders with a big three in seniors Kaitlyn Davis of Mountain View, Ariel Karabinus of Osbourn Park, and Katherine Walker of Brooke Point. Meanwhile, the Mountain View boys will look to not only get on the state meet podium for the second time in three years, but also claim the school’s first state title. In the first cross country season without Thomas Porter leading the Wildcats, Mountain View is in its best situation since the school opened five years ago to win a state cross country team title.

Jamestown's Colin Mearns will look to become Jamestown’s second individual state champion in a row and follow in the footsteps of last year’s Group AA champion Andrew Colley, who set a new course record. Mearns appears to be taking his running to another level at season’s end similar to last fall when he had a great stretch of races extending into December for the Nike Cross Nationals.  Mearns is the top returnee from last year’s state race with his 15:28 fourth place finish among a collection of stars in the outstanding class of 2009 runners.

Strasburg sophomore Katlyn Ayers figured to be the third best runner in the Group A classification coming into the season but injuries to defending champion and course record holder Megan Marsico of Glenvar and Natalie Young of George Mason have opened the door of opportunity for Ayers to win her first state title. She has went undefeated in all of her races this season and another first place finish should be in the works for her on Saturday at Great Meadow.

After slow starts to their seasons, the Woodberry Forest boys and Anneka Wilson of The Potomac School are coming on strong in championship season and ready to defend their state titles from a year ago. The Bishop O'Connell girls are expected to stream roll through another state title with no signs of letting up in the near future with no seniors in their top seven, while Fork Union's Josh Morris appears more than fit to join the small list of sub 16 performers at Woodberry Forest.

New Virginia private school state individual and team rankings with two separate lists for Division I and Division II schools for Friday's state meet.

Three years ago at the 2006 VHSL State Championships, a young Drew Paisley was the top finishing freshmen in the entire meet as a ninth grader at Ocean Lakes High School. Since then other runners have risen and emerged to become the best in the class of 2010 runners, but Paisley will have the opportunity in his final state cross country meet this weekend to again regain his status on the top of the class. Coming off a mild upset win at the Eastern Region Meet against Blake Theroux (the top returnee from last year's AAA state race), Paisley will be an underdog once again as he attempts to become the first Eastern Region boys cross country state champion since Seneca Lassiter of Lafayette won back in 1993. He is also receiving some pretty good advice and support heading into this weekend from last year's girls state champion and Ocean Lakes grad Stacey Nobles, who happens to be Paisley's girlfriend and knows a thing or two about being an underdog heading into a state championship race.

Virtual meet previews for the Division I and Division II races based on season best 5K performances for the VISAA State Championships to be held Friday, November 13th at Woodberry Forest School.

Division I and Division II schools breakdown for Friday's Virginia Independent Schools State Championships. Updated private school rankings (including separate rankings for each division) and meet preview will be posted on Wednesday.

Important information for coaches, athletes, parents, and spectators to read related to Friday's Virginia Independent Schools State Cross Country Championships at Woodberry Forest.

Important information for coaches, athletes, parents, and spectators to read related to Saturday's Virginia High School League State Cross Country Championships.

Landstown senior Stephanie Frenchik’s time of 18:22 at Bells Mill Park at the Eastern Region Meet last Thursday is significant because it is three seconds faster than the 2008 performance by last year’s Group AAA state cross country champion Stacey Nobles on the same course at the 2008 Eastern Region Meet. Frenchik had just barely qualified for the state meet last year with a 15th place finish in the regional race and fast forward one year later and she just won the Eastern Region title by 33 seconds with hopes of finishing high in the field and possibly contend at Great Meadow this weekend.

West Springfield senior Paige Kvartunas just claimed her first regional title last Thursday with a 17:36 victory on a slightly longer Burke Lake Park (3.01 mile course), which would convert down to place her high on the historic 2.98 mile course's all-time list among some past greats in the Northern Region's history. She had never won a district title or earned All-State honors entering her last season of cross country, yet the late-bloomer Kvartunas heads into Saturday's VHSL State Championships as one of several runners capable of stealing the win from some of the more established favorites. After helping West Springfield win their first district cross country team title in many years, Kvartunas and Lady Spartans are also aiming to pull off another stunner in championship season and find their way onto the podium with a top three team finish. The hills at Great Meadow will certainly be their friends as the West Springfield girls went through a challenging race schedule this fall competing on many of the hillier courses in the Mid-Atlantic region.

Updated state team rankings heading into this weekend's VHSL State Championships at Great Meadow. Hidden Valley girls take over the #1 spot after their regional victory over previous #1 Blacksburg. Each classification is listed 16 deep of all teams who have qualified for state meet competition. Private school team rankings will be posted later in the week when we receive the official list of who will be competing in Division I and Division II in Friday's championship meet at Woodberry Forest.

With all the regional meets completed and only the state championships ahead, MileStat.com releases its updated individual state rankings with top 25 deep per classification and top 15 all-class rankings. Private school rankings to be posted later this week with separating rankings for Division I and Division II.