By BUDDY HURLOCK
Staff reporter
10/07/2001

CENTREVILLE -- Score this round for the Brandywine High girls cross country team.

No. 1-ranked Caesar Rodney and No. 2 Brandywine each raced in the Varsity B field (mid-sized schools) at Saturday's 28th annual Salesianum Invitational at Brandywine Creek State Park.

Brandywine won with 61 team points, ahead of Upper Merion, Pa. (79), Padua (109) and CR (120).

CR was missing two of its top runners, but Brandywine would have been hard to beat, anyway.

The 3.1-mile trail is the Bulldogs' home course. They had five runners in the top 22 finishers.

The winner was CR's Jill Hajec in 20 minutes, 42 seconds.

But two from Brandywine followed, Jenn Kutney (20:57) and Jessica Leitsch (21:06).

"I know the ups and downs of the entire course, and where to speed up," Kutney said of the hilly terrain. "I love this course. I've been running here for four years and it's my favorite. It's more of a challenge, and everyone likes a challenge."

Brandywine's Hilary Taylor was 13th (22:13), followed by teammates Leslie Wason (21st) and Alison Sanchez (22nd).

Absent from Caesar Rodney were sisters Kashante and Kasheka Codner, who were playing in a soccer tournament.

"We definitely missed them, but that's no excuse," Riders coach Charles Bell said. "We go with what we have the best we can, and as long as we run our best and improve times, I'm satisfied. Besides, with them missing, we had some surprise performances, so it could be a good omen."

No. 3 Padua finished ahead of CR without senior Colleen Reid, out because of an ankle injury.

At the Sept. 15 Lake Forest Invitational, Caesar Rodney beat Brandywine by one point to claim the No. 1 ranking. Hajec and both Codners were in the top 15.

Tatnall's Meredith Lambert won the C race (small schools) by more than a minute in 19:54. Merion Mercy (Pa.) took the team title with Ursuline third.

Wilmington Christian's Lydia Singer was eighth (22:18) and Ursuline's Julie Taylor 10th (22:31).

Kelly Swain of Lake Braddock (Va.) won the A race (large schools) in 19:44. St. Mark's was seventh with Jacki Justison 28th (22:18) and Liz Rohrback 29th (22:21).