Sep 19, 2014

TRINITY/VALKYRIE INVITATIONAL (HS)

September 20, 2014 @ Tom Sawyer State Park in Louisville, KY

The Trinity/Valkyre Invitational is the oldest and the biggest HS XC invitational held in Kentucky each fall. This year's edition is set to start up tonight with many of the best individuals from seven states in attendance.

KYtrackXC.com will be live on-site for all races Friday and Saturday.

TEAM PREVIEW UP LATER TODAY

Trinty/Valkyrie Invitational Field is Stacked, Check Out 2014 Track Times for the Best

Trinity/Valkyrie Invitational: Fastest 25 Boys based on 2014/2013 XC Times

Trinity/Valkyrie Invitational: Fastest 25 Girls based on 2014/2013 XC Times

Top 200 BOYS EVER at the Trinity/Valkyrie Invitational at Tom Sawyer Park

Top 200 GIRLS EVER at the Trinity/Valkyrie Invitational at Tom Sawyer Park

INDIVIDUAL RUNNER PREVIEW

Varsity Girls - TOP 25 by 2014 Time

Right off the bat from Kentucky's standpoint is the big question on everyone's mind "Where is Gabby Karas, will she run?" The Foot Locker National Finalist has yet to make her 2014 debut and is scheduled to do so tomorrow. The sophomore ran 17:07 last season at Foot Locker South and should roll on the flat terrain of the well known Tom Sawyer Park. Her coaches want to keep her on a limited racing schedule this fall (should help when she is still running in December.) Gabby has only run the 5K once at Tom Sawyer and that was two years ago (18:18) so sub 18 is easily not out of the question. The meet/course record is 17:46.

The great news is for all the girls including Gabby is that this field is loaded. Last spring at Eastern Relays, Kentucky had to pleasure of watching Ohio superstar Annie Heffernan roll a 4:49 PR in the One Mile Run to win. (Interview with Annie from Eastern Relays.) She has been Top 3 at New Balance Indoor twice in the Two Mile Run. Her 5K best this year is 17:43.

The top time overall run this far on the girls side belongs a Georgian. Morgan Iise from Marist popped off a 17:28 two weeks ago at the War Path Invitational. She was sub 18 at Foot Locker South last year.

Maggie Allen is coming off her first race of the year last week and will represent one of the host schools (Sacred Heart Valkyries.) She ran 18:13 in Indiana last week at the Brown County Invitational where she saw the always dominant Carmel Indiana squad. She has a PR of 17:38 on the track from last spring's KYtrackXC.com 5K Showdown and speed to boot.

Last year's Valkyrie Invitational champion Bailee Dean from Tennessee is also one to watch. She ran a 17:48 PR last fall to win at Tom Sawyer and has a career PR of 10:35 in the 3200m. She ran 19:00 flat to open the season at the Brooks Twilight Classic in Memphis.

The individual race is so loaded it is impossible to list all the top girls even. 32 girls coming into this meet having already gone sub 19, so this will fast. Sub 18 fast, yes hopefully so.

Varsity Boys - TOP 25 by 2014 Time

This race has seen two sub 15 performances ever and it has potential for #3 this weekend. Jacob Thomson 14:52 (2012) and Chris Walden 14:57 (2010).

Indiana's Brebeuf Jesuit brings in the top overall time this season in Zack Snider. He ran a 14:58 at Indiana's All Catholic Championship two weeks ago. He has a 9:06 PR in the 3200m from the Arcadia Invitational in 2013, so that backs up his potential for sub 15. He will receive competition at the top from an in-state foe Ben Veatch of Carmel Indiana (head to head matchups.) Veatch is coming off a 15:16 in his win at the Brown County Invitational. He has experience on this course as this a regular visit for Carmel in fact his best time from last year came at Tom Sawyer with a 15:12 to place 7th. He won the 3200 at the Eastern Relays last spring with a PR 9:05.

Kentucky's fastest man, Eric Baugh of Class A Villa Madonna is coming to town as well. The speedster went 4:14 for the full mile last year at the Kentucky Dream Mile. He won two KY state track titles at 1600 meters and 800 meters. He ran 9:26 in that same 3200m at Eastern Relays as above.

Tennessee's Adam Barnard comes in with the fastest time from last season with a 15:01. The Daniel Boone senior was 12th at Foot Locker South last year with that time. He has a 15:35 this season in his only race. He won a Tennessee state title in the 1600 last spring with a 4:10.

Not to be outdone, Ohio, Georgia, and Virginia are all sending some of their best runners as well. Ohio will have Michael Vitucci and Nick Grismer in the front pack, each with two wins early this season. Frank Pittman leads Marist out of Georgia. Alex Corbett leads the #3 ranked squad in Virginia from Lake Braddock. Corbett is coming off a 15:25 (3 Mile) at the beginning of September.

As with the girls race there are way too many runners out there to list them all. 26 have already run sub 16 with many very capable runners still with best this year in the low PRs as well. (FULL LIST OF ALL RUNNERS BY TIME) Is sub 15 possible, yes sir or ma'am, let's enjoy the races and see what happens.

2013 MEET RESULTS

Results

2013 Meet Coverage

Video

Pictures

KYtrackXC.com will be live on-site for all races Friday and Saturday.