Panthers Third

Panthers Third

In District Meet Rappahannock's Scott Keithley beat the 14:46 course record at Blue Rock Farms in last Wednesday’s Bull Run District cross country championships hosted by RCHS. Keithley covered the 2.7 miles in 14:42, eliciting cheers from the Panther fans who crowded the finish line. But his effort came 29 seconds too late. Stonewall Jackson’s Timmy Holler broke the tape first in 14:13 while Strasburg’s Shawn Lohr slipped in ahead of Rappahannock’s front runner in 14:38. Lohr was one of four Strasburg harriers to make the top ten in the district championship meet, giving the school the Bull Run crown with 36 points. Stonewall was second, squeezing past Rappahannock with a one-point margin, 53 to 54. Coach Ann Speiker’s Panthers saw their odds for a first or second place finish drop when Craig Kenyon tripped over a fallen runner at the start of the race. The contentants were called back for another try but Kenyon had been stepped on in the mishap, leaving him with a scraped back and a pulled leg muscle. His time of 16:28 for 23rd place was well behind his earlier performances, including a 16:00 finish over the same course on October 7. "If Craig hadn’t been injured, Rappahannock would have taken second," coach Speiker said. “But even with Craig finishing where he would have without that fall, we still couldn’t have caught Strasburg," she acknowledged. Ronnie Atkins, the second RCHS runner across the line, continues to cut seconds off his time, finishing in 15:10 for fifth place. Larry Sisk was 12th in 15:45, Ricky Shaw 15th in 16:02, Elwood Dodson 19th in 16:17 and David Dodson 34th in 17:26. Forty-seven runners from seven schools competed in the Bull Run District meet. Complete results had Strasburg in first with 36 followed by Stonewall Jackson (53). Rappahannock (54), Clarke (%), Manassas Park 163), George Mason (173) and Brentsville (176).