VHSL State Cross Country Meet

So I came home this weekend to see my high school team run at their state meet. I was expecting a lot from them. The have had some good races this year. They have run really well.

They went into this meet after winning the tenth district title in Potomac Falls High School's XC history. Potomac falls is the only school ever to win the Dulles District championship title. Then they went into the VHSL Region II meet with high hopes. Region II is the most competitive region there is in VA this year and it has been in the past. There were teams from region II who were ranked in the top ten of teams in the state and were not able to go the state meet, because they only allow the top four(?) teams from each region no matter how you are ranked. PF earned 2nd place behind a very strong team who actually almost (in a mid season race) beat the top team in the state (Blacksburg High School) for the last several years. Western Albemarle High School are the Region II champs this year, they won by a fairly large margin (~30 points). The team was bummed, because PF has won it the past two years.

They put the race behind them and focused on the coming state meet. They went in as the favorite for top three spot on the podium. I was very confident in them and wanted them to succeed. Fourth. A fourth place finish. PF got second two years ago and third last year, then fourth. A team from our own district who had beat them in a dual meet in the late regular season, but PF had beat them in districts and regionals. Loudoun County HS came out and performed and I congratulate them. Seriously I am very happy that not only is our region the top region in the state, but our district is one of the best districts in the state with two teams in the top 5.

It went

1. Blacksburg

2. Western Albemarle

3. Loudoun County

4. Potomac Falls

5. Grafton

I was sad. I was sad, because I feel attached to the team and when they don't reach what they were reaching for, it hurts. There are guys on the team that are like my brothers. I wanted them to succeed so bad. And I still believed they did. They have been top five past three years, when most schools are just itching to be able to go the state meet. Good job. I am still sad, but still happy. Love you guys.

There is something that many people that look at our team don't know what they have gone through these past two weeks. My coach, Coach Dolph Null was in the hospital a few days before the region meet. He had a heart problem, where his heart muscles weren't in sync properly and they had to shock him back into sync. He also had high blood pressure. First of all this man was the most important person in my life through high school and I was quite worried. So Potomac falls not only did not have their coach at regionals, but he wasn't really even there for practice for a lot of the period between regionals and states. This team didn't have a head coach in a very important part of the season and I know it affected their performance. How much? IDK, no one will ever know.

peace