Montgomery Takes 3^rd in States; Girls Finish 4th

By Liz Twentyman (Nov. 12, 2001)

Competing at the State Cross Country Meet at Great Meadows yesterday, Mason sophomore Andrew Montgomery took third place, with a season-best time of 16:49. The girls’ team captured a fourth place finish in the 14-team field, with 137 points. Brentsville District High School’s girls’ team won their seventh straight state title, with a mere 33 points. They were followed by Madison County High School (94 points), and George Wythe High School (109 points).

Junior Annie Maynard, expected to be a top competitor in states after winning both the district and the regional meets, fell short of her goal. Still recovering from a sickness that forced her to miss two days of practice in the last week, she placed 32^nd in the 110 girl field, with a time of 22:31. Sophomore Luisa Fairfax was Mason’s first finisher on Saturday, taking 21^st place with a time of 22:06. Senior Liz Twentyman finished just after Maynard, capturing a 33^rd place finish with a time of 22:33. Sophomore Alison Penland finished in 40^th place, with a time of 22:54. Rounding out the top five, and running in spite of stress fractures, was freshman Melissa Womble, placing 56^th with a time of 23:40. Only hundredths of a second later, senior co-captain Claire Montgomery crossed the line in 57^th place. Senior Kendra Webb finished 66^th, with a time of 24:34.

Even with the State meet and the rest of cross country season behind them, the Mason harriers are still looking to run in the near future. Andrew Montgomery is considering running in the Foot Locker South Regional Meet, to take place in Charlotte, North Carolina on November 24. Annie Maynard might join a running club to help her train during the months preceding track season.