Cross Country

Robby Creese Glenelg, senior Last year was a breakthrough season for Creese. He dominated throughout the fall and won the Class 2A state title, playing a big role in Glenelg's second-place team finish at the state meet. Scott Heydrick River Hill, senior A very consistent distance runner who's been overshadowed a bit by some others. But he's been improving, had a very good track season and should be ready for bigger things this fall. Matt Jablonski Loyola, senior Jablonski has been one of the area's top distance runners in cross country and track.

Submitting sports The deadline for submitting sports copy is 9 a.m. on Mondays. We prefer email (howardcountysports@patuxent.com). We do not accept results by phone. When two Howard County teams play, players from both teams (first and last names) must be mentioned in the write-up. Questions? Call 410-332-6578. Running Howard County Junior Striders Thirty-two Howard County Junior Striders competed at the USATF Cross Country Junior Olympics National meet in Myrtle Beach, S.C. Dec. 10. The 17-18 girls team earned an award by placing third and three individuals placed 25th or better and earned All-American status, They were Tiffany Lang (fifth)

In a driving snowstorm, the Howard Community College cross country men's and women's teams captured titles at the Region XX/Maryland JUCO Championships. Mary Rzegocki led the women with a second place finish in a time of 22 minutes, 8 seconds. She was followed by Leslie Dickens (sixth in 24:14), Madison Hoover (10th in 26:32), Destiny Jones (14th in 28:34) and Reenae Winfree (18th in 29:22). This was the third regional title for the women and their first Maryland JUCO title.

Josh Alcombright Severna Park Alcombright truly got the most out of the Falcons as a team this season, as they won the Anne Arundel County and Class 4A East region titles before taking second in the state. Severna Park was the consummate team. Sam Pershall led the way, but the Falcons stuck together throughout the season. Alcombright was pleasantly surprised at his team's consistency throughout the lineup, saying that played a big role in the team's success.

Men's and women's cross country have been added as intercollegiate varsity sports beginning with the 2011 fall season, Harford Community College announced Thursday. The Harford Athletic Department previously sponsored cross country as a club sport for the past three years. "Cross country is a great addition to our menu of varsity sports, allowing opportunities for both men and women," Harford Athletics Director Ken Krsolovic said. "We will have a good opportunity to be very competitive right away, which truly excites us. " While always keeping Title IX and gender equity issues on the docket, this addition will give the Fighting Owls 14 intercollegiate sports teams, seven men's teams and seven women's teams, that all compete at the Division I level of the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA)

The senior captured the individual girls title at Saturday's Baltimore County cross country championships at Dulaney, coming across in 18 minutes, 47.2 seconds. Ruppel, the defending Class 1A state champion, established a fast pace and was able to fend off Dulaney sophomore Isabel Griffith (18:59.2) to come away with the win. In doing so, she took off more than one minute from her time in last year's county championship race, in which she finished second. This year, Ruppel also won the small schools race at the Bull Run Invitational at Hereford and the Barnhart Invitational at Dulaney.

A group of recent college graduates was scheduled to start an 18-month trek across America at Assateague Island this weekend. The members of the Pick Up America initiative planned to begin their journey across the country yesterday morning to pick up trash from Maryland to California. The group plans to begin the westward portion of their walk from the base of New York's Verrazano Narrows Bridge. Campaign coordinator Davey Rogner said he and his three fellow walkers expect to reach San Francisco in August 2011.

In the Elite Division of Saturday's Bull Run Invitational at Hereford, the senior ran a smart race to finishe in 19 minutes, three seconds - 80 seconds faster than runner-up Michelle Nelson of Severna Park. Learning from last year's Class 2A state title race - also at Hereford, where she took second - Oneda was comfortable behind race leader Hannah Grossman of Strath Haven (Pa.) until the final quarter-mile, then took the lead with a strong final kick. Oneda, who won the Small Schools race at the Bull Run lasy year, was an All-Metro first-team selection as a junior in both cross country and outdoor track.

•Sam Andrews Oakland Mills, junior Patrick Anske, Century, senior Hale Bullen, Annapolis, junior Reilly Cox, Winters Mill, senior Ryan Forsyth, Severna Park, sophomore Zach Hopkins, Winters Mill, senior Kevin Payne, Hereford, senior Greg Rinehart, Liberty, senior Tim Virostek, Wilde Lake, junior Sam Zunkeler, Gilman, junior

Chad Boyle Dulaney This was Boyle's 14th year season as a Lions coach — and one of his most satisfying. Dulaney finished second to eventual Class 3A state champion Hereford in the Baltimore County meet. After that, the Lions won the Class 4A North region title and finished the season with an impressive fourth-place effort in the state meet. Dulaney finished just 14 points behind Class 4A champion Bethesda-Chevy Chase, as the Lions put the pack concept to work nicely, getting five finishers in the top 41. Boyle indicated that his team's performance in that race was a bit more about will than skill.

Kevin Corbusier Loyola, senior He spent the past few years quietly running in the shadows of teammate Matt Jablonski. But this fall was Corbusier's time to shine. Top-ranked Loyola repeated as Maryland Interscholastic Athletic Association A Conference champion and Corbusier led the way. He was undefeated against opposing area runners this fall — losing only to teammate and fellow All-Metro pick Michael Wegner a few times — and he came up big in the key races.

The athletic department at the University of Maryland appears to be imitating Wall Street ("Eight teams targeted to be cut," Nov. 15). Investments for the wealthy - football - have gone south, so bitter medicine is prescribed for the poor: cross-country, track and field, etc. In sympathy, the athletic director offered the eight poor programs a biggest-loser-type challenge: Raise $1 million a month for the next eight months to save your program....