By JOHNNY WILSON
Sports Correspondent
BRISTOL, VA. – Iliotibial band syndrome is one of the leading causes of lateral knee problems in runners. Brian Brillhart is no doctor, but the Virginia High senior knows all about the pain.
Brillhart continued his personal comeback Thursday from such an injury, finishing ahead of all Southwest Virginia boys at the annual Abingdon Invitational Cross Country meet held at Sugar Hollow Park.
“I guess I’m pretty pleased with where I’m at considering the injury,” Brillhart said. “I hurt it back during the summer and had to take about six weeks off from training.
“I started back about the second meet this year, and I’m almost back up to where I was time-wise last year.”
Brillhart clocked in at 16:33, some 20 seconds back of his time in this meet a year ago. Christiansburg senior Andrew Eddleton set the pace for the 228 runners Thursday, finishing in 15:55.
Sugar Hollow is a very challenging layout with plenty of steep hills and lots of quirks – a true cross country course, noted one Roanoke-area coach. But Brillhart, who has mostly been training on flat terrain since his injury, figured he needed the workout.
“It really wasn’t too bad considering I haven’t run any hills at all this year,” he said. “We’ve got the [Clinch Mountain] district meet here next week, so it was good to get some work in on this course.”
One athlete who particularly likes Sugar Hollow is Marion’s Melanie Rice, who was the top local finisher out of 178 female runners.
“Actually, I think it’s my favorite course,” said the Scarlet Hurricane senior. “It was hot today, but I kind of like the heat. I mean it was hard, really hard. But it was really, really fun.”
Rice took a moment to explain how running a 2.9-mile race in balmy 75-degree weather is fun.
“You feel like you’re ... it’s kind of like you are flying,” Rice said with a smile. “Kind of like you’re flying, but you’re under your own power.”
Rice finished second to Katie Fortner, a mere eighth grader in the Cave Spring school system in Roanoke – the Abingdon Invitational runs all middle school, JV and varsity competitors in the same race.
“That’s pretty awesome,” a wide-eyed Rice said.
Fortner, who won going away with a time of 19:19, had an answer.
“My mom was a great runner and I do races with her in the summer,” the youngster said. “I just love it. I really love it.”
Don Cumbow, the meet director in his 33rd year as Abingdon head coach, felt it was a good effort by everyone.
“There’s been a lot of sickness going around all the schools,’’ said Cumbow, noting that team scores are not recognized in this meet. “Because of all the sickness, there were some kids who didn’t run their personal best times.
“Basically, this meet serves as a lead-up to the district, regional and state meets. All in all everything went well today.”
The Clinch Mountain and Hogoheegee will hold their district meets here Wednesday, while the Southwest District follows with its event the next afternoon.
The area regional meets will be held elsewhere the weekend of Nov. 6-7, with the state Group A and Group AA meets taking place on Nov. 14.
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