National Prep Cross-Country Meet : Virginia Girl Is First to Win Two Straight Titles

Erin Keogh of McLean, Va., won the girls’ race Saturday to become the first runner to take two titles in the eight-year history of the Kinney National cross-country championships for high school runners.

In the boys’ event, hometown entry Mark Davis placed first after finishing eighth last year.

Both races featured 32 runners determined by regional competition and were run over a 5,000-meter course.

Keogh, who finished in 16 minutes 55.7 seconds, took control about a third of the way into the race as runners encountered the first hill on the course. She then breezed to victory ahead of Kim Kauls of Forest Lake, Minn., in 17:18.7, and Wendy Neely of Fairfax Station, Va., in 17:19.0.

The first-place time was off from the 16:43.8 clocking that Keogh recorded in winning as a junior last year, when she came within one-tenth of second of the meet record.

“There was a lot more pressure this year,” Keogh said. “I was asked many more questions by the press, and everyone expected me to win. I just tried not to let it all affect me.”

For Davis, the race was on a familiar course near San Diego High School, which he attends. Like Keogh, he established a firm lead on the first hill to win with a time of 14:38.1.

Next were Todd Williams of Monroe, Mich., in 14:49.8 and Robert Kennedy of Westerville, Ohio, in 15:05.3.

“I wanted to hang back in the pack,” said Davis, a senior. “But it started slowly, and after a while, I said, ‘No more. I can take it. This is my hill. I own it.’ ”