https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/highschools/heritages-weini-kelati-runs-away-with-another-title-at-glory-days-grill-invitational/2015/10/10/aca327ee-6f9d-11e5-9bfe-e59f5e244f92_story.html
AllMetSports
Heritage’s Weini Kelati runs away with another title at Glory Days
Grill Invitational
Heritage's Weini Kelati wins handily at the Glory Days Grill
Invitational. (Jacob Emert/For The Washington Post)
By Jacob Emert October 10
As Weini Kelati finished her first mile at the Glory Days Grill
Invitational on Saturday and her 10-second lead was announced
throughout Bull Run Regional Park in Centreville, murmurs at the
finish line began to grow.
The parents, coaches and athletes waiting for the day’s final race to
finish were well versed in her story — an Eritrean native who arrived
in the United States a year and a half ago and grabbed hold of the
region’s cross country scene. On Saturday, it was only a question of
how far the Heritage sophomore would finish ahead of the pack.
As Kelati rounded the final bend and climbed the last hill, they got
their answer. She finished the 5,000-meter race in 17 minutes 11
seconds — 26 seconds ahead of Lake Braddock’s Kate Murphy, who placed
second. Marshall’s Heather Holt (18:12) took third.
“It was hard to keep pace today because of the wind, and I didn’t have
to think, ‘Who can I catch,’ ” Kelati said. “But it was okay because I
practice with my coach, and he’s really good. I was thinking it’s just
like practice.”
[Eritrean emigrant Weini Kelati picks up the pace at Heritage]
Tyler Cox-Philyaw of Millbrook won the boys’ varsity race in 15:49.
Kelati spoke without an interpreter after her victory — a change from
last season — putting to use the English she has learned over the past
year.
“I have a great team. I am so proud of them because they teach me how
to speak English. If I did a mistake, they correct me, and then I’m
not shy in front of them because they tell me, ‘Just try it. It’s your
second language,’ ” Kelati said.
Kelati, an 18-year-old in her final year of high school eligibility,
also reads books about history and running to help learn the language.
Her goal is to break 17 minutes in a 5K and compete in the Foot Locker
Cross Country National Championships in San Diego in December.
Her Heritage team finished ninth overall in the team competition,
while theLake Braddock girls recorded three top-10 and five top-25
finishes to run away with first place with 49 points. Madison (78) and
Bethesda-Chevy Chase (192) placed second and third, respectively.
[Kelati, Andrew Hunter smash records at Oatlands]
Dulaney (80) won the boys’ team competition by one point over Lake
Braddock (81).
Cox-Philyaw’s Millbrook team finished 17th, but as the highest
returning finisher from a year ago, he succeeded in filling the role
of the incumbent favorite.
Out front for the entire race, Cox-Philyaw began to labor around the
two-minute mark. He slightly slowed his pace 10 minutes in, ensuring
he would be able to push for the final stretch.
“I haven’t been hitting where I was last year until today, actually,”
Cox-Philyaw said.
“We only had two workouts this week [instead of three], and we didn’t
race last Saturday because the [Octoberfest Invitational] got
canceled, so I felt as fresh as I have all year.”
Jack Wavering (15:52) placed second in the boys’ race, helping lead
his Good Counsel team to a third-place finish with 127 points.
Received on Tue Oct 13 2015 - 10:43:44 EDT