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Walter Johnson Coach Tom Martin, the 2008 All-Beltway Cross Country Coach of the Year, talks with DigitalSports.com.
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DigitalSports' 2008 All-Beltway
Cross Country Team
 
** Click on the honoree's name to link to a video interview!

Coach of the Year
Tom Martin, Walter Johnson
Guided the Wildcats' boy's team to its first Maryland 4A state title after wins in the Montgomery County and 4A West regional championships as well. Also coached sophomore Anna Bosse to an unexpected victory in the girls' Maryland 4A state championships.


Boys Runner of the Year
Solomon Haile, Sr., Sherwood
A newcomer to Maryland cross country, Haile toyed with his competition winning every race he entered. His wins included the Maryland 4A state championships, 4A West Region meet, Montgomery County championships, Oktoberfest, Oatlands and Magruder Invitationals and the Manhattan Invitational and Footlocker Nationals in San Diego, CA.



Girls  Runner of the Year
Anneka Wilson, Jr., Potomac School
Wilson was undefeated throughout the season, beating anyone that dared to challenge her. She usually took the lead shortly into the race and ran away from her opponents with a hard second mile. Wilson recorded wins at the IAC/MAC/ISL Championships, Oktoberfest, Glory Days, VISAA State Championships, William & Mary and the Mercersburg Invitational.
 
First-Team All-Beltway

Anna Bosse, Soph., Walter Johnson
Bosse was a surprise winner at the Maryland 4A State Championships over defending champion Teshika Rivers of Eleanor Roosevelt. Bosse took the lead from the start and forced the field to chase her and in the last 400 still had enough of a kick to pull away from Rivers. Bosse had a win at the regional meet, placed third at the South Carroll Invitational, fifth at the Montgomery County Championships and 18th at the Oktoberfest Invitational.

Leoule Degfae, Sr., Edison
Degfae capped off a great year with a 12th-place finish at the Footlocker Nationals in San Diego, CA. He won his second consecutive Northern Region and National District Championships with identical times of 15:13. He placed second at the Monroe Parker Invitational, Oktoberfest and the Glory Days Invitational. Degfae had the seventh fastest time overall at the Virginia AAA state championships, where he placed third at 15:29.

Liana Epstein, Jr., Lake Braddock
Epstein showed her abilities with wins at the Patriot District and Northern Region Championships and at the Monroe Parker Invitational. Although her 10th-place overall finish at the Virginia state meet might have not been to her liking, her other wins came in one of the toughest regions of the state. Epstein also had a seventh-place finish at the Glory Days Invitational.

Megan Fitzpatrick, Sr., Bishop O'Connell
Fitzpatrick's only off-race was a 24th place finish at the Maymount Invitational, but she was consistently good throughout the rest of the season, highlighted by a third-place finish at the state meet. She had another third-place finish at the Mt. St. Mary's Invitational along with a fourth-place showing at Oktoberfest. She outright won the WCAC and Arlington County Championships.

Josh Hardin, Sr., Potomac Falls
Hardin's best race this season was his 15:51 showing for fourth place at the Glory Days Invitational. He won the Dulles District championships at 16:38 and had another fourth-place finish at the Virginia AA Region 2 meet. He finished 22nd overall at the Virginia State Championships. He also added a 14th-place finish at Maymount and 31st at Oatlands.

Luke Malley, Sr., Washington-Lee
Malley had an up-and-down season, but his ups earned him this first-team nomination. Included in the highlights were a win at the Arlington County Championships -- his second consecutive victory there -- and a seventh-place finish at the National District Championships.

Andrew Palmer, Jr., Walt Whitman
Palmer put a summer of high mileage to good use by running with the best that the Mid-Atlantic Region had to offer. He qualified for the Nike National with a fifth-place finish in North Carolina. He placed second behind Haile at the state meet, regionals and Montgomery County championships. He also had a second-place showing at Paul Short and fourth at the Oatlands Invitational.

Corey Puffett, Jr., DeMatha
Puffett didn't shy away from the top competition. He always ran tough against whoever was lined up against him and then won the races where he was favored. Puffett won his second straight WCAC championship, placed second at Georgetown Prep, the MD/DC Private School Championships and Bull Run. He also had a third-place finish at the Chancellor Invitational.

Teshika Rivers, Sr., Eleanor Roosevelt
Rivers chose her races wisely this cross country season and finished with a second-place finish at the Maryland State Championships behind Walter Johnson's Anna Bosse. Rivers had a win at the Maryland 4A South regional meet and another second-place showing at Georgetown Prep behind Wilson. She also placed sixth at Glory Days and 12th at Maymount.

Campbell Ross, Soph., Potomac School
Ross won the Woodberry Forest Invitational, placed second at the William & Mary Invitational and MAC Championships. He placed third at the VISAA State Championships and ninth at Mercersburg and the Oktoberfest Invitational.

Sarah Stites, Fr., Thomas Jefferson
Stites was impressive in her first year of cross country with third-place finishes at the Liberty District meet and Knights Invitational. She had an eighth-place finish at the Northern Region meet, but capped off her year with a seven-place finish in the Virginia AAA state championships.

Julie Strange, Jr., Loudoun County
Strange stayed consistent during the season and showed her biggest improvement for the Virginia AA state championships where she finished ninth in 18:44. She duplicated that time with a third-place finish at the the Glory Days Invitational. In addition, she was third at the regional championships, fourth at the Carlisle and Judges Invitationals and 17th at the highly-competitive Oatlands Invitational.