2019 New Castle County Championship

Saturday, November 2nd, was our final race of the 2019 season. The New Castle County Championship race, held at the Winterthur Estate, is both a challenging race and a fun one. Runners and spectators came from all over the county to compete in races or cheer on runners. The clear, cool, sunny weather and no wind made for a great final race.

The varsity girls ran first, with 174 total runners. Alternate Captain Faith Hollister ('22) finished first for DVCS with a season best of 23:17 to end up in 88th place overall. Celia Pope ('24) was only fifteen places behind with a time of 23:55. Captain Katie Rippon ('20) finished in 121st place overall with a time of 25:10, and Fiona Fawcett ('22) crossed the line ten places behind in 25:47. Full race results can be found here.

Captain Katie Rippon ('20) finished in 25:10 in her final high school race. (Photo: Blue Hen Photography)

The varsity boys' race had 203 runners. Alternate Captain Bryce Pope ('23) and Kai Schmiedel ('23) finished in 148th and 149th places with times of 20:46 and 20:47, respectively. Judah Deitrich ('21) finished in 162nd place and 21:10. Josiah Deitrich ('24) finished in 23:05, and Captain Marc Sherman ('20) crossed the line in 23:29. Edward Scott ('24) and Anthony Dorno ('24) rounded out the DVCS boys, running times of 24:15 and 24:29, respectively. Full race results can be found here.

Captain Marc Sherman ('20) finished his final high school race in 23:29. (Photo: Blue Hen Photography)

Despite Winterthur's reputation as a "challenging course," our whole team had a solid race. After the race, most of the team was able to make it over to Seasons Pizza for a time of celebration, including some of our middle school runners. We have had a wonderful first season as the Delaware Valley Classical School Titans!

DVCS vs. Avon Grove Charter

This past Monday, October 21, was a dual meet against Avon Grove Charter School at their home course. The course was a fairly flat two loops around Goddard Park in West Grove, PA. Each loop circled around a field before taking a wide trail through the woods and coming out again on a gravel and asphalt path. Despite this being our third race within a week, we pushed through it and had a strong race.

For the boys' race, Alternate Captain Bryce Pope ('23) pulled out first on our team, finishing in 20:51. Kai Schmeidel ('23) came in just behind him in 20:53. Josiah Deitrich ('24) crossed the line with a time of 22:17. Captain Marc Sherman ('20) and Judah Deitrich ('21) were not able to make it to the race due to other commitments, but Edward Scott ('24) rose to the challenge and ran a new personal best of 23:59. Anthony Dorno ('24) rounded out our five guys with a 25:38 finish. The DVCS boys tied 28-28.

Alternate Captain Faith Hollister ('22) won the girls' race with a time of 24:36. Celia Pope ('24) finished just behind her in 24:38. Captain Katie Rippon ('20) took fourth place overall with a 24:45 finish, and Fiona Fawcett ('22) crossed the line in 25:42 and fifth place. DVCS won the girls' race with a score of 12-24.

It's hard to believe this season has gone by so quickly. We have seen some improvements and have grown so much as a team. We have just one more meet left: the county championship meet at Winterthur. We are entering "taper mode" and have a few more practices, then we will go for it at the final race of the 2019 season. Until then, Go Titans!

2019 Joe O'Neill Invitational

This past Friday, October 18th, was the Joe O'Neill Invitational, held at Bellvue State Park. The flat, fast course starts on the gravel loop, goes through the woods and across some fields, then crosses the gravel track to finish on the grass. Between five different races, about 1400 runners from over thirty teams competed that day. The crisp fall air, slight breeze, and plenty of competition made for a wonderful race for many of our runners. 

The varsity boys' race happened first, with a total of 249 runners. There was a false start, but things got back on track pretty quickly. Kai Schmeidel ('23) finished first for the Titans and 167th overall, with a time of 19:46. Alternate Captain Bryce Pope ('23) followed in 191st, running 20:22. Judah Deitrich ('21) crossed the line in 21:53, placing 220th overall. Josiah Deitrich ('24) came in eight places behind him in 22:13. Captain Marc Sherman ('20) finished in 23:43. Edward Scott ('24) and Anthony Dorno ('24) rounded out our guys with times of 25:09 and 27:05, respectively. 

The varsity girls' race happened soon after, with 213 runners. Celia Pope ('24) sprinted ahead at the last second and came in first for our girls, finishing in 138th place overall in 23:44. Fiona Fawcett ('22) came in just behind her in 23:45. Captain Katie Rippon ('20) came in 145th overall with a time of 24:02. Despite tripping and falling in the middle of the race, Alternate Captain Faith Hollister ('22) still finished strong in 24:14 and 153rd place. All four girls finished within 15 places and 30 seconds of each other. 

This invitational was a great opportunity to get out there and run a fast and fun course. Many of our runners got new personal bests or ran their best times so far this season, and all of us had a strong run. We still have some work to do this season, but we have seen some great improvement. Tomorrow is our second to last race at Avon Grove Charter. That will be a new course to our runners, but we will do our best and see what happens. 

DVCS vs. Fellowship of Christian Athletes and Senior Night

On Tuesday, October 15, we hosted a dual meet against the Fellowship of Christian Athletes. The weather was beautiful, and our home course has become a favorite for many of our runners. We had an enjoyable racing experience.

The girls' team once again swept the top four spots. Alternate Captain Faith Hollister ('22) came in first with a time of 23:33. Fiona Fawcett ('22) was close behind, finishing in 23:59. Celia Pope ('24) pulled ahead of Captain Katie Rippon ('20), and they finished in 24:47 and 24:49, respectively.

Kai Schmeidel ('23) finished first for the Titans and third in the boys' race, crossing the line in 20:33. Alternate Captain Bryce Pope ('23) followed in 20:40. Judah Deitrich ('21) finished in 22:12, placing seventh. Josiah Deitrich ('24) followed three places behind with a time of 23:18. Captain Marc Sherman ('20) finished his in 24:38. Anthony Dorno ('24) and Edward Scott ('24) rounded out our boys' team, running 25:17 and 26:49, respectively.

This was our last home meet, so we took some time after the race to recognize our seniors. Coach recognized Captains Marc Sherman and Katie Rippon for their encouragement and contributions to the team over the years. Thank you to all who came out to that race to support us, as well as the parents, teammates, and coaches who made this possible!

Captains Katie Rippon and Marc Sherman at the senior recognition race. (Photo: Mrs. Jennifer Rippon)

By the time I'm publishing this, we have already run another meet, so read on for that race recap!

DVCS vs. Fellowship of Christian Athletes vs. Tome

On Tuesday, October 1st, we raced against Tome and the Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA). FCA hosted the meet at the Restoration Farm out in Harford County, Maryland. The course looped around the farm and through the woods, and included plenty of uphills and downhills. The unseasonably warm weather and scenic location made for a wonderful race.

The teams on the line just before the start of the race. (Photo Credit: Mrs. Jennifer Rippon)

In the varsity girls' race, the four DVCS girls swept the top four places. Alternate Captain Faith Hollister ('22) won the race in 25:39. Fiona Fawcett ('22) came in not far behind her, running 25:58. Captain Katie Rippon ('20) and Celia Pope ('24) finished with times of 26:23 and 26:27, respectively.

Katie Rippon and Celia Pope near the two mile mark. (PC: Mrs. Jennifer Rippon)

The DVCS boys had a strong race as well. Alternate Captain Bryce Pope ('23) finished first for our team and in seventh place overall, with a time of 21:36. Kai Schmeidel ('23) finished in eighth place overall in 22:21. Captain Marc Sherman ('20) came in with a time of 25:18. Edward Scott ('24) and Anthony Dorno ('24) rounded out our guys' team, running times of 27:18 and 30:31, respectively. Our guys' team achieved their goal of beating Tome with a score of 24-31.

Overall, this was a good race for the DVCS Titans. The course was challenging for many of us, but we still worked hard and had a strong performance. We get a break from racing this week, but that gives us a chance to focus on our training as we enter the final month of the season.

DVCS vs. Tome

Yesterday was our first home meet of the season, held against Tome. The sunny, warm weather, combined with the familiar course, made for a great race.

Alternate Captain Faith Hollister ('22) won the girls' race with a time of 23:56. Fiona Fawcett ('22) came in not far behind her, running 24:48 to finish in third place. Captain Katie Rippon ('20) and Celia Pope ('24) took the fourth and fifth places, finishing in 25:10 and 25:27, respectively. We only have four girls, but with a fifth "ghost runner" in the last spot in the race, we won with a score of 24-32.

Kai Schmeidel ('23) won the boys' race, running the course in just 20:47. Alternate Captain Bryce Pope ('23) finished in third place and in 21:49. Judah Deitrich ('21) crossed the finish in 22:56, placing fourth. Josiah Deitrich ('24) and Captain Marc Sherman ('20) finished not far behind, with times of 24:12 and 25:09, respectively. Edward Scott ('24) and Anthony Dorno ('24) rounded out the DVCS boys, running their respective times of 27:52 and 29:49. Our boys' team won with a final score of 25-30.

This was a great race for the DVCS Titans. We put in our best effort, and lot of us improved our times significantly compared to last week's race. Looking ahead, next week is a Fellowship of Christian Athletes meet out in Maryland. I don't think any of us have run the course before, so it should be an exciting race experience. It is hard to believe there are already just five weeks of the season left, but I look forward to seeing what we can accomplish as we continue to work hard as a team.

Middletown Invitational 2019

The Middletown Invitational, our third meet of the season, was held at Lums Pond State Park on Friday, September 20th. The weather could not have been more wonderful "cross country weather," and the course was familiar, as we had just run it earlier in the week. Having lots of competition really helped us push ourselves and run our hardest.

The varsity girls' race started first, with 118 runners competing. Alternate captain Faith Hollister ('22) was the fastest for the DVCS girls, running 24:15 to finish in 62nd place overall. Captain Katie Rippon ('20) and Celia Pope ('24) finished in 25:38 and 25:43, respectively. Fiona Fawcett ('22) rounded out the girls' team, running 26:41.

The varsity boys' race took off half an hour later and had a total of 130 runners. Kai Schmeidel ('23) and alternate captain Bryce Pope ('23) came in within two tenths of a second of each other, running times of 21:23.5 and 21:23.7, respectively. They finished in 96th and 97th places overall. Captain Marc Sherman ('20) finished in 25:16, and Josiah Deitrich ('24) came in three places behind in 27:06. Edward Scott ('24) and Anthony Dorno ('24) rounded out our team, running respective times of 29:52 and 30:30.

We are starting to get a feel for racing again, and it's been exciting. Our times at this meet on Friday were consistent with, if not better than, our times on Tuesday. We are continuing to work hard and will keep improving throughout the season. Our next meet will be a home meet this coming Friday against Tome. As this will be our third time running Lums Pond in the space of two weeks, it should be a good race for us. Until then, go Titans!

DVCS vs. Caravel Academy

Today, the DVCS Titans took on Caravel Academy in a dual meet at Lums Pond State Park. The combination of a fairly easy, mostly shaded course and beautiful early fall weather made for a wonderful race.

Alternate Captain Faith Hollister ('22) was the first girl to finish overall with a time of 24:00. Captain Katie Rippon ('20) finished in 25:42, and Fiona Fawcett ('22) came in not far behind her in 26:40. Celia Pope ('24) rounded out the DVCS girls with a time of 28:11.

Alternate Captain Faith Hollister ('22) in the final stretch to win the girls' race. (Photo Credit: Mrs. Jennifer Rippon)

Alternate Captain Bryce Pope ('23) was the first DVCS runner to cross the line, finishing in 22:23. Judah Deitrich ('21) came in less than a minute behind, with a time of 23:12. Anthony Dorno ('24) and Edward Scott ('24) finished in 29:10 and 30:15, respectively. Captain Marc Sherman ('20), Kai Schmeidel ('23), and Josiah Deitrich ('24) all missed the race due to illness. We hope they will be back for Friday's race.

Alternate Captain Bryce Pope ('23) with a strong finish. (Photo Credit: Mrs. Jennifer Rippon)

Well, that's a wrap for this meet! We did quite well in our second meet of the season. Though this meet was originally scheduled for Wednesday, I think moving it a up a day will actually benefit us as we look toward our next race. Today was a chance to get to know the course (or know it better). We enjoyed this opportunity, to say the least.

This coming Friday, we will be running in the Middletown Invitational at Lums Pond. The girls' race will be held at 4:30, and the boys' race at 5. I encourage you all to come out and support Titans Cross Country!

Lake Forest Festival & Team Update

Our first meet of the 2019, the Lake Forest Festival, was held at Killens Pond State Park on September 7th. The flat and mostly shaded course, combined with temperatures in the 70s and sunny skies, could not have made for more beautiful conditions for our first race. There was much excitement as students from around the state eagerly awaited the start.

The varsity girls' race was held first. Faith Hollister ('22) led the DVCS girls, finishing in 24:12 and 47th out of 105 girls. Celia Pope ('24) finished in 26:05, placing 65th, and Katie Rippon ('20) finished four places behind her in 26:40.

The varsity boys' race was held next. Kai Schmeidel ('23) finished first for the Titans with a time of 22:09 and placing 85th out of 117. Judah Deitrich ('21) and Bryce Pope ('23) followed, finishing in 22:38 and 23:27 and placing 92nd and 101st overall. Not far behind were Josiah Deitrich ('24), finishing right around the 25 minute mark (the official results did not include Josiah's time). Marc Sherman ('20) rounded out the DVCS boys' team with a time of 25:07. Marc is also the winner of our team's "first to puke" award.

Full race results can be found here. We are still getting a feel for racing again, but this was a pretty strong race.

The DVCS runners, plus Sarah Zhu! (Photo credit: Mrs. Kristen Sherman)

This past week has been a week of solid workouts. This coming week, we will have two meets: on Wednesday, we face Caravel Academy, and on Friday, we run in the Middletown Invitational. Both races will be held at Lums Pond State Park, our home course. We have also decided on captains and alternate captains for the year: Katie Rippon and Faith Hollister will lead the girls' team, and Marc Sherman and Bryce Pope will lead the boys' team. I am excited to see what DVCS cross country can do this year. Until next time, Go Titans!

Welcome to Titans XC 2019, and DVCS Back to School Fundraiser 5k!

Hello everyone!

I'm Katie Rippon, a rising senior at Delaware Valley Classical School and varsity cross-country runner for the DVCS Titans. I thoroughly enjoyed my first experience writing for the team blog last season, and I am looking forward to doing it again. 

I wanted to go ahead and let you all know about the Back to School Fundraiser 5k to benefit Titans Athletics. The race will take place at Lums Pond State Park on August 24th at 9 am, and prizes will be awarded to the winners of several age groups. If you're interested, contact David Corbett (dcorbett@dvclassical.org). The cost is only $20 if you pre-register, or $25 the day of race. Runners and walkers of all ages are welcome, so please come join us!

Our first practice as a team is just over a week away! I am excited to be back to running with both new and returning runners. DVCS students, please consider running XC this year if you are not already. It is not too late to sign up, and running for the team is a really great experience, regardless of your speed or athletic capabilities. Personally, I started as a beginner in ninth grade. Since then, I have grown so much, not just as a runner and teammate, but as a person. 

Well, that concludes this introductory post! I am really looking forward to seeing what God will do with our team in the upcoming season. Stay tuned for more team updates and race results as the season progresses! Go Titans!