ABOVE: Brit Berner (right) cheers on Eastern View's boys runners during the meet. The Cyclones finished with a 185, good enough for seventh place in the 15-team field. View More Images from this story Visit the Photo Place

RACE IS MUSIC TO LOWE, BEARS

All-Area Cross Country meet

Date published: 10/7/2009

BY ADAM HIMMELSBACH

When Riverbend junior Peyton Lowe is navigating a bumpy cross country trail, she prefers to be amid a pack rather than on her own.

Having other runners nearby gives her a focus, as well as people to beat.

But there are also times when Lowe finds herself alone for long stretches. And when that happens, she keeps her focus by singing to herself.

"Usually it's songs that pump me up," Lowe said. "But, and this is embarrassing, I also like to sing the ABCs to myself."

During yesterday's Fredericksburg All-Area meet at Fredericksburg Christian School, Lowe went out strong, but others did not.

So she was left with an empty trail, cool air and plenty of time for song.

The junior crossed the finish line in 20 minutes, 15 seconds, a full 22 seconds ahead of Brooke Point's Kellie Hall, who placed second.

"It was pretty lonely out there," Lowe said. "Overall it was pretty good though, considering I was running mostly by myself."

Lowe was almost very alone when she started to turn right when she was supposed to head left about midway through the tree-lined layout.

Fortunately, a coach was there to steer her in the right direction, and she took care of the rest.

Lowe's victory combined with the 10th- and 11th-place finishes of Chelsey Kollhopp and Jordan Lasker helped the Bears to the team title.

But several other Group AAA teams held their top runners out of the race for rest as well as precautionary reasons.

"I wanted to see what the course was and what we were running on," said Mountain View coach Dave Davis, who held out his top 12 girls and boys. "This is a nice meet, but I have a bigger picture I've got to be concerned about later on."

In the boys race, the finish was much closer.

Spotsylvania's Tony McBride and Eastern View's Charlie Bayne were in stride as they turned down the final straightaway.

But McBride used a late kick to finish first in 16:53, one second ahead of Bayne.

McBride flexed his arms as he crossed the finish line and was hoisted atop the shoulders of two teammates.

"I just pulled out everything I had left and didn't hold anything back," McBride said. "I got in full-stride, arms pumping and just went for it."

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Date published: 10/7/2009