South River's Lee, Chesapeake's Neal race to county titles

Between deep gasps for air, Hillary Lee smiled, put her hands on her hip and punctuated her comeback.

"Three-peat," said Lee, the latest three-time Anne Arundel County cross country county champion.

Lee navigated through her muddy, home terrain yesterday at South River to ward off Severna Park's pack and become the fourth female to win three consecutive county titles, and Will Neal won Chesapeake's first championship in 21 years with a 23-second victory.

Despite missing three major races since sustaining an injury to her right shin on Sept. 18 and competing in only the Southern Invitational, Lee led most of the way and finished the course in 20 minutes, 18 seconds.

"I was really timid coming into this race because I had to win to do my three," said Lee, the county's most decorated cross country runner. "So that's what I did."

Lee, who held off Severna Park's Chris Patrick (20:31), Jody Clouser (20:34) and Ashley Hayes (20:39), is the fifth overall three-time champion and the last to do it since Broadneck's Matt

Centrowitz (2004-2007). Lauren Centrowitz (Broadneck; 2001-2003), Kristen Nicolini (Annapolis; 1992-1994) and Ashley Riggs (Severna Park; 1984-1986) are the other three-time title-winners.

No Anne Arundel County runner has had more success than Lee, who finished second to Severna Park's Liya Kasimova as a freshman in 2006. Of the 17 athletes who have placed either first or second multiple times in the championship's 29-year history, Lee is the only one to do it in all four seasons.

"She's run one race since Sept. 18," Seahawks coach Josh Carroll said. "To use that muscle memory and her knowledge to really dominate is a direct reflection of her work ethic. You don't get to coach kids like that very often."

Severna Park, which put three runners in each race's top five, swept the team championships for the second time in three years.

While Neal led for the last 2.1 miles and finished in 16:44, Brendan Cooley (17:07) and Ben Pershall (17:14) finished second and third, respectively, and Shawn Greenspan picked up fifth to guide the Falcons to a 51-55 victory over Broadneck for their seventh consecutive county title.

"Four points is way too close," Cooley said. "They gave us a great race. We've been battling back and forth all year. They're a great team, and we have to do it again next week."

The Class 4A East Region meet, the qualifier for states, is set for Wednesday at Baybrook Park. The top seven teams and 50 percent of the individual field will earn trips to the state meet on Nov. 14 at Hereford.

The Class 2A South and 3A East Region meets will be Wednesday at Centennial.

Running the trail for the fourth time in four years, Neal passed South River's Richard Pineda (17:25; sixth) right before the 1-mile marker and didn't trail again, as he ended the Cougars' drought.

"It was a little more difficult this season because of the mud and stuff like that was all over the place," said Neal, Chesapeake's fifth champion and first since David Dietzway in 1988. "You're tripping over roots and trying to catch your ankles and keep them from twisting. It was a tough race."

Annapolis' Shane O'Donnell (17:16) finished fourth, and Broadneck's Alec Zajicek (17:32) and Luke Gilman (17:35) placed seventh and eighth, respectively.

The Bruins' Ryan Cleaver (17:53; 11th), Avery Wentworth (18:02; 14th) and Neal McFarland (18:10.3; 15th) all finished ahead of Severna Park's next finisher, Chris Chitterling (18:24; 19th), but they couldn't overcome the work done by its first three.

"Our top three saved us," Severna Park boys' coach Josh Alcombright said. "The other guys just tried to close the gap. We've got a lot of depth, and we showed that today."

The girls did, too.

Patrick, Clouser and Hayes edged Broadneck's Stephanie Crane (20:49), and Michelle Nelson's 21:14 was 20 seconds behind South River's Katelyn McDonough for seventh place to ensure Severna Park a 31-56 victory over the Seahawks.

"We're the 'Pack Attack,'" said Patrick, who placed sixth as a freshman last season. "We're awesome."

Severna Park -which fielded only six runners and received 15th- and 16th-finishes from Lauren Patterson (21:56) and Olivia Snow (21:57), respectively- just missed putting five in the top seven. The last team to do that was the 1997 Falcons.

"Defeat defines victory," said coach Ed Purpura, whose Falcons were clipped by South River in 2008. "A year ago, we were shocked we lost, and it kind of sticks in your craw for a year. Our personnel has changed dramatically since last year, but these guys were there, and they don't like to lose. They made sure it wasn't going to happen today."

Neither was Lee.

Running the county championship at South River for the third consecutive season, Lee won for the first time this year and overcame a 38-second loss to Crane at the Southern Invitational on Oct. 10.

"If I got a big enough lead, I knew I could stretch it," Lee said. "That's what I did. Just enough."

TEAM STANDINGS

Boys: 1, Severna Park, 51; 2, Broadneck, 55; 3, Chesapeake, 73; 4, Annapolis, 113; 5, South River, 139; 6, Arundel, 164; 7, Meade, 178; 8, Old Mill, 190; 9, North County, 254; 10, Northeast, 279; 11, Southern, 342.

Girls: 1, Severna Park, 31; 2, South River, 56; 3, Broadneck, 83; 4, Chesapeake, 118; 5, Annapolis, 140; 6, Arundel, 173; 7, Meade, 175; 8, Southern, 245; 9, Old Mill, 249.

INDIVIDUAL STANDINGS

Boys: 1, Neal (CH), 16:44; 2, Cooley (SP), 17:07; 3, Ben Pershall (SP), 17:14; 4, Shane O'Donnel (ANN), 17:16; 5, Shawn Greenspan (SP), 17:19; 6, Richard Pineda (SR), 17:25; 7, Alec Zajicek (BN), 17:32; 8, Luke Gilman (BN), 17:35; Cody Vernon (OM), 17:39; 10, Ross Sora (ANN), 17:47.

Girls: 1, Lee (SR), 20:18; 2, Patrick (SP), 20:31; 3, Jody Clouser (SP), 20:34; 4, Ashley Hayes (SP), 20:39; 5, Stephanie Crane (BN), 20:49; 6, McDonogh (SR), 20:54; 7, Nelson (SP), 21:14; Holland (NC), 21:19; 9, O'Brien (ANN), 21:21; 10, Josie Fillat (CH), 21:27.