Meet Eric Allen - New Balance Nationals Freshman Champion in the 60m (6.96) and 100m (10.81)

Tocque Peyton Honored with Jim Vollmer Track and Field Official of the Year Award

Clarksburg Girls Won 4A State Title

DeMatha Boys, Elizabeth Seton Girls Won WCAC Team Titles
Good Counsel athletes won several distance events - Photos by Brian Crilly
More WCAC + ISL/MAC Photos in Mocorunning's Facebook Albums

GC's Kevin McGivern came from behind with a ferocious kick to claim the WCAC 1600m title by a split-second over teammate Jack Wavering, 4:26.62 to 4:26.69. McGivern and Wavering are both juniors.

GC's Rachel Pocratsky ended her high school career with 800/1600 WCAC titles in 2:14.78/5:17.94 in addition to 9:35.57 4x800 and 4:05.60 4x400. Pocratsky clocked 2:13.42 800m earlier in the year. Up next: Four years at Virginia Tech.

Clarksburg Girls and Northwest Boys Won 4A West Regional Championships

Bullis Girls Won Back-to Back ISL Titles
Bullis Boys Win First Ever IAC Title

Kyla Lewis won 3rd and 4th career ISL titles 12.18/24.97

Masai Russell's 44.02 300m hurdles is 4th fastest ever by MoCo athlete

Mia Gyau took 2nd and went under 800m meet record with 2:14.14

Bullis clocked 3:50.53 4x4, 4th fastest ever by Montgomery County team

Clarksburg Girls and Northwest Boys Won Outdoor Track County Championships

Northwest won the boys team title with 106 points

Clarksburg won the girls team title by 72 points with 126

Montgomey County Championship Table of Winners

DCC Schools Roll Out First Track Championship Meet

1 Montgomery Blair 136.5 2 Albert Einstein 127 3 Wheaton 101.5 4 John F Kennedy 97 5 Northwood 52

1 Albert Einstein 154 2 Montgomery Blair 149 3 John F Kennedy 88 4 Wheaton 65 5 Northwood 54

Northwest's Diego Zarate Clocked 4:09.69 in Penn Relays HS Mile
He Took 3rd Place and Climbed to #2 Spot on Mocorunning's Updated All-Time Greatest Milers List (Best since '72)

Martha Sam Interview With five state track titles under her belt, Martha Sam is one of the most decorated athletes of the 2015 class. She owns the fastest 400 meters ever recorded indoors by a Montgomery County athlete (54.74) and is in the top 10 in seven other categories, not to mention the blazing relays that she has been a part of. Her emergence has led the surge of the Blake girls track program that has steadily improved over the past few years. She came within .17 seconds of a national title in the 400 at the 2015 New Balance Indoor Nationals and will look to carry that success into the 2015 outdoor season. While we still have the privilege of having such an extraordinary talent in Montgomery County, let's go a little more in-depth into the mind of Blake's Martha Sam.

Whitman's Evan Woods Topped Loaded 1600m Field at Viking Invitational
4:18.22/1:57.77 Tune-Up Foreshadows Renewed Rivalry with Northwest's Diego Zarate at Upcoming Championship Meets

Clarksburg Girls Win at Woodward Relays

Diego Zarate Interview Coming off an indoor track season in which he set two county championship meet records and won his third and fourth individual state titles, Northwest High School's Diego Zarate is primed for perhaps the most special outdoor track campaign we have seen in some time. His pure speed and unmatched stamina made him the ultimate weapon for the point machine that was the Northwest Jaguars this winter. His 4:16.00 mile made him the fastest indoor Montgomery County miler in at least 30 years. In this interview, he recollects a breakthrough performance at last year's outdoor county championship meet and he opens up about the cross country state championship in which he fell short of his own expectations. Read on to learn more about his personal superlatives: largest hill, toughest workout, favorite music, and best hairstyle of his high school years.

Clare Severe Interview It's hard to believe, but MoCo has less than three months left to appreciate the talents of the class of 2015. Whitman senior Clare Severe has always been a highlight of the group, and it takes more than two hands to count the amount of county, region, and state titles she has to her name. And we're not just talking about track - Clare might even be more widely known in the county for her prowess as a star soccer player. Between her tenacity on the oval and her drive on the field, Whitman is definitely going to miss her athletic talents in the fall. As she begins her farewell tour this spring, MoCoRunning took the opportunity to try and dig deeper into what makes Clare such a unique multi-sport talent.

Clarksburg Girls, Northwest Boys Bring Home State Titles

Virginia Tech Invitational Updates
New county leaders in 6 boys event and 4 girls events

January 24 Updates

Montgomey County Championship Table of Winners

Northwest boys team broke indoor county meet record for most points, 116		Alexus Pyles led Clarksburg to team county title with three individual victories and two personal bests. 8.22 in the 55m hurdles missed meet record by 0.01 seconds.
Northwest's Diego Zarate broke county meet records in the 800m (1:57.72) and 1600m (4:20.09)		The girls 4x200 was the race of the day, with Paint Branch edging out Blake 1:46.27 to 1:46.37

Bulldogs Burnin' Up Track at Montgomery Invitational
Bullis School's 1:42.37 4x200 and 3:59.52 4x400m are among best in meet history
Kyla Lewis (photo below) is new county leader in 55m (7.26)

As of 1/3/2015, Blake's Martha Sam leads Montgomery County this year in the 55m (7.28), 300m (40.59), and 500m (1:15.89). The 1:15.89 500m was recorded on December 6 at an invitational in Hampton, Virginia. One month later it remains the #1 time in the United States according to Milesplit on 1/4/15. Additionally, Blake's 4:02.21 4x400 is likely the fastest time ever recorded by a MoCo team in the month of December. Across the Bay: Long Leaps and Fast Miles at UMES Invitational. US #1 8.03 60m hurdles by Northwest's Shyheim Wright. 18-03.25 and 22 -02.00 long jumps by Northwest's Leondra Correia and Josh Netterville. 5:14.42 and 4:23.88 miles by Churchill's Lucy Srour and Northwest's Diego Zarate.

2015 is Here: Northwest Boys Team to Beat

A look back at three MCPS meets in December reveals the Northwest boys team looks virtually unbeatable compared to the rest. Shyheim Wright, Jalen Walker, Diego Zarate, and Aaron Biedleman have racked up ten individual victories in their respective specialties, and a strong supporting cast has lifted Northwest to an average margin of victory of 28 points over second place in three MCPS meets. Two of the most notable individual performances to date include the 7.73 55m hurdles by Wright and 1:58.16 800m by Zarate, 5th and 7th respectively on Mocorunning's "Since 2006" Indoor Leaderboard.

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Bullis is Back Despite losing 2 of its top 4 sprinters to graduation, Bullis is back where it left off last year after 1:44.06 4x200 and 4:02.44 flat track victories at the FIT Invitational. It's only December. Bullis became the first school to hit Mocorunning's new Relays to Watch Standards with a 1:44.70 4x200 at the Bishop Loughlin Games. Lisa-Anne Barrow of Holton Arms improved Montgomery County's all-time best indoor long jump mark to 18-07 at the Bishop Loughlin Games

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Alexus Pyles Interview Alexus Pyles is a two-time state champion and five-time county champion after just two years of high school. She enters her junior year as Montgomery County's top returning athlete in the 55-meter hurdles (8.28), 100-meter hurdles (14.47), and 300- meter hurdles (45.24). The new season started with a bang as she immediately set personal records in the triple jump (37-02.50) and high jump (5-06.00) at MCPS Meet #2. She won four events at last year's indoor county championship, leading Clarksburg to the indoor team county title, and also posted outstanding marks in the Heptathlon at the New Balance Outdoor Nationals, The Potomac Valley Association Junior Olympics and the USATF JO's in Texas. Read on to learn about how she got her start at a young age and continues to improve through dedication and hard work.

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The MoCoRunning Half-Decade Teams
The top Montgomery County XC athletes between 2010 and 2014 according to Montgomery County Coaches

MoCoRunning Girls Half-Decade Team           MoCoRunning Boys Half-Decade Team

1. Nora McUmber, B-CC 2015 High School Personal Bests: 17:34.3 5k (NXN Southeast) Medal Count: 3 County, 2 Region, 1 State, 1 NXN Region Notes: Was voted unanimously by 20 coaches as Montgomery County's top XC athlete from 2010 to 2014. Won three consecutive county titles, a state title, and the NXN Southeast Region title. Ran personal best 17:34.3 in winning the NXN Southeast Region, the fastest 5k time by a Montgomery County athlete in 19 years. Finished 48th at Nike Cross Nationals. Holds county championship course record (Bohrer Park format) at 18:09. Held Mocorunning's #1 ranking for a record 16 weeks (non-consecutive) over three seasons.

1. Chase Weaverling, Poolesville 2014 High School Personal Bests: 15:22.1 5k (Brunswick), 15:02.9 3M (Keyser) Medal Count: 2 County, 1 Region, 1 State Notes: Won 2 county titles and a state title, first Montgomery County male athlete to do so since 1998. Holds county championship course record (Bohrer Park format) at 15:24.99 and largest margin of victory with a 28 second win. Won 10 of first 11 races in 2013 with only loss in runner-up effort at Oatlands in 15:28. Ran personal best 15:22.1 5k at Brunswick Invitational. Won 2A state title by 30 seconds. Finished 11th, just 0.3 seconds behind the 10th place finisher at Footlocker Northeast in 2013. Held Mocorunning's #1 XC ranking for the duration of the 2013 XC season. Competes for the University of Virginia.

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Runwashington.com Coverage:     Wavering Fights to Tight Finish     Woods, McUmber, WJ Girls Win

B-CC's Nora McUmber secured the final missing piece of her legendary high school cross country career, the 4A XC state title.

After losing the county title by a split-second and letting Diego Zarate get away at regionals, Whitman's Evan Woods won the 4A state title.

Good Counsel's Jack Wavering became the first Montgomery County athlete to win the DC-MD state title since 2005 (Steven Duplinsky)

Walter Johnson Girls Are Back-to-Back 4A State Champions		Good Counsel Boys Are Back-to-Back DC- MD State Champions
B-CC Girls Are 4A State Runners-Up (Photo by Julie Billingsley)		Einstein Girls Are 3A State Runners-Up

The St. Andrew's Episcopal Girls Won the DC-MD Small Schools State Title

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Nora McUmber Interview If you've had the chance to watch any championship-style race in MoCo over the past four years, the chances are that B-CC's Nora McUmber has been at the front of the pack. In XC, she's a three-time county champion and she won the 2013 NXN Southeast Region Meet. However, Nora's not all about the dirt - she also holds two 4A state titles in track at 1600m and 3200m. With states on the horizon, Nora is poised to close out the postseason with a bang. Based off her county meet performance, it's not unreasonable to think that she will walk away from her senior year with another state title to her name. Is a return to NXN in the cards? Read on to find out what makes Nora tick...

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MoCoRunning's Individual XC Rankings - 11/09/2014

Boys Week 10 Ranking 11/09/2014 1. Diego Zarate, Northwest 2015 2. Evan Woods, Whitman 2015 3. Michael Abebe, Northwood 2016 4. Rohann Asfaw, R. Montgomery 2017 5. Amir Khaghani, Whitman 2015 6. Patrick Munro, Wootton 2015 7. William Kirk, Rockville 2015 8. Lorenzo Neil, Paint Branch 2015 9. Binyam Tadesse, Kennedy 2015 10. Jack Wavering, Good Counsel 2016

Girls Week 10 Ranking 11/09/2014 1. Nora McUmber, B-CC 2015 2. Abbey Green, Walter Johnson 2018 3. Lucy Srour, Churchill 2015 4. Lucie Noall, Clarksburg 2015 5. Emily Murphy, Walter Johnson 2016 6. Kiernan Keller, Walter Johnson 2015 7. Grace Dellapa, Wootton 2016 8. Amanda Hayes-Puttfarken, Sherwood 2016 9. Claudia Wendt, Good Counsel 2018 10. Katriane Kirsch, Walter Johnson 2017

MoCoRunning's Independent School XC Rankings - 11/09/2014

1. Jack Wavering, Good Counsel 2016 2. Kevin McGivern, Good Counsel 2016 3. Jimmy Vazzana, Good Counsel 2017 4. Jonah Smith, The Heights 2015 5. George Drewyer, Good Counsel 2017 6. Jack Chlopak, Landon 2017 7. Matt Lopez, Good Counsel 2016 8. Jeff Moxley, Good Counsel 2016 9. Jeremiah Melton, Good Counsel 2016 10. Harry Wandersman, Jewish Day 2015

1. Claudia Wendt, Good Counsel 2018 2. Michaela Peterson, Holy Cross 2017 3. Genevieve DiBari, Stone Ridge 2018 4. Megan Crilly, Good Counsel 2016 5. Isabel Barnidge, Stone Ridge 2018 6. Maggie Ralston, Good Counsel 2018 7. Elizabeth Kaniecki, Good Counsel 2016 8. Delia Launi, Good Counsel 2016 9. MacKenzie Kynoch, St. Andrews 2015 10. Julia Pitts, Holy Cross 2016

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Holy Cross (girls) and Landon (boys) Claim Team County Titles

Michaela Peterson of Holy Cross dominated the Montgomery County Independent Schools Championship, winning by 43 seconds in 20:47.56

In a tight race, Landon's Jack Chlopak out-kicked Jonah Smith of the Heights to claim the Montgomery County Independent Schools title in 17:37.43

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29 Teams Qualify for States

Walter Johnson's talented freshman Abbey Green shocked the field to win the 4A West Region in 18:17.53.

Northwest's Diego Zarate left no doubt in this one, leading wire-to-wire and finishing with no one in sight in 15:26.11.

The Montgomery County Champion Walter Johnson girls and Whitman boys won 4A West titles. Girls state qualifiers: Walter Johnson, B-CC, Churchill, Clarksburg, Whitman, Richard Montgomery, Quince Orchard. Boys state qualifiers: Whitman, Wootton, Churchill, Walter Johnson, Northwest, B-CC, Richard Montgomery.

In the 4A North, Sherwood, Blake, and Paint Branch girls teams qualified for states. Paint Branch, Sherwood and Blake boys teams qualified for states.

Out of the 3A West, the Einstein boys and girls swept regional titles. Girls state qualifiers from MoCo: Einstein, Northwood, Damascus. Boys state qualifiers from MoCo: Einstein, Rockville, Wheaton, Northwood.

In 2A West action, the Poolesville boys and girls qualified for states.

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Three-peat For McUmber and a Photo Finish for Zarate, Woods

The 2011 county champ Lucy Srour of Churchill pushed the defending champ for 3/4 of the race, but B-CC's Nora McUmber turned on another gear in the final half mile to win her third consecutive XC county title in 18:12.45.

With multiple lead changes, Northwest's Diego Zarate and Whitman's Evan Woods created one of the most exciting races in Montgomery County championship history. Woods closed the gap at the last possible moment, but the finish line judge determined that Zarate's lean in 15:48 secured the win in a split- second victory.

The Whitman boys claim 11th county title since 1988 but just first since 1999. Walter Johnson girls grab 7th county title in last 14 years. Updated List of Montgomery County Champions

Mocorunning Pre-Meet Poll Results - The Girls, The Boys
Mocorunning's County Championship Projections

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MoCo Girls Cross Country Divisions Final
Walter Johnson 5-0 B-CC 4-1 R. Montgomery 3-2 Whitman 2-3 Wootton 1-4 Poolesville 0-5		Churchill 5-0 Einstein 4-1 Northwest 3-2 Sherwood 2-3 Clarksburg 1-4 Q. Orchard 0-5		Blake 5-0 Blair 4-1 Paint Branch 3-2 Gaithersburg 2-3 Northwood 1-4 Springbrook 0-5		Damascus 6-0 Magruder 5-1 Watkins Mill 4-2 Seneca Valley 3-3 Rockville 2-4 Wheaton 1-5 Kennedy 0-6
MoCo Boys Cross Country Divisions Final
Whitman 5-0 Wootton 4-1 Walter Johnson 3-2 B-CC 2-3 R. Montgomery 1-4 Poolesville 0-5		Churchill 4-1* Q. Orchard 4-1 Northwest 4-1 Einstein 2-3 Sherwood 1-4 Clarksburg 0-5		Paint Branch 5-0 Blake 3-2 Springbrook 3-2 Northwood 2-3 Blair 2-3 Gaithersburg 0-5		Rockville 6-0 Wheaton 5-1 Damascus 4-2 Magruder 3-3 Seneca Valley 2-4 Kennedy 1-5 Watkins Mill 0-6

*Churchill boys win Division II on Tiebreaker. WC 109. QO 115. NW 124.

In the event of a tie, the team that has defeated the other team(s) with which it is tied will be the champion.

If there is still a tie, then the tie will be broken by the lowest combined points scored in division meets.

If a tie still remains, the largest combined margin of victory among the teams that are tied will be used.

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MoCoRunning's Preseason Poll Results - The Girls 71 fans voted for the top ten female individuals and top ten girls teams in Mocorunning's preseason poll. Follow the link to see which teams and athletes are the consensus fan favorites. Pictured right: It's hard to imagine a runaway winner on the girls' side with such a strong field in 2014, but B-CC's Nora McUmber's achievements merit her top ranking. Her ridiculous 17:34.30 5k at the NXN Southeast meet speaks for itself.

MoCoRunning's Preseason Poll Results - The Boys 80 fans voted for the top ten male individuals and top ten boys teams in Mocorunning's preseason poll. Follow the link to see which teams and athletes are the consensus fan favorites. Pictured left: Diego Zarate returns with the second fastest 5k time in the county. He edges out Whitman's Evan Woods in the poll on the strength of a fantastic track season in which he captured the 4A 1600m state title in both the indoor and outdoor seasons.

MoCoRunning's Preseason XC Tour 2014