Maryland Standouts Whittaker, Gelfand Win Seeded Races

By Doug Binder, DyeStat Editor

Runners from the Mid-Atlantic states, some of which have delayed the start of cross country to October of eliminated the school seasons altogether, converged Saturday on Mechanicsville, Va., to run in the VA Elite Invitational at Pole Green Park.

Maryland standouts Juliette Whittaker and Jake Gelfand won the seeded sections of the club meet. 

Whittaker, a junior at Mt. de Sales High in Catonsville, Md., ran 17:29 on the 5-kilometer course competing unattached to beat a strong field. Whittaker was 13th at the Foot Locker Cross Country Championships last December.

Ava Gordon, a junior at Loudoun Valley VA, finished second running for the NVAA, in 17:35.1. Gordon is the reigning Virginia Class 4A champion and was 58th at Nike Cross Nationals last year. NVAA rolled to the team victory with 29 points.

"It was great to run with Juliette Whittaker just to have someone to push me throughout the race. I'm very thankful for that and she did amazing," Gordon said. "Racing as a team today made things feel a little more normal and I'm sure all of the girls agree. We all definitely put down some good times and I'm proud of all of us."

Behind them, sophomore Alli Crytser (17:40.2) of Hanover Elite XC Club and junior Kayla Werner (17:40.8) of Pacers, were third and fourth.  

In the boys race, Gelfand, of Severna Park Cross Country Club MD, won it in 15:13.9. Gelfand led Severna Park High to the Maryland 4A state championship last year. Severna Park's club team also won with 33 points.

Murphy Smith, running unattached, was second in 15:19.4. Smith, a senior at Adrey Kell High in North Carolina, was fourth in the NCHSAA 4A championship race last year. 

Damian Hackett, also unattached, finished third. He attends the St. Albans School for Boys in Washington, D.C. and was second in the DCSAA Championships in 2019.

The District of Columbia and Virginia have both pushed fall sports into the spring of 2021.

RESULTS