B-CC High School Athletics: Cross Country Results

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Coming fresh off of her 3A cross country state title, B-CC's Addie Tousley discusses how she has developed from a 29 minute 5k runner to one of the state's elite distance runners. After moving to Montgomery County from Alaska five years ago, her older brother Elias, who is mentioned several times in this article, paved the way for the Tousley family by winning multiple county, regional and state titles in outdoor track. Addie has accumulated several regional titles herself, but now finds herself with the one title that Elias never grabbed, the state cross country title.

MoCoRunning: Congratulations on winning the 3A state title! At what point did you begin believing it was possible? How did you and your coach approach this topic?

Tousley: Thanks. I think Elias told me somewhere around sophomore year that states would be a possibility later on... I didn’t believe him. I don’t think I actually realized it was a possibility until I was predicted to go second, then I decided it might be fun do the unexpected. This year my coaches worked really hard to prepare our younger runners for states (only two of our seven had run the course before). They had some alums send us some advice which I think may have just freaked out the freshmen more, but it was fun to watch their faces get really worried whenever there was mention of the dip. In the end I didn’t really talk to my coaches much about strategy, I’ve found it’s usually best to go in and see how it goes.

MoCoRunning: It looked like you had control of the race the whole way through, but it must have been nerve-racking. What was it like during and after the race?

Tousley: In general, I really don’t like leading races and I wasn’t really planning to lead this one, I just went out my usual pace and nobody ended up in front of me. Once I hit the soccer field I decided to put some distance between myself and the rest of the pack just in case the last few hills hit me really hard (luckily they didn’t). In the maze I got to look back a couple of times and realized I had gotten a pretty good lead at that point. I decided not look back and just tried to get through to the end. The end of the race and pretty much everything afterwards seemed a little surreal. I’m generally a little out of it during races but I remember thinking it was pretty funny that I was going to get to break through the ribbon at the end of the race rather than focusing on actually finishing. It didn’t sink for a while afterwards that I’d actually won.

MoCoRunning: The county championship race was such a crazy race with no one really emerging until the very end. What was it like running in that pack of about ten girls for nearly the entire race?

Tousley: Counties was one of the stranger races I’ve run in my career, but that’s just because there are so many talented runners in our county. Any one of the girls in that pack could have easily beaten me on another day. The first couple of miles I was pretty content just to float around the pack. None of us really wanted to take the front so we kind of traded off. When we got onto the asphalt path in the woods I realized I didn’t feel like I was working hard enough and still had a bit left. I was pretty worried about going too early but when Britt went, I decided to try and hold on for as long as I could and it worked out pretty well.

MoCoRunning: Back in your freshman year, you were pretty much a JV runner. Then sophomore year you were 13th in the state, junior year 3rd, and now you are the 3A state champion. Can you explain how you've been able to progress so well over four years?

Tousley: Haha, my success in running can be blamed on my parents and my brother. I was dragged (very nearly literally) to my first cross country practice because my parents were sick of me being home after school (after I quit ballet and soccer when we moved when I was in seventh grade) and my brother gave them the idea. My coaches still joke about the fact that I used to run around in circles in my backyard (which isn’t very big). So I guess relative improvement is partly based on the fact that I started out so bad. Most of it comes from the fact that even after I ran my first 29 minute 5k, I have never had any doubt that I could do better. I also give a lot of props to my coaches (Desmond and Young) who ignored me when I complained and didn’t give up on me even though I can be annoying at times.

MoCoRunning: What role does Elias Tousley, the Alaskan Fury, Haverford Superstar and B-CC Superfan, play in your training and race strategy? Does he like to call up to give advice and motivate you, or is he too busy off in college? Did Elias have any magical words for you at Glory Days that caused you to bounce back at counties like you did?

Tousley: Well first off the Tousley racing strategy is generally to have no strategy and kick really hard at the end. Elias is probably the best older brother anyone could ever ask for and even though he rarely picks up his phone and isn’t particularly talkative I always feel like I have to run faster whenever he’s nearby. The difference in my times from Glory Days to counties has more to do with the fact that Glory Days is my least favorite meet in any season and we had a pretty hard workout two days before hand.

Tousley: I actually talked to Elias right before I went to warm up at states...when I asked for advice he told me absolutely nothing useful (because he didn’t want me to over-think the race). In fact I think he laughed at me.

MoCoRunning: Is he jealous that you won a cross country state title and he didn't?

MoCoRunning: You must certainly be thinking about college yourself. With the way you've been improving, do you think that you would like to see how much more you can improve by running in college?

Tousley: College. I try not to think about it. I’m going somewhere and I will be running there mostly because I can’t imagine not running. In terms of improving, I’ll think about that when I’m done with track season this year.

MoCoRunning: The last two cross country seasons, you have been miles in front of the rest of the girls on your team. It looked like this season was going to be much of the same for the B-CC girls, but now your team has a bunch of girls running under 21 minutes. Where did the rest of these girls come from? How has it affected you to have a stronger team around you?

Tousley: To be honest I wasn’t really looking forward to cross-country this year, until a few races into the season I was mostly just focusing on making it through to indoor. Working out alone or with the boys just isn’t as fun. Luckily, things didn’t turn out how I’d expected. I love my team, as many stupid questions as they ask (cough, cough Darcy) and I wouldn’t have made it through a lot of bad days without them. I could never get too depressed during hard workouts when Ava was dancing or waving to people during repeats, Claire and Allison were updating me on the newest freshman drama, and Darcy, Kate and Kate helping me make fun of the freshman three. Those freshman are going to do some damage before they graduate. Oh and watch out for Susannah Derr, another freshman...she reminds me a lot of myself.

MoCoRunning: 9:24.78 and everyone returns. I'm talking about your 4x800-meter relay and indoor track is right around the corner. Are you excited for what B-CC could do this upcoming track season?

Tousley: I don’t want to jinx it but as long as we all stay healthy we are going to have some fun.

Despite damp conditions Saturday morning, the Maryland State Championship cross country meet saw many of Montgomery County's finest runners post impressive results against their fellow state competitors during the 3-mile race, held at Hereford High School in Baltimore County. ...

After winning two consecutive 3A West Region titles, Bethesda-Chevy Chase senior Addie Tousley finally broke through at the state meet, as she finished 35 seconds clear of the field with a time of 19:59.

"I went out and I didn't really expect to get out totally in front," said Tousley, who hopes to run at either Middlebury (Vt.) or Amherst College (Mass.) next year. "But I just took it and decided to go. I tried to keep in front as long as I could and I guess it worked out."

PARKTON, Md., Nov. 8 Solomon Haile ran as expected Saturday at the Maryland state cross-country championships ...

Bethesda-Chevy Chase senior Addie Tousley was the 3A [girls'] individual winner. She took the lead at the start, was reeled in by two other runners roughly halfway through, but pulled away with one final surge and crossed the line in 19:59.

Tousley started slow as a freshman but improved steadily each year. She finished fifth at the Montgomery County championships in October before winning the 3A West region crown last week despite getting lost.

"This is pretty cool," Tousley said. "I was pretty bad as a freshman so it was a lot to come up from."

Girls: 6th
1. Addie Tousley, Sr, 19:59
37. Kate Leuba, Jr, 22:24
46. Ava Farrell, Fr, 22:39
54. Kate Bouvatte, Sr, 22:51
71. Naomi Roochnick, Sr, 23:25
77. Darcy O'Connor, Jr, 23:38
78. Claire Cohen, Fr, 23:40

Boys: 6th
14. Matt Davey-Karlson, Sr, 17:32
20. Eliot Gerson, So, 17:52
45. Nikolas Theiss, Sr, 18:29
51. Andrew Finkelstein, Sr, 18:39
71. Eric Damtoft, Jr, 18:57
87. Thomas Erickson, Sr, 19:17
91. Chris Henderson, Jr, 19:25

Addie Tousley, 2009 Kate Bouvatte, 2009 Ava Farrell, 2012 Kate Lueba, 2010 Naomi Roochnick 2009 Darcy O'Connor, 2010 Claire Cohen, 2012

The depth of the B-CC girls team has been surprising this year. Despite only two members from last year's third place regional team making the top seven this year, their average team time improved by over a minute from a year ago on the same course. After improving on last year's county and regional finish, expect them to greatly improve on last year's 13th place state finish.

What should not surprise anyone is that Addie Tousley is running fast at the right time. After a monster personal record of 18:44 at the Montgomery County Championship, she made a wrong turn at the regional meet and still won her second consecutive regional title with ease. Young says that she has been running with a confidence that shows she wants to win and is confident in her ability to win. In her senior year, she is the cornerstone of her team.

Addie Tousley is mocorunning.com's pick to win the individual 3A state title.

Eric Damtoft, 2010 Eliot Gerson, 2011 Matt Davey-Karlson, 2009 Andrew Finkelstein, 2009 Nikolas Theiss, 2009 Thomas Erickson, 2009 Chris Henderson, 2010

This week has been very status quo for the defending 3A State Champions.

Says Young, "We really try to keep things simple the week before big meets. We keep the same routine at practice and our workouts are assigned very similarly to how they are the entire season to make it feel like it's just another week."

The B-CC boys team is not as loaded as it was last year, but Young says they are shooting to win the state title anyways.

"I know that seems very matter of fact, but this sport is very simple, run fast."

Expect an improved performance from the regional meet with junior Eric Damtoft running well and senior Matt Davey-Karlson possibly bouncing back, but B-CC will need more than they have had lately just to crack back into the top five this year.

The Damascus boys ran away with the 3A West Region boys title. ... B-CC was runner-up with an average time of 18:09.57. Barons junior Eric Damtoft (17:45.43) finished fifth.

Despite an undefeated regular season and placing third at the Montgomery County Championship, the Damascus girls cross country team has flown under the radar this year. But they were not to be outdone Thursday by their male counterparts, stinging the rest of the field with a dominating performance. ...

On the individual side, B-CC senior Addie Tousley once again took home the regional title en route to securing the Barons' second place. She finished 26 seconds clear of the field with a time of 20:40.00.

Trailing by 30 yards midway through the race to Urbana's Kathryn Fossaceca, Tousley was able to re-orient herself and turn up the pace.

"I took a wrong turn," said Tousley, who also won the 2007 regional title. "I turned around and had to go back up the hill, but it was an interesting time. I kind of expected to come out and run pretty fast so that's good."

The Maryland state championship meet will be held Nov. 8 at Hereford High School in Baltimore County.

Girls: 2nd
1. Addie Tousley, 20:40.00
6. Kate Bouvatte: 21:41.00
9. Ava Farrell, 21:59.00
17. Kate Leuba, 22:35.00
20. Naomi Roochnik, 22:59.00

Boys: 2nd
5. Eric Damtoft, 17:45.43
8. Eliot Gerson, 17:53.79
10. Matt Davey-Karlson, 17:58.36
16. Andrew Finkelstein, 18:24.40
20. Nik Theiss, 18:45.83

Eckerstrom Leads Northwest Girls to MOCO Championship; Walter Johnson Cruises to Boys Title

The Northwest sophomore enjoyed the best of both worlds at this weekend’s Montgomery County championships, breaking free from her pursuers with approximately 100 meters to go and crossed the line in first place with a time of 18:41. ...

Much of the race was a taut, riveting affair with no one runner able to take command. (By race’s end, the top eight runners would all break 19 minutes and finish within 17 seconds of each other.) Wootton’s Jess Rubin surged at the two-mile mark, but was unable to shake free from the tight pack and began to fade slightly. As the group began to stretch, Eckerstrom made for the final turn with Bethesda Chevy Chase’s Addie Tousley on her heels and Henshaw in close pursuit.

“I was a little tired coming up that last hill and I knew Britt was going to kick, so I had to let her go a little bit,” said Tousley, who finished three seconds off the pace in 18:44. “But it was still a great race for me and I’m happy with my time.”

Oct. 18, MoCoRunning: Montgomery County Championship

Full results and video highlights posted on line.

Top B-CC finishes included:

Girls: 7th
2. Addie Tousley, 18:44.58
21. Kate Leuba, 20:20.35
22. Kate Bouvatte: 20:21.84
41. Ava Farrell, 20:59.60
61. Naomi Roochnik, 21:40.44

Boys: 8th
15. Matt Davey-Karlson, 16:31.78
29. Eric Damtoft, 16:51.70
30. Eliot Gerson, 16:53.12
59. Andrew Finkelstein, 17:21.97
72. Nik Theiss, 17:42.01

JV Girls: 10th
67. Kim Stanton, 24:47.99

JV Boys: 11th
28. Nick Richter, 18:15.63

Freshman Girls: 1st
2. Claire Cohen, 21:56.54

Freshman Boys: 11th
25. Julien Dorsey, 19:27.05

Oct. 16, MoCoRunning: XC County Championship Preview

Team Predictions:
[Boys] 8. B-CC - Great races by Matt Davey-Karlson and Eric Damtoft last weekend gave B-CC momentum, but if Eliot Gerson sits out again, there will be depth issues.

[Girls] 5. B-CC - B-CC should have a low score from Addie Tousley and potentially five more under 21 minutes.

Addie Tousley usually has one of her best races of the year at the county championship as she showed last year with her 8th place 19:09 finish. The hopeful 3A state champion will be looking to improve on that, especially after a breakout 18:56 at the Paul Short Invitational, a time faster than all six other girls on this list who were there that day.

DK wouldn't want a discussion of his personal record of 16:30 at this year's Paul Short Run. He would want predictions, hypothesis, and even suggestions on what will be shaved into the side of his head on Saturday. May I suggest the letters "FAM"... See: RUNFAM.COM

With personal and team bragging rights on the line at Saturday's Montgomery County Cross Country Championship Meet at Gaithersburg, here's a recap of several highlights from the 2008 season thus far. ...

The county's lone 3A school in Division I is Bethesda-Chevy Chase, led by senior Adelaide Tousley, who finished third at the 2007 3A State Championship.

"She's been training alone," said Barons head coach Chad Young. "Indoor track season kind of fired her up and she's really out to win everything. She's worked really hard over the summer and is a solid leader this year as well as just solid runner; a great example." ...

In the Varsity B Boys Race, QO and B-CC fielded their best possible teams, although both teams were missing key runners. B-CC's Matt Davey-Karlson took the lead from the beginning and led for nearly the entire race. In the meantime, QO's Wayne Bartholomew ran with his teammates Conor Spaulding and Thomas McNamara for much of the race before working his way up to the front in the final mile. Bartholomew says that he was almost out of gas, but had a little bit left and made sure he used it all. He surged to the front in the final half mile, but according to Davey-Karlson who had the lead, Bartholomew didn't just take the lead, he was ten meters ahead before he knew it. He increased the lead over the relatively flat finish for the win in 16:35. Davey-Karlson was second in 16:40. B-CC finished fifth while QO finished seventh.

Katie Koenig of Good Counsel had one of the best races of the day, finishing third in the varsity B race in a time of 19:37. Addie Tousley of B-CC was 8th in 20:00.

The female athlete of the week is Addie Tousley of B-CC High School. Tousley posted the fastest time of all MoCo runners at the Paul Short Run, placing second in the White race in a personal best time of 18:56. She led her team to victory out of 28 teams in the White race.

Cross Country can mean different things to different people because of its versatility. It can be both a team sport and an individual sport. "...It is [a team sport]...[because] one person can't win a meet for the whole team, so it's important for everyone to run their hardest." says Junior Kate Leuba. It can be an individual sport because you can compete against other runners within the team. At BCC, the varsity team consists of the seven fastest runners after a meet. “[It] gives you an incentive to run well,” states Leuba, who usually makes varsity. Many people are in it to compete, get in shape for other sports or meet new people.

Junior Paul Nicholas, who joined the team this year to stay in shape for soccer and lacrosse, defines cross country as “A lot of running.” He continues, “I hope that XC will help improve my stamina because all the sports I play are fast-paced.” Leuba would describe it as “a love-hate sport…you’ll always have to provide full effort if you want to succeed. That’s the tough part. The love part is how you feel after…you will always feel accomplished.”

“Running sucks, but winning’s great,” says Senior Matthew Davey-Karlson, top overall runner of the fall 2007 season.

Many runners can probably understand where Leuba and Davey-Karlson are coming from. The satisfaction from completing a run, whether for a personal goal or a team goal is why many choose cross country and are dedicated to the sport.

The dedication of the runners is probably why the BCC cross country team had a good 2007 season. First, they were moved up to MCPS Division I. “They moved us up [to Division I] based on our performance over the last two years” says Coach Chad Young. Of course, the move up calls attention to the successes of the team, but it also means that “[The team] is expected to have all their runners go out and compete,” Leuba explains.

The boys’ varsity team also placed first in States last year. Five of the seven members from that boys’ varsity team graduated, but the two remaining members are Andrew Finkelstein and Davey-Karlson. This means other boys on cross country team have the opportunity to improve their running times and join the varsity team that will hopefully accomplish the same feat this year.

Senior Addie Tousley, who has been on the team since her freshman year, also accomplished something big last year when she placed third overall in States. “States last year was really hard, as was every race leading up to it. Our state course is incredibly hilly and is ranked as one of the hardest courses on the East coast.” Tousley says of the meet.

There are a lot of expectations for this year’s Cross Country team, but with its good record and dedicated talent, members can look forward to another great year.

... QO vs. B-CC will be the battle of the rebuilding state champions. After losing most of their varsity athletes from last year, both teams are winless in divisional matchups and looking to stay out of the basement with their young squads.

B-CC girls had an impressive showing at the Magruder Invitational with a respectable top four. They placed ahead of QO in the team standings, but if QO's top two runners return healthy, their #3 suddenly becomes #5, and it won't look promising for the improving B-CC squad.

The Northwest boys held off a surprising challenge from Bethesda CC winning 27-30. Matt Davey-Karlson won in 17:32 over Bobby Sonken of Northwest. Britt Eckerstrom of Northwest beat Addie Tousley of BCC in a matchup between two of the best female runners in Montgomery County. The Northwest girls beat BCC 21-38.

Boys:
1. Matt Davey-Karlson, 17:32
4. Eliot Gerson, 18:07
6. Andrew Finkelstein, 18:26
7. Eric Damtoft, 18:37

8. B-CC - 3A West
Poll Points: 192
2007 County Finish: 2nd
2007 State Finish: 1st
B-CC graduates five of their top seven after their 2007 run to the 3A state title. Matt Davey-Karlson and company are set on rebuilding and having another successful year regardless of expectations. Sophomore Eliot Gerson is expected to move up to be a varsity contributor in 2008.

Candy Cane City is the stomping ground for the defending 3A boys cross country state champions and 3A girls indoor track state champions from Bethesda Chevy Chase High School. Coaches Chad Young and Colleen Desmond assembled the team under the shade of a large tree to assign the workout.

Pacing was key on this day, especially for the new runners. The idea was to learn how to control speed and learn a pace that can be maintained throughout a whole 5000 meter race. The task was six to eight 600-meter loops at a little faster than 5k race pace around a large grass field. Completing all eight loops would be a total of 4800 meters of intervals.

Matt Davey-Karlson, better known as DK, led a group of guys on a quick first loop in 1:40 (sub 14:00 5k pace). Also following was Andrew Finkelstein, Eliot Gerson, Eric Damtoft, 2008 graduate Walter Beller-Morales, and others. They backed off the pace on the remaining loops to closer to 1:50.

The girls' pack was led by Addie Tousley and 2006 graduate Megan Andrews. A few girls hung with Tousley and Andrews when they went out at the assigned pace of 2:20, but in the later loops Tousley dropped below 2:10. That might be the story of the B-CC team this year with nobody on the level of Tousley. They are hoping to develop some young girls to move up. They also have their fingers crossed for cuts from other teams to boost their roster size.

Practice ended with a cooldown run, stretching, and core drills. I was already impressed with their workout, but after talking with a few of their athletes, I was more impressed with their devotion during the offseason. Despite losing five of their top seven, the returning runners seemed to have taken the notion of defending state champions seriously over the summer. They not only put in the high mileage necessary to succeed, they also made a conscious effort to eat right and sleep well. Defending their state title seems like a long shot at this point, but then again, nobody was talking about a state title at this time last year either.

The Bethesda-Chevy Chase boys cross-country team experienced a wardrobe malfunction just prior to the start of this past Saturday’s 3A state meet at Hereford High School.

But the Barons were still dressed for success and walked away with their first state team title since 1973, beating runner-up Wilde Lake of Howard County by a point, 89-90. Damascus was the next highest county finisher, placing fifth with a score of 172.

‘‘It was great,” said B-CC coach Chad Young, whose team won the title despite graduating its best two runners from a year ago, including 3A individual state champion Chris Bowie. ‘‘Actually, I knew we would be one of the top 3-4 teams but I didn’t know how we’d do. Every time I saw one of my runners a Wilde Lake runner would be in front or behind my runners. It was pretty interesting to watch.”

So was the scene among the B-CC runners roughly two minutes before the start of the race. That’s when junior Alex Prevost, one of the team’s top five runners, made a startling discovery — he had forgotten his jersey and would not be able to start the race without it.

Instead of panicking, Prevost sprinted back to his team’s designated area, grabbed the missing attire and returned to start the race.

‘‘He went out a little slow but he wound up having a really good race,” Young said. ‘‘He told me he was still breathing hard when the race started.”

Prevost overcame that extra mileage to take 21st in a time of 17 minutes, 38 seconds and beat Wilde Lake’s No. 4 runner, Evan Anderson, by three spots, a theme that made the Barons’ state championship possible

‘‘We made at least one place in front of the Wilde Lake guys,” Young said. ‘‘Wilde Lake was in front the whole time but we kept chipping away.”

Like Prevost, junior Dylan Straughan (17:03, 5th place), senior Kyle Short (17:10, 7th) and junior Matt Davey-Karlson (17:34, 18th) placed ahead of their counterparts in Jonathan Sham (17:08, 6th), Derek Lange (17:12, 8th) and Johnny Henderson (17:37, 19th).

‘‘It was our last race of the season so if there’s any energy left after the race, it’s in vain,” Straughan said. ‘‘We did really good out there. It was our best race.

‘‘I feel terrible for Wilde Lake. Losing by one point is never fun. They put up a really good fight. We were really lucky to pull it out. We knew it would be close.”

The victory was extra sweet for Straughan, a soccer convert, who missed the tail end of last year because of a stress fracture in his foot. His healthy return this year was one of the big reasons B-CC won both regional and state titles this fall.

‘‘I’m pretty prone to injury,” he said. ‘‘Hopefully, I’ll pull it through this year. We were hoping to have a season like we did. We were kind of a darkhorse. Nobody expected us to win. The greatest pleasure is doing what other people say you can’t do.” ...

On the girls side, ... B-CC’s Addie Tousley had the county’s best finish, placing third in a time of 20:10.

The 2007 XC season closed with a bang: major surprises, upsets, and tight individual and team battles kept coaches, teammates, and spectators on their toes all day. A chilly culmination to a conversely warm Cross-Country season set the scene for the enigmatic odyssey which lay ahead. The B-CC boys squeaked by Wilde Lake to win the 3A title 89 to 90 ...

The MoCo guys did not quite have the same overwhelming presence in 3A, but the team battle was intense. Every step and every move from every runner was critical. Would Wilde Lake win for the third year in the row? Or could arguably one of MoCo’s best in B-CC give them a run for their money? The answer could not be found up at the front of the race—where Howard’s Joey Thompson led from the gun to a 16:16 victory, easily the fastest time of the day. Thompson took the race out much like Darmody: fast. The 3A West champion from Urbana, Dylan Bernard, stuck right with him. The man who finished second to Bernard at Regions, Damascus’ Wil Zahorodny, followed in 4th. A small pack about 10 seconds behind the top 4 consisting of the B-CC duo Dylan Straughan and Kyle Short ensued. ...

At this point, people were truly coming to realize how intense the team battle between B-CC and Wilde Lake was going to be. B-CC and Wilde Lake runners were exchanging places one after another. Straughan, who had been working together with teammate Kyle Short, followed a mere four seconds behind Zahorodny in 5th. Wilde Lake’s Jonathon Sham followed him. B-CC’s Kyle Short ensued. Wilde Lake’s Derek Lange, who has been trying to return to top form after suffering from prolonged knee injuries, followed Short in 8th. The next B-CC runner was not Alex Prevost, their usual number 3 runner. Instead, Matt Davey-Karlson was 19th. Wilde Lake’s Johnny Henderson followed right after him. Prevost could possibly have redeemed his off-day in his kick with Wilde Lake’s number 3 runner but just did not have enough in him. Nonetheless, Wilde Lake’s depth did not measure up with the depth of B-CC. Davey-Karlson and Prevost were too much to handle. The battle was extremely close and nobody knew who won at first. But eventually, as most of the crowd grew deafeningly silent, the announcer proclaimed B-CC the victor: 89 to 90.

Kyle Short, the former wrestler running his first competitive season, is indubitably the greatest reason for B-CC’s victory. His addition added the extra depth which B-CC in no way could have done without. Also important to note, Davey-Karlson is one of the most improved athletes—out of all the boys and girls-in the state. To prove this, last year at states he was 63rd place in 19:08. His time of 17:34 is about 90 seconds faster.

Big Performance from Tiny Tousley

On the girls’ side, MoCo put 2 girls in the top 10. One of whom was the 3A West Champion Addie Tousley. B-CC’s Tousley was 3rd in 20:10. She once again showed her ability to race hard without anybody but herself existent to push her. She was all alone throughout her victory at 3A West Regions; and she also finished alone at States. Tousley is one of MoCo’s most improved athletes—out of all the boys and girls. To justify this notion; last year at States, Tousley finished 13th in 21:33.

I learned a new word today; can you tell what it is? Kudos to you if you read all that; I really hope you enjoyed it. Kudos to the hard-working coaches, who like B-CC head coach Chad Young, work closely with their athletes so they become better runners each and every day. ...

Nov. 8: Maryland 3A State Championship
Boys: 6th
Girls: 6th
Addie Tousley – 3A State Champion

On the girls’ side, senior Addie Tousley took an early lead, maintained it virtually the entire race, and won the individual state championship by nearly 35 seconds! No other girl could touch her time of 19:59. Backing up Addie, the rest of the girls’ team followed at a quick clip: junior Kate Leuba in 40th place (22:24); freshman Ava Farrell in 49th (22:39); seniors Kate Bouvatte, 57th (22:51) and Naomi Roochnick, 75th (23:25); junior Darcy O’Connor, 81st (23:38), and freshman Claire Cohen, running varsity for the first time, in 82nd place (23:40). The girls placed 6th (over their predicted finish of 7th) out of 21 teams and 144 runners. With only 3 seniors graduating from the girls’ varsity team, B-CC can expect a lot from this group next year. The girls’ class of 2012 has brought a group of fast and improving runners to bolster the strong sophomore and junior girls over the next several seasons.

As defending 3A state champions, the B-CC boys did their best to meet the challenge of losing all but 2 runners from last year’s championship team. Predicted to place 8th, at best, they came in 6th out of 22 teams (159 runners) with a strong team effort. Senior Matt Davey-Karlson placed 14th (17:32), followed by sophomore Eliot Gerson in 21st (17:52), and a strong finish from Nick Theiss in 49th place (18:29). Close behind was senior Andrew Finkelstein in 55th place (18:39) and junior Eric Damtoft 77th (18:57) racing hard despite coming off a bronchial infection. Senior Thomas Erickson came in 94th at 19:17, and junior Chris Henderson followed in 98th place at 19:25. The Hereford course requires enormous fortitude, and having the entire team come in with these low times is a testament to their determination and hard practices all season. Matt DK and Eliot Gerson earned medals for their top 25 performances, but the entire team came through as champs. With Gerson, Damtoft, and Henderson showing continuous improvement, and plenty of strong JV runners ready to step up, the 2009 boys’ team looks as promising as the girls’.

Oct. 30: 3A West Regional Championship
Boys: 2nd
Girls: 2nd
Addie Tousley – 3A West Regional Champion

The 3A West Regional Championship was held at Watkins Mill HS. B-CC boys’ and girls’ teams both had terrific runs, with both placing as runner-up to loaded powerhouse teams.

Among the girls, Addie Tousley was the clear leader. Even with a wrong turn along the way, she stayed far ahead of the rest of the pack, with a final time of 20:40. Following in rapid succession were the rest of the B-CC runners: 6th place runner, senior Kate Bouvatte (21:41), followed by freshman Ava Farrell in 9th place (21:59), junior Kate Leuba in 17th (22:35), senior Naomi Roochnick in 20th (22:59), junior Darcy O’Connor, 23rd (23.11) and freshman Claire Cohen, 24th at 23:11.50. They were all well in the top half of the 60 runners completing the race. Their average time was 21:58.80, and they were a solid 14 points ahead of the 3rd place team, Urbana.

The boys team was led by junior Eric Damtoft in a break-out run of 17:45.43, placing him 5th overall in the region. Behind Eric was sophomore Eliot Gerson in 8th (17:53), seniors Matt Davey-Karlson in 10th (17:58), Andrew Finkelstein in 16th (18:24), Nick Theiss in 29th (18:45), and Tom Erickson 27th (19:12), and junior Chris Henderson in 31st (19:23). The guys were racing in a field of 73 runners overall and 11 schools. They ran an average time of 18:09, they were all in the top half of the pack, and won 2nd place 7 points ahead of 3rd place Urbana.

These 2nd place finishes easily qualified the teams for the MD State Championships. Individuals qualifying for States included Eric, Eliot, Matt DK, and Fink; B-CC girls who qualified individually included Addie, Kate Bouvatte, and Ava.

Full meet results can be found here, and videos of races can be found from links on www.mocorunning.com.

The Glory Days Grill Invitational meet at Bull Run Regional Park on Saturday was an opportunity for B-CC runners to compete against hundreds of other schools in a venue that is ideal for spectators as well as runners. The field of competitors was large and deep, and all the Baron teams ran enormously successful races.

VARSITY GIRLS
Once again, senior Addie Tousley led the B-CC Lady Barons, placing 8th overall with a time of 20 flat, earning her yet another individual medal for the season. Following Addie was the always steady senior Naomi Roochnick (22:06), and juniors Kate Leuba (22:09) and Darcy O’Connor (22:30). The girls’ varsity race consisted of 34 schools and 251 runners. Due to injuries, B-CC didn’t race a full varsity team, leaving them ineligible to earn placement as a team, but the girls that ran did incredibly well – all of them placing in the top half of the competition.

VARSITY BOYS (5th place of 48 teams)
Senior Matt Davey-Karlson led the boys’ varsity race until the final segment, finishing 2nd overall out of 332 runners, with a time of 16:40. Close behind was junior Eric Damtoft, racing hard to the finish line, who placed 6th overall (17:09) giving B-CC two medal winners in the varsity race. The entire boys’ team ran a gritty and determined race. Senior Andrew Finkelstein placed 3rd for the team and 19th overall, running 17:26 and just missing medal contention. Senior Nick Theiss broke 18 for the first time at 17:52, followed by senior Tom Erickson (18:27), junior Chris Henderson (18:40) and junior Nick Richter, who stepped up to varsity for this race, and came in at just over 19 minutes (19:08). The team placed 5th – giving them major bragging rights.

JV GIRLS (27th place of 38 teams)
B-CC’s JV girls’ team consisted of junior Anna Blumenthal (25:16), sophomore Emily Rothermel (26:08), junior Melissa Arey (26:13), sophomore Claire Duguid (26:17) and junior Kim Stanton (27:23). As a team, they placed 27th out of 38, but this was the biggest of all the races, with 400 girls competing, and the B-CC girls ranked very respectably among them.

JV BOYS (12th place of 28 teams)
Senior Christian Frable blazed in as the first JV Baron, placing 31st with a varsity-caliber time of 18:58. Just seconds behind Christian were junior Andrew Crouch (19:05) and sophomores Philip Catterall (19:42), Rob Hagerty, and Patrick Frampus (20:08), along with junior Michael Metzler (20:54) and sophomore Zach Brown (21:18). These 7 formed the scoring part of the team, and they all placed in the top half of the field. Joining them in the JV race were sophomore Alex Zellner (21:28), senior Paul Rubino (22:46), sophomore Ben Clayton (24:23), senior Evan Spiller (25:50), and sophomore Ben Schuster with a best time of 29:43.

FRESHMAN GIRLS (5th place of 22 teams)
The promising future of girls running at B-CC was affirmed once again by the 2008 freshman Barons, who placed 5th out of 22 freshman-only teams and 222 individual runners. Running an average time of 23:04, the girls were just four points behind the 4th place team.

Ava Farrell, who sometimes runs for the varsity, led the Barons’ pack, placing 18th and running 21:43. Racing close behind were the hard-charging crew of Claire Cohen (22:56), Molly Zinkgraf (23:22), Lily Herrick-Reynolds (23:30), Alison Thomas (23:50) and Irene Burski (28:18). Much will be expected of these girls next week at the County Champs and next year as JV and varsity runners.

FRESHMAN BOYS
A trio of freshman boys represented B-CC. Julien Dorsey led the group with a time of 20:32, followed closely by Joe Rappaport (20:51), and Coby Friedman at 22:11. They competed as an “incomplete team” and thus had no team placement, but they ran against 48 schools and 350 freshman finishers and were all in the top half of times earned.

The next cross country meet is the Montgomery County Championships, Gaithersburg HS, Sat., Oct. 18, beginning at 9 am.

23 of B-CC’s finest cross country runners journeyed to Lehigh University on Friday, joining hundreds of high school and college teams in a day of racing competitions. B-CC varsity and JV runners did more than hold their own in this huge (and deep) field of runners.

The B-CC girls varsity was the big story – taking FIRST place in their 5K competition with 116 points – significantly ahead of the second-place team (with 122 points). Senior captain Addie Tousley raced her way to 2nd place overall with a spectacular time of 18:56. Her varsity teammates raced in close together, assuring the win, with junior captain Kate Leuba placing 27th (20:52), senior captain Kate Bouvatte 28th (20.54), junior Gwynedd Arbury 28th (20:55), and freshman Ava Farrell 30th (20:56). In short order, they were joined by juniors Darcy O’Connor 60th (21:33) and Leah Schultz 128th (23:38). The girls’ team win required topping a field of 28 teams and 224 runners. There’s a great photo of the B-CC Girls Varsity - and their trophy - on the front page of www.mocorunning.com

The boys varsity competed against 38 other high schools and a field of 323 runners. Senior captain Matt Davey-Karlson was B-CC’s highest place runner at 40th place with a personal best time of 16:30. The entire varsity ran an amazing sub-19, with sophomore Eliot Gerson at 133th (17:23), senior captain Andrew Finkelstein 169th (17:44), senior Nick Theiss 211th (18:06), junior Eric Damtoft 216th (18:14), senior Tom Erickson 230th (18:28), and junior Chris Henderson 235th (18:35). These are all REALLY fast times, and faster than any of the guys have run so far this season.

JV runners represented B-CC proudly too. On the girls’ side, freshman Alison Thomas led the group with a time of 23:05. She was followed immediately by senior Naomi Roochnik running 23:13, and Anna Blumenthal in 26:12.

JV boys were led by the dynamic duo of senior Christian Frable and junior Andrew Crouch, both running the course in 18:54, with sophomore Patrick Frampus close on their heels at 19:19. Also racing faster than ever, were sophomores Philip Catterall (19:30) and Rob Hagerty (19:36), and freshman Del Broadwater (22:16).

The Barons took some hits in the tri-meet at Cabin John Regional Park, the home course for both WJ and Churchill teams. B-CC had multiple injuries, and several runners got lost in the maze of the WJ home course, which was extremely narrow, rocky, jutted, and confusing. It was a day when the teams familiar with the course had a huge advantage in negotiating the trail and in being able to strategize their race relative to the course and the pack. With the exception of the girls JV win against Churchill, B-CC Varsity, JV, and freshman teams lost to WJ, who closed out their division win with this meet. B-CC teams also lost to Churchill, but were much more competitive.

Video of the boys and girls varsity races can be seen here, and photos of the JV races are here.

VARSITY BOYS RACE
Running varsity for B-CC were senior Matt Davey-Karlson (17:39.11), junior Eric Damtoft (18:01.47), with senior Andrew Finkelstein (18:02.13) breathing down his neck, and sophomore Eliot Gerson (18:07.16). Right behind were seniors Tom Erickson (19:24.45) and Alex Cole (19:27.16), along with junior Chris Henderson (19:36.58), and senior Nick Theiss (20:19.25). In the race against Churchill the team fared better, but it was a stretch to challenge the undefeated boys’ team from WJ on their home course. WJ is now the Division I champion.

VARSITY GIRLS RACE
In the girls race senior Addie Tousley placed 2nd in 20:45.10, followed by seniors Kate Leuba (21:56.00) and Kate Bouvatte (22:06.70), junior Darcy O’Connor (22:56.50), and freshman Ava Farrell, running for her first time with the varsity (22:58.70), and junior Gwynedd Arbury (23:00.12).

JV GIRLS RACE
The JV girls came through again and won resoundingly against Churchill, although they lost to WJ. The present and future of the girls’ XC team is extremely promising. In the race against WJ and Churchill, the girls paced each other and finished in groups. At the front of the pack was sophomore Emily Rothermel running 24.43, immediately followed by freshman Lily Herrick-Reynolds in 24:55. Right behind those two were freshmen Claire Cohen and Alison Thomas, tied at 25:14, with fellow freshman Molly Zinkgraf just a hair behind at 25:15. Pounding the pavement to finish in the top half were sophomore Claire Duguid (27:01), juniors Melissa Arey (27:08), Kathryn Lee (27:22) and Anna Blumenthal (27:22). The JV girls beat Churchill 21-34, but lost to WJ 38-17.

JV BOYS RACE
Barons JV boys made noise at this meet, led by juniors Nick Richter (20:05) and Andrew Crouch (20:13), trailed closely by sophomores Philip Catterall (20.18), Rob Hagerty (21:01), and Patrick Frampus (21:17). Following close behind, and finishing in the top half of the race, were seniors Stefan Countryman (22:00), Paul Rubino (22:14), sophomore Zach Brown (22:19) and Mike Metzler (22:22).

FRESHMAN BOYS RACE
Freshman boys got their own race and B-CC’s Julien Dorsey (20:49), Coby Friedman (21:43), and Joe Rappaport (21:46) raced into the top ten among the three schools. Teammates Christian Guerrero (24:11), Taylor Calton (24:29), and Del Broadwater (24:39) were close behind and finished in the top half.

BOYS VARSITY
Walter Johnson (16)
B-CC (41)

Winston Churchill (22)
B-CC (33)

GIRLS’ VARSITY
Walter Johnson (21)
B-CC (35)

Winston Churchill (24)
Bethesda-Chevy Chase (32)

BOYS JV
B-CC (50)
Walter Johnson HS (15)

B-CC (50)
Winston Churchill (15)

GIRLS JV
Walter Johnson HS (17)
B-CC (38)

Bethesda-Chevy Chase HS (21)
Winston Churchill (34)

FRESHMAN BOYS
Walter Johnson HS (15)
Bethesda-Chevy Chase HS (44)

Winston Churchill (18)
Bethesda-Chevy Chase HS (44)

B-CC boys cross country crushed the Quince Orchard Cougars, 22-37.

The B-CC girls claimed a 28-29 victory over the QO girls team, when they tied after the first five runners and then won on B-CC's 6th runner, who beat QO's 6th runner. The complete list of results for this meet can be found here.

The girls team was led by senior captain Addie Tousley, who raced to a 2nd place finish in 20.12, followed by a pack of Barons, including senior captain Kate Bouvatte (5th - 21:12, junior captain Kate Leuba (6th - 21:13), freshman Ava Farrell (7th - 22:23), juniors Darcy O'Connor (8th - 22:27) and Gwynedd Arbury (9th - 22:28). They ran at an average time of 21:29.40. The next pack of Barons blue included juniors Leah Schultz (23:40) and Kim Stanton (23:41), freshman Susannah Derr (23:50), sophomore Emily Rothermel (24:06), freshmen Claire Cohen (25:34) and Molly Zinkgraf and sophomore Claire Duguid. Molly and Claire tied at 25:35.

The boys team blazed to the finish with an average time of 17:24.20. The lead runner was senior captain Matt Davey-Karlson (1st - 16:51), with points piled on by sophomore Eliot Gerson (3rd - 17:06), junior Eric Damtoft (5th - 17:22), and senior captain Andrew Finkelstein (6th - 17:26), senior Tom Erickson (7th - 18:16), and Nick Theiss (9th - 18:23). Right on their heels were senior captain Alex Cole (10th - 18:28) and junior Chris Henderson (12th - 18:39). Racing close behind with sub-20 times were juniors Nick Richter (17th - 19:09) and Andrew Crouch (18th -19:15), sophomore Patrick Frampus (22nd - 19:34), senior Christian Frable (24th - 19:36), and sophomore Philip Catterall (19:43).

Division standings for both boys and girls are 1-1.

The MoCo Leaderboards of the top 25 runners in the county have been updated to reflect last week's races. Addie Tousley is listed the 3rd fastest girl and Matt Davey-Karlson is the 6th fastest boy. The full leaderboard can be found at:

The next division meet is a tri-meet at Cabin John Park against WJ and Churchill -- Tuesday, 9/23 at 3:30.

GO BARONS!

In a lineup of 14 freshman teams, B-CC girls earned 5 medals and the first-place plaque, winning by 22 points over second-place Northwest! Medal winners Ava Farrell (4th - 22:54.09), Susannah Derr (6th - 24:30.18), Lily Herrick-Reynolds (8th - 26:00.55), Claire Cohen (10th - 26:15.16), and Alison Thomas (11th - 26:18.94), along with Irene Burski (21st - 30:12.01) provided the scores to earn a first-place finish.

The meet was held at the Agricultural Farm Park in Derwood – a venue that gave the runners the traditional cross country experience of running through cornfields, woods, streams, and across rolling hills. There were public and private school teams participating, so the competition was significant. Although the venue was beautiful, the weather was humid and heavy.

The boys Varsity A team placed 6th out of 20 teams and just 10 points behind DeMatha HS. The boys saw outstanding performances by seniors Matt Davey-Karlson (7th - 16:49.28 for a medal), sophomore Eliot Gerson (29th - 17:43.22) running neck-in-neck with junior team mate Eric Damtoft (30th - 17:47.25 ), seniors Andrew Finkelstein (37th - 18:02.51), Nick Theiss (58th - 18:38.38), Tom Erickson (76th - 19:10.36), Alex Cole (83rd - 19:20.96), and junior Andrew Crouch (101st - 19:49.35) all coming in at sub-20. They were joined by first-time varsity runners junior Chris Henderson (122nd - 20:25.50) and senior Christian Frable (123rd - 20:26.22).

The girls Varsity A team ranked 4th out of 16 extremely competitive teams, with a medal-winning 3rd place run by senior Addie Tousley (19:45.96), followed in the top 50 by junior Kate Leuba (19th - 21:47.61), seniors Kate Bouvatte (16th - 22:07.43) and Naomi Roochnik (28th - 22:14.77 ), and juniors Darcy O’Connor (37th - 22:52.93) and Gwynedd Arbury (50th - 23:25.82).

The freshman boys, led by Coby Friedman (47th - 21:49.45), Joe Rappaport (56th - 22:15.30) and Julien Dorsey (58th - 22:19.56) ranked 11th out of 14 teams and 124 runners.

The boys Varsity B team, led by Nick Richter (22nd - 20:10.65) and Patrick Frampus (29th - 20:51.18), finished 8th out 14 teams. The girls Varsity B team, led by Kathryn Lee (13th - 26:45.59), finished 4th out of 8 teams.

Videos of the Magruder Invitational Boys and Girls Varsity races, and the Freshman races, as well as photos from all the races, can be found here, and full meet results can be seen here.

The B-CC XC teams (boys, girls, varsity, and JV) have their first home meet at Candy Cane Park on Beach Drive, Tuesday, Sept. 16, beginning at 3:30. There is good viewing at our home course, so stop by and cheer the team to victory over the Quince Orchard Cougars.

On a hot and humid afternoon, racing on Northwest High School’s slow and hilly course, B-CC boys and girls opened their season with some good runs despite the uncomfortable conditions. It was a challenge to start the season against Northwest HS, whose girls and boys teams are both ranked #1 in the county preseason polls. Although B-CC lost the meet, the boys were only down 3 points, showing they clearly have the potential to move up quickly from their number 8 spot in the rankings. The girls had some injuries occur during the meet, so their score was higher than expected, resulting in a 17-point loss that is not indicative of the talent on the team. Both teams had some gutsy runs and some extremely nice showings by the freshmen and returning runners who left nothing on the course.

On the girls side, senior Addie Tousley placed second overall (20:49), followed by senior Naomi Roochnik (6th - 22:27) and senior Kate Bouvatte (7th - 22:42), giving B-CC 3 runners in the top ten. Right now the B-CC girls team is ranked 5th in the preseason polls.

On the boys side, senior Matt Davey-Karlson took first place overall (17:32), joined by sophomore Eliot Gerson (4th – 18:07), senior Andrew Finkelstein (6th – 18:26), and junior Eric Damtoft (7th – 18:37). Closing in on the top 10 was senior Nick Theiss.

Videos of both races are posted on line - boys and girls.

The complete list of times for the meet is posted on MoCoRunning.com.

The teams will run in the Magruder Invitational this Saturday, starting at 8:00 a.m., at the Agricultural Farm Park in Derwood, competing against 20+ teams from the region.

The B-CC boys’ varsity XC team claimed the 2007 3A State Championship crown, topping the two-time defending champions, Wilde Lake of Howard County.

Race day was cold and damp, and the unexpectedly cool weather caught many of the runners and teams unprepared. Weather, combined with the incredible difficulty of the Hereford course, made for a day when anything could happen. Some runners went out too fast, others couldn’t adapt their bodies and pace to the conditions, and as one article noted, the result was more runners collapsing onto the ground at the finish line than on the hot and humid days of September when the Bull Run Invitational is held at Hereford.

Our B-CC runners ran a smart and successful race. Their training regimen was designed to have them peak at the perfect time to achieve their dream. At the one and two mile marks they appeared to be disconcertingly far behind, in 5th and 6th places among the 23 schools racing. However, they were running a well-paced race based on their familiarity with the course and their physical ability to accommodate the difficult conditions. Having won the Bull Run Invitational in September, the varsity boys were confident they could speed up on the hilly part of the course, and they did just that, leaving all the teams but Wilde Lake hoping for no better than 3rd place. By mile 3, the Barons were doing what they needed to do, each running just ahead of one Wilde Lake runner in their drive to win the championship.

In that last mile, the B-CC runners edged into place behind senior Captain Dylan Straughan (5th place in 17:03) and senior Kyle Short (7th place; 17:10) who both held steady and placed as top 15 medalists. Immediately following were junior Matt Davey-Karlson (18th; 17:34) and senior Captain Alex Prevost (21st; 17:38), with senior Walter Beller-Morales (38th; 18:09), junior Andrew Finkelstein (72nd; 18:53), and senior Captain James Lough (76th; 19:00) barreling along right behind them.

Every Baron runner had a Wilde Lake runner nipping at his heels, literally, but by sheer force of will, B-CC held steady in their positions and kept the competition a critical ONE POINT behind to claim the championship for B-CC. No Baron runner left anything on the course that day!

The varsity boys ran an average time of 17:31 and won with 89 points. They competed in a field of 164 runners and 23 schools.

On the girls side, B-CC junior Captain Addie Tousley moved almost immediately into 5th place overall, but by mile 2 she had moved solidly into 3rd and never gave it up. Addie completed the course in 20:10 and earned an individual state medal for her achievement. Joining Addie were the rest of this 3rd place 3A West Region girls’ team – senior Annie Bateman, running on her 18th birthday (65th; 23:19), junior Caroline Quill (67th; 32:21), sophomore Darcy O’Connor (86th; 24:22), senior Joanie Webber (91st; 24:42), senior Captain Alex Beehler (99th; 25:08), and senior Laura Keeling (104th; 25:25). These girls were competing in a field of 148 runners from 20 schools and wound up a solid 13th place with an average time of 23:11. The Barons’ girls have operated a bit in the shadows this season due to the major successes of the boys’ team, but this hardy band of girls stepped it up, worked really hard, and ran their fastest at States. They beat their predicted finish of 14th to match the 13th place finish of last year.

The successes of this year’s teams is the result of commitment and training on the part of the XC athletes, but is also attributable to very smart coaching by two highly experienced cross country runners, Chad Young and Colleen Desmond. They have offered a high level of training for those athletes willing to commit the time and energy to improve and win. The result of everyone’s efforts speaks for itself – 1st and 3rd place wins in the Regional Championship followed by a STATE CHAMPIONSHIP victory!!