Poly cross country runner Alex Scally is a junior. A capsule in yesterday's sports section indicated he is a senior.
The Sun regrets the errors.
Girls
Runner of the Year
Kacie Remeto, McDonogh, sophomore: Remeto wasn't perfect this season, but she was very close to it while demonstrating she's among the metro area's elite runners. She routed the field at the Association of Independent Schools championship, her second straight win there. She also finished second against a tough field at the Spiked Shoe meet. Remeto also captured the Knights Invite, plus an invitational in Mercersburg, Pa. In addition, she finished second in the Harford Invitational and third in the Georgetown Prep meet. She's only getting better -- for her the only question is how good can she become?
Coach of the Year
Ed Donnellan, Notre Dame Prep: Donnellan did a nice job of working with a solid group of runners to break Mount de Sales' hold on the Association of Independent Schools championship. For Notre Dame Prep, Donnellan had first-team pick Stephanie Sellinger leading a tough pack of runners that came up with a perfect season. This was the first team in the AIS to ever go undefeated in the regular season and then take the meet title also. Sellinger, Carey Andrews and Melissa Donovan all had top 10 finishes in that meet as the Pirates scored an eight-point victory over three-time defending champion Mount de Sales. Donnellan did a good job of pulling off this impressive task without a superstar-type runner.
The team
Laura Brazil, Perry Hall, sophomore: Brazil was tough throughout the season. She finished sixth against a tough group in the Baltimore County championship meet and then took second in the Class 4A region, six seconds behind winner Chrissy Dachille, of Dulaney. Brazil followed that with a 15th-place effort at the state meet. She ran well against good competition, coming in second at the Arundel Invitational.
Tia Burley, Western, senior: She helped the Doves continue to dominate the city running scene. Burley battled Northern's Deborah Green, coming in second behind her in the city championship and sixth (Green was fifth) in the Class 4A North region meet. Burley ran well in other races, taking 13th in the Mervo meet, and helped the Doves throughout the season.
Chrissy Dachille, Dulaney, sophomore: She and Kerrie Haacke gave the Lions a powerful one-two punch often this season. A first-year runner, she took third in the county and then won the Class 4A North region and finished 13th in the state meet. She also ran well in the Westminster Invitational, taking fourth. Dachille finished sixth at the Lancer Invitational in Linganore and will likely be the Lions' No. 1 next fall.
Tess Deanehan, Bryn Mawr, junior: She recovered from a broken ankle suffered last summer to get back to her top form as the season wound on. She came back in time to help a Mawrtians team that has established itself as one of the best in the AIS. Her third-place performance in the AIS championship meet helped Bryn Mawr finished a strong third, behind Notre Dame Prep and Mount de Sales.
Kristy Geroux, Parkville, sophomore: She battled knee problems all season but still showed she is a top runner. Geroux finished third in the Class 3A North region after taking fifth in the Baltimore County meet. She then turned in a strong 13th-place finish in the state meet. She improved despite having problems with an anterior-cruciate ligament.
Deborah Green, Northern, freshman: She ran well during the regular season but really came up big in the postseason races. Green captured the city championship. She followed that with a fifth-place finish in the Class 4A North region meet and added to that with a 35th-place finish in the state meet on Hereford's difficult course. Green should be even more of a force in the next few years.
Kerrie Haacke, Dulaney, senior: Hip problems slowed her late in the year, but she's one of the area's top runners. Haacke won at the Westminster Invitational, handing Class 3A state champion Colleen Lawson, of North Carroll, one of her few losses. She also won the Baltimore County title, was second at the Mervo meet, fourth at Hereford's Bull Run, and third at the Lancer Invitational. Hip problems forced her out of the region meet, but Haacke rebounded for a gritty 17th-place finish at the states despite being in a lot of pain.
Katie LaVezza, Dulaney, junior: Despite struggling most of the season with injuries that limited her training, LaVezza ran impressively in big races and was consistent throughout. She was seventh in Baltimore County, third in Class 4A North and 22nd in the state. LaVezza also finished seven at Westminster and 12th in the Bull Run at Hereford.
Tricia O'Connell, Catonsville, freshman: What a way to start a career. O'Connell quickly established herself as one of the area's best runners, taking second in the Baltimore County, Class 3A North region and state meets, after wining at the Arundel Invitational and the Baltimore County Novice meet. Catonsville coach Jeff McDaniel still is shaking his head about how much she improved during postseason runs -- nearly 50 seconds during the two-week period from the county to the state meet.
Katie Pfeifer, Catonsville, sophomore: Pfeifer played soccer last year, but the Comets are glad she switched. She finished fourth in the Baltimore County meet, sixth in the Class 3A North region, and then topped it with an eighth-place effort at the state meet. She also was fourth in the Barnhart and Arundel invitationals and, along with O'Connell, will keep the Comets in business for the next few years.
Stephanie Sellinger, Notre Dame Prep, sophomore: She improved much in a year, and became the Pirates' No. 1 runner this season after Sara Arbaugh went down with a thigh injury early. Sellinger was consistent, winning two dual meets and finishing fifth in two invitationals (Knights Invite, Bull Run). She was fifth in the AIS meet, helping the Pirates to the title.
Boys
Runner of the Year
Chris Knott, Loyola, senior: Knott won the Maryland Interscholastic Athletic Association championship with a strong race (he was second in 1997) and went undefeated in dual meets this season, a performance that established him as one of the area's best runners. He also won the Knights Invite, was second last weekend at the Jesuit Championships in New York. This was the second straight year that he was the Dons' top runner.
Coach of the Year
Jose Albornoz, Loyola: Albornoz has done a good job of bringing the Dons back up to the level of the elite in the Maryland Interscholastic Athletic Association. In his 11th season, he had a good group of strong runners, led by Runner of the Year Knott and first-team picks Matt Schelberg and Billy Severn, that ended Calvert Hall's and Gilman's run of success in the conference championship meet. The Dons split last year's regular-season title with Gilman and Mount St. Joseph, so their move was not unexpected. This fall, the Dons seemed to run better in the bigger meets, which helped them get their first meet title since 1991 and Albornoz's third overall. "A number of guys ran very well, and when we were on, I think we were among the area's best," he said.
The team
Tim Briggs, Calvert Hall, junior: Briggs battled with Aaron Johnson for the Cardinals' top spot all season. He ran a strong race and finished fifth in the MIAA championship, Calvert Hall's top runner there. Briggs also ran well against Mount St. Joseph in a dual meet, finishing third overall, one second behind second-place finisher Dan Ramirez, of St. Joe.
Andrew Hart, Perry Hall, junior: He is a tough runner who ran
strongly throughout the year. The subject of a controversial disqualification at the Baltimore County meet, Hart rebounded to take third in the Class 4A East region. He was then spiked seven times in the first 200 meters at the state meet but hung on to finish in 30th place. Hart ran well at the North County (sixth),
Arundel (fourth), Georgetown (sixth) and other meets.
Aaron Johnson, Calvert Hall, senior: Johnson and Briggs battled for the Cardinals' No. 1 spot throughout the season. Johnson, a co-captain, was seventh in the MIAA championship meet, third in the Arundel Invitational and second in the Jack Griffin meet in Frederick. He completed a solid season in his third year on the Cardinal varsity.
Jason Mitchell, Towson, senior: One of Baltimore County's top runners, he again had a strong season at the Generals' No. 1 runner. He finished second in the county before winning the Class 2A North region meet and was third in the Meade Invitational. Mitchell was 13th at the state.
Daniel Ramirez, Mount St. Joseph, junior: Ramirez continued to develop in his third varsity season, scoring big for the Gaels in their league meets and helping them go undefeated in the regular season. He won against St. Paul's, took second against McDonogh and Calvert Hall, and was strong in all the others. Ramirez also finished third in the Knights Invite, seventh in the Meade Invitational and 16th in the MIAA championships.
Matt Schelberg, Loyola, sophomore: He had a big season in his first varsity year. Albornoz hoped for good things from him at the No. 5 spot, but Schelberg surprised everyone and quickly moved up to No. 2 with several big performances. Schelberg was runner-up at Meade and North County and finished fourth in the MIAA. He'll likely be the Dons' top gun next year.
Alex Scally, Poly, senior: He won the city public school meet by 22 seconds. then won the Class 2A East region meet before taking 24th in the state. He also ran well at a number of other meets throughout the season and was Poly's top runner.
Billy Severn, Loyola, senior: A consistent runner who helped the Dons score key points throughout the year, Severn saved his best for last -- second place in the MIAA championship. He ran very well in the dual meets and came on late in the season.
Greg Vincent, Dulaney, senior: He's been one of the area's best runners in cross country and track and field the last few years. Vincent won his third straight Baltimore County championship and his second consecutive Class 4A region crown before struggling in the state meet. He also won the invitational at Mervo and should again be a threat in the indoor and outdoor seasons.
John Winternicz, Towson, sophomore: A very pleasant surprise for the Generals this season, he came on late to push Mitchell hard -- and beat him in the state meet. Winternicz started things by taking third in the county meet, and second in the Class 2A North region before finishing ninth in the state meet.
Greg Zmijewski, Mount St. Joseph, sophomore: Zmijewski truly was at his best in the big meets. He set a course record while beating Briggs and Johnson in a win over Calvert Hall. He broke another course record while winning against McDonogh. Zmijewski also was second against Loyola, St. Paul's and Gilman and third overall in the MIAA race. He fell at the start of that race but recovered to just miss second place by two seconds.
Team selection
The Baltimore Sun 1998 All Baltimore City-County cross country teams were selected by Jeff Seidel after consultation with The Sun staff and area coaches.
Pub Date: 11/24/98