THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, October 27, 1995 TAG: 9510270670
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C4 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY PATTI WALSH, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: VIRGINIA BEACH LENGTH: Short : 43 lines
With only one returning runner from last year's young squad, Lake Taylor didn't expect to challenge for the Eastern District boys cross country title.
But Thursday the Titans ran away with it, placing four runners in the top 12 for a 9-point advantage over two-time defending champion Maury.
``Everybody just had the heart,'' said Jeremiah Munden, the Titans top finisher who ran the 3.1-mile Mount Trashmore course in 18:46.38, good for fifth place. ``Our goal was to stay together as a unit and get in between Maury and Norview.''
However, there was no getting in between Maury's D.J. Williams and the finish line as the senior glided to his second straight individual title with a 17:19.07 finish, nine seconds better than Antoine Lattimore of Granby. The run was Williams' fastest of the year and a second shy of the course record he set at last year's district championship.
Coming up on the two-mile mark, Williams was third behind Granby's Delano Harris and Lattimore before he made his move uphill.
``I just used a little strategy,'' he said. ``My coach told me to let them lead for the first two miles and give it whatever I had in the last.''
Sarah Frueh took heed to Williams' performance and completed the course in 21:43 to help Maury, which placed six of its runners in the top seven, to its fifth straight girl's title. Granby finished second to the Commodores' 19 points with 68.
Frueh, who did not compete last season, was 27 seconds faster than Lake Taylor's Zeta Wilson, but well aware of her presence.
``It's not the fastest time I've run here,'' Frueh said. ``But I looked back when we had a mile to go and saw (Wilson), and I didn't want her to get me. I knew if I didn't get rid of her then, I wouldn't get rid of her later.''
The top four teams in both divisions, as well as the top 15 individuals, advance to next week's Eastern Region meet. by CNB