All-Timesland: Boys cross country

Kyle Green | The Roanoke Times

Timesland boys cross county runner of the year: Nick Link, Blacksburg.

Matt Gentry | The Roanoke Times

Nick Link of Blacksburg wins the 2012 River Ridge District Cross Country meet with a course tying record of 15.47 in Christiansburg.

Turn captions on

1 of 2

All-Timesland teams

Daniel Hamm of Fort Chiswell is our Timesland boys athlete of the year for 2012-13. Caroline Brailsford of Patrick Henry is Timesland's girls athlete of the year.

Check out all our All-Timesland teams.

Got a beef with our picks? Think they're perfect? Chime in on Robert Anderson's High School Sports blog.

Saturday, March 30, 2013

Timesland Runner of the Year

Nick Link | CHRISTIANSBURG | Senior

LINK captured the Group AA individual title and led the Bruins to their fourth straight team championship. At the state meet he stayed patient as several contenders raced out fast. As his rivals faded, Link charged into the lead for his biggest career win, crossing the line in 15:34. Link, who has verbally committed to North Carolina State, was 11th in the prestigious Nike Cross Nationals in Oregon two weeks later. Link’s wins included dominant victories in the Region IV and the River Ridge District championships. He also won the Metro Championships, and was third at the Knights Crossing Invitational. Link sign with N.C. State.

FIRST TEAM

MATTHEW BORNY | BLACKSBURG | Senior

Longtime consistent performer had his best season, capped with a sixth-place finish in Group AA in 16:02. ... Finished fourth in both the River Ridge and Region IV races. ... Fifth at Blue Demon Invitational. ... Sixth at the Metro Championships. ... 15th at the Adidas Cross Country Challenge.

ZACH CHASE | CHRISTIANSBURG | Senior

Earned all-state honors for the second consecutive year, finishing ninth in Group AA in 16:10. ... Fifth in both the River Ridge and Region IV races, spoiling Blacksburg sweeps. ... Wins included Runnin' with the Wolves Rocktoberfest, Walt Disney World Cross Country Classic and Walker's Run. ... Third at the Blue Demon Invitational. ... Signed with VMI.

NOAH COMBS | BLACKSBURG | Sophomore

Consistently was the second or third scorer for the dominant Bruins. ... Finished fourth in Group AA in 15:54, the second-fastest sophomore time on the day at any level. ... Won the early-season Blue Demon Invitational. ... Third in both the River Ridge and Region IV championships. ... Second at Metro Championships and seventh at Knights Crossing.

MICHAEL McBANE | LORD BOTETOURT | Senior

Showed big gains after more focused summer training. ... Earned first all-state honors with andd eighth-place finish in Group AA in 16:09. Won Blue Ridge title and was second in Region III. ... Borrowed his girlfriend's racing spikes in practice one day, ran well and
decided to race the second half of the season in the pink shoes.

WALKER MOGEN | RADFORD | Senior

Defending Group A championship proved his 2011 win was no fluke. ... Again won big in Group A championship, running 16:14. ... Won Three Rivers and Region C championships. ... First at the Maroon Tide Invitational. ... Runner-up at Runnin' with the Wolves Rocktoberfest, Knights Crossing and Blue Demon Invitational. ... Will run at Davidson.

MATTHEW PASIER | BLACKSBURG | Senior

A second team All-Timesland performer in 2011, Pasier jumped up to the next level this fall. ... Ran 15:42 to finish third in Group AA in 15:42 in 15:42. ... Second in both the River Ridge and Region IV championships. ... Fourth in Metro Championships. ... Will run at VMI.

SECOND TEAM

MATTHEW CAMILLETTI | HIDDEN VALLEY | Sophomore

MATTHEW FARMER | RURAL RETREAT | Junior

JUSTIN GINNINGS | SALEM | Junior

JOSH GOODMAN | BLAND COUNTY | Senior

LUKE PHILLIPS | BLACKSBURG | Senior

DAN SEYMOUR | CAVE SPRING | Junior

CALEB SMITH | PATRICK COUNTY | Senior

COACH OF THE YEAR

SHANE GUYNN | Christiansburg

A year after his Blue Demons finished 11th in the Group AA team championship, Guynn led his team to a podium spot in 2012. Christiansburg was third because its four returning
scoring runners from 2011 were all much faster in 2012, the hallmark of good coaching.

Monday, August 12, 2013