Schools

Schoeneberger, McCollum Pacing RHS Girls Cross Country Team

They opened the season with a sixth- and seventh-place finish.

The weakness for this year's Rockville High School girls cross country team?

The Rams have six runners, half of which are new to varsity athletics, Coach Ray Owens said.

The strength?

RHS has "hard-working athletes that do well in school. All of the girls have extraordinary sportsmanship," Owens said.

The Rams also have Junior Captain Shayla Schoeneberger - Rockville's top runner over the last two years.

Megan McCollum was Rockville top preseason runner.

"She's a senior long sprinter from the track team that made the transition from soccer to cross country," Owens said.

Owens said Kailynn Violette  is the team's moral leader and "motivational coach."

"She cares and nurtures our younger athletes. Her motivation and work ethic is unrivaled by most athletes that I have ever coached," Owens said. "Our ideal season would to have every runner meet their top gold medal goals. By the end of the year I wish to have six improved, healthy runners competing in the conference and state championship meets."

Rockville opened its season on Tuesday with losses to conference powerhouses E.O. Smith and RHAM. Schoeneberger took sixth with a 5K time of 21:44, and McCollum finished seventh with a time of 21:50.


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