Cross Country: Freshman 1-2 Finish, Senior Leadership Leads Freedom to First Dulles District Title

By Dan Sousa
VivaLoudoun Editor
Leesburg (Oct. 21, 2010) - When the Dulles District girls cross country race Wednesday at Oatlands entered the home stretch it was a pair of freshman from Freedom, Callie O'Connell and Siobhan O'Toole, leading the field.

Callie O'Connell

While the duo had just finished 1-2 at the Octoberfest race earlier in the month, that was in the JV race and a little under the radar. On Wednesday, however, the young runners were front and center and at the finish it was ... O'Connell at 19:46 ... O'Toole at 19:49 ... Oh My! ... as a buzz went through the crowd gathered at the finish line as the Eagles had ended power Potomac Falls's bid for a fourth straight and sixth overall Dulles District meet title and captured their school's first cross country title since opening in 2005.

Siobhan O'Toole

Freedom's 39-point win -- some 25 points ahead of the Panthers -- was built on a blend of youth with O'Connell, O'Toole and fellow freshman Emma Johnson (21:16, 19th) and senior leadership with Victoria Boone (20:30, 7th), Rachel Moffitt (20:41, 10th) and Meghan Butler (21:17, 21st). Junior Alexis Chaet rounding out the starting line-up.

The Panthers, the district regular-season champions, were led by their own freshman, Sarah Dillistin, who took third at 19:59 and had two other girls in the Top 10 with senior Rachel Hagen (20:18) 5th and junior Kaeley Brady (20:37) 8th.

Potomac Falls: Dulles District Regular-Season Girls XC Champions

Also advancing to the Region II meet were Briar Woods with 78 points and first-year Woodgrove with 84 points. The Loudoun County girls finished fifth and will not advance to Regionals for just the second time since the Dulles District was formed in 2001.

The Falcons third place finish was paced by sophomore Jackie Deffer (20:17, 4th) while Woodgrove was aided by two former Loudoun Valley standouts, sophomore Alex Juzbuasich (20:20, 6th) and junior Lydia Cromwell (20:40, 9th).

Advancing individually were Loudoun County junior Kathryn Eder (12th) and Tuscarora sophomore Jannen Hermann (15th).

The Eagles benefited from what the girls call their "love-hate" relationship with Oatlands, their hilly home course where they have been able to practice on once a week during the season. Their familiarity paid off Wednesday as the entire Freedom squad was on top of their game.

After the awards were handed out the Freedom girls headed for the biggest hill on the course and after all the girls had rolled down the hill it was time for Eagle coach Brent Miller to pay off a bet ... he had told the team he would carry them to the bus if they won the meet and somehow that had translated into the girls wanting their coach to carry them up the big hill. Miller paid off on his promise and gamely took each girl up the hill in a "fireman's carry".

Miller took over the Freedom cross country program after popular coach and teacher Eric Olsen passed away from cancer in January 2009. Wednesday's results were no doubt a testimony to the foundation that Olsen laid to the Freedom program and would have brought a smile to his face.

Freedom: Dulles District 2010 Girls XC Meet Champions

The Top 15 Runners

Check back for more photos from this meet later.

All-time Dulles District results