Oatlands Invitational draws rave reviews
By Jason S. Rufner
The brainchild of two assistant athletic directors, Freedom's Matt Oblas and Loudoun County's Derek Farrey, the Oatlands Invitational began in 2005 with 43 schools vying on the course. The next year saw 63 schools, followed by 73.
This year, more than 100 cross country teams descended upon the historic plantation to spend the sunny midday hours on a walkable, fan-friendly course.
"It's a great location here at Oatlands," Oblas said. “The property's beautiful; it sets up perfectly for a race. I'm a little biased, but there can't be a better cross country course anywhere."
Farrey agrees with his partner's assessment of the course, noting the varied terrain and the multiple creek crossings.
"The greatest thing about the course is that it offers a bit of everything," he said.
In addition to adding competitors, Oblas and Farrey have continued to add small conveniences to their presentation, which Oblas describes with terms like "party," "festival" and "show."
The meet has the atmosphere of a large block party, with food and music and shouting voices. As each race nears its end, a surge of interested observers streams toward the finish line. The audio system booms a thumping pop song with the refrain: “Here it comes.”
A chip embedded in the shoelace of each runner transmitted a signal to the electronic timing device at the finish line, instantaneously providing the wearer's time and place results.
The top 25 individuals in each of the eight races received medals, and the top three teams in all eight received trophies.
The eight athletes who crossed the finish line first in their respective races were presented with framed photographs of themselves breaking the tape, printed and embossed immediately after each race.
"We try to make it a party atmosphere," Oblas said. "We want it to be something that they'll remember."
The field
Eleven Loudoun schools and 18 Fairfax schools competed on the track with athletes from around the mid-Atlantic region, including two schools from upstate New York.
The contingent from Corning (N.Y.) High School made the six-hour bus trip down U.S. 15 at the behest of their colleagues at Saratoga Springs.
"We were told about what a nice organization this race was, and how tough the course is," said Corning coach Lou Fiorillo, who mentioned that the Leesburg location is closer than the Long Island destination where state meets are held.
"We enjoyed it," Fiorillo said. "Upstate New York is beautiful, and this area here is very similar."
The cross country runners who crossed the country to run at Oatlands were the Wolves of Grandview High School in Aurora, Colo., whose athletic program is ranked No. 1 in their state by Sports Illustrated.
Coaches Ryan Shellenberger, Donna Vallin and Allyson Robbins were seeking an East Coast venue for a challenging, different meet. Through contacts, Shellenberger heard of the Oatlands Invitational and called Farrey to inquire. Shellenberger said Farrey was delighted to extend an invitation to the Wolves.
Planning for the Wolves' five-day excursion began in January, with kids' parents footing a large portion of the bill. The team landed at Reagan National Airport on Sept. 17, examined the Oatlands course, then spent a couple of days being touristy in Northern Virginia and Washington, D.C.
"We would definitely like to come back," Shellenberger said. Vallin joked that she might not get on the return flight at all.
The coaches stated their admiration for the course, comparing it favorably to courses they have run in Colorado in terms of aesthetics and difficulty.
The trail
Farrey related that Saratoga Springs coach Linda Kranack, who has traveled widely with her acclaimed team, told him that the Oatlands course was "old-school cross country" with its mixture of open flats, stream crossings, woods and deceptive hills, most notably The Hill, a notoriously steep climb a mile before the finish.
Corning sophomore Sam Place was fourth overall in the boys' Varsity B race, and pronounced the course "fast-moving," except for “The Hill.”
"It's straight up, and it never ends," he said.
Ben Walker, a Loudoun Valley sophomore competing in the Varsity A race, ran the course as a freshman and was shooting for a time in the lower 17-minute range Saturday.
"We have a lot of hills where we run," said Walker, who finished with a time of 17:35. "So I don't think it affects us as much."
Potomac Falls was participating in the Invitational for the fourth time. Panther coach Dolph Null was complimentary of Oblas and Farrey after the awards presentation.
"They do a great job, and it's just a beautiful place for a meet," he said.
Coach Phil Tiller and his Oakton Cougars were experiencing Oatlands for the first time.
"This is how cross country is meant to be, to have streams and hills and all those other things," Tiller said. "It's challenging in a good way."
The booming music and showiness of the event may not be exactly old-school, but Tiller said whatever can attract fans to the sport is good for its growth.
"I think it's great for the sport when you've got crowds of people like this,” he said. “It helps kids to see this is a pretty cool sport."