October 25, 2007 Issue                                       

©2007 The Chestnut Hill Local

CHA cross country goes 3-2 in league meets
by TOM UTESCHER

Laying down a near-record pace on Germantown Academy’s 3.1-mile course, CHA senior Ned Cunningham led visiting Chestnut Hill Academy to a 15-50 victory over the host Patriots last Tuesday, helping the Blue Devils finish their slate of Inter-Ac dual meets with a winning 3-2 record.

In other head-to-head races within the league, CHA defeated Haverford School and Penn Charter and lost to Episcopal Academy and Malvern Prep.

In last Tuesday’s race, Cunningham ran alone much of the way and finished up in 17 minutes and three seconds, just off the GA course record of 17:01. He was followed across the line by the youngest runner on the Devils’ varsity squad, eighth-grader Dustin Wilson, whose time was 17:57.

Five more runners wearing Chestnut Hill singlets crossed the line before GA senior Craig Burnett secured eighth place overall in 19:22. GA has not won a league meet this season, but with eight sophomores and two freshmen on varsity this fall, the Pats have a nucleus to build around.

The Devils are also relatively young; besides Cunningham, the only senior in the top group on Tuesday was Pete Miller, who placed seventh (19:14). Taking third and fourth place were sophomore Dylan Ward and junior Mike Fitzkee, who came in close together in 18:30 and 18:33. Freshman Mike Fuery was fifth in 19:04, and tenth-grader Justin Anglin was sixth in 19:12.

After GA’s Burnett, CHA sophomore Ryan Ansel placed ninth in 19:24, and rounding out the top ten was Patriot junior Tom An, in 19:50.

With about a week to go until the Inter-Ac League Championships (on CHA’s home course), Blue Devils coach Paul Hines said, “We just want to keep everyone healthy; eat right, sleep right, try to avoid any bugs that are going around. In practice we’ll just maintain fitness, with one speed workout thrown in to keep them sharp.”

Malvern Prep will be going for its fifth straight Inter-Ac championship, led by senior Brian Fulton, the 2006 individual winner. CHA’s Cunningham is looking to move up from his third-place finish last year, and as a team, Chestnut Hill seems prepared to improve upon its fifth-place showing in 2006.

Places 11-21:  11) Hamish Patel (GA), 19:58; 12) Drew Weirman (GA), 20:00; 13) Ben Talus (GA), 20:02; 14) Will Leonard (GA) 20:07; 15) Michael Murphy (GA), 20:08; 16) Carter Skeel (GA), 20:11; 17) Hirsh Shah (GA), 20:36; 18) Jeff Telemaque (CH), 20:46; 19) Tyrik Miller, 20:51; 20) Buck Wolters (CH), 21:24