Maryland State XC Championships 2010 Rivera, Causey lead Bulls on home course

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Rivera, Causey lead Bulls on home course
Hereford sweeps team titles in Class 3A state races

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By Kevin Spradlin
TriStateRunnur.com

PARKTON, Md., Nov. 13 – Erin Causey wasn’t expected to win. But try telling that to an upstart freshman with a smile on her face, a chip on her shoulder and talent in her legs.

Causey, seeded third heading into Saturday’s Maryland Class 3A state cross country championship, overtook top challenger Abbey Daley, a sophomore from Clarksburg, to win the individual title in 19 minutes and 59 seconds.

Causey said she realized at the half-mile point – and before the first of two trips down and up the infamous dip of Hereford’s cross country course – that she could hang with Daley, North Harford senior Megan Schott – and everyone else.

“I just decided I was going to stick with them no matter what,” Causey said. And she did just that – until the second mile, when the crimson and gold-clad harrier surged past Daley’s sky-blue singlet.

Daley, Schott and Causey went through the 1-mile point tied at 6:18. Only 5,280 feet later, Causey had a 10-second lead on Daley, 13:29 to 13:39. Schott was another five seconds back. Daley ended up second in 20:17. Schott placed third and Mount Hebron sophomore Rachel Yep was fourth. Both runners were awarded a time of 19:18.

Erin Causey Abbey Daley Schott Megan Rachel Yep

After crossing the finish line – and waving off much of the fanfare and congratulations that typically comes with a championship performance – Causey turned her attention to the finish line and watched as her teammates stop the clock.

The post-race effort didn’t take long, as the next four Bulls all placed inside the top 18 spots. Fellow freshman Sara Carter, who competed on the JV team until the region meet (where she placed fourth overall), finished seventh on Saturday in 20:31. Junior Emily VandeWater was third – and 10th overall – in 20:42, followed by senior Rachel Barkley (13th, 21:06) and junior Lauren Kennedy (17th, 21:22).

The combined performances propelled the Bulls to a dominating position atop the 21-team field with 48 points. Mount Hebron was second with 94 points, followed closely by River Hill (95), Centennial (148) and Reservoir (198).

In the boys’ Class 3A race an hour later, Mason Rivera stole the show. The Hereford senior said many felt he was a contender from the start of the season after last year’s state meet showing. On Saturday, he proved it and posted a winning time of 16:27.

Northern Calvert senior Ryan O’Connor was second in 16:38 and Linganore junior Braden Bruning took third in 16:42. Bulls teammate Ben Bemis, a senior, was fourth in 16:45. Linganore sophomore Patrick Duboyce was fifth in 16:50 and Quince Orchard senior Conor Spaulding was sixth in 16:55.

When Saturday’s announcer called out the top runners at the 2-mile point during Rivera’s race, the Hereford senior wasn’t on the list even though he’d gone with the lead pack through the first mile in 5:15. Turns out, it was just a mistake.

“I took the lead coming out of the cornfield,” Rivera said. “I just had it set in my mind that I was going to take the lead there (and) give it my all. I just didn’t want to stop.”

Rivera said he felt the presence of O’Connor and Bruning until the end despite several seconds separated the runners.

The two, Rivera said, “always get into your head. I looked over my shoulder. I saw they were right there.”

The pain to surge and hold the lead was real and “100 percent worth it,” Rivera said.

Rivera and Bemis led Hereford, which scored a perfect 15 in its Baltimore County meet and a highly respectable 16 points at the Region 3A North championship, to the team title with 63 points. Einstein was second among 22 complete teams with 133 points, followed by Quince Orchard (138), Northern Calvert (150), Atholton (162), Linganore (163) and Damascus (166).

Mason Rivera Ryan O'Connor Braden Bruning Ben Bemis