Loudoun Valley to try and triple relay at Nationals.

Do you have any idea where Purcellville is? Where it is located? The sheer size of Loudoun county? The county extends all the way to West Virginia. More deer are harvested in Loudoun County than any other county in the state. There are more wineries, too, in Loudoun than anywhere in the state (I am told of they are of middling quality). Purcellville, where Loudoun Valley High School is located, is a small, semi-rural town on the western side of the county.. It is not far from the Blue Ridge and the Appalachian trail (six miles away). The northern end of the Shenandoah Valley is ten miles away to the west (over the Blue Ridge), and that is truly rural Virginia. Its downtown is two blocks. It has a distillery (very cool), and four or five restaurants, including a fancy one at the terminus of the W & O trail and, I hate to mention this for fear of it become too popular, the best BBQ restaurant in which one will ever eat in the mid-Atlantic. The town is not Ashburn or Lowe's Island (near Trump's golf course) with its cookie cutter million dollar McMansions. And while there is wealth in some of the surrounding areas in certain large acreages with big homes, Purcellville is still a modest, middle class small town and a great place to raise a family. It may not stay that way, as the changing demographics and hassle of the DC area are causing people to endure the long commute (and it is long) all the way out to Purcellville. It is the kind of community that historically supports good distance running programs - striving, middle class (not too entitled or privileged) and safe. I can only await the response to my changing demographics comment. But I have lived in Fairfax County since 1991, and there remain only 6 or so high school districts out of 26 which remain desirable. Now, one can argue all day about that, but since I live in one of those districts, I can assure you that real estate prices, which are ridiculous, reflect this reality. Purcellville is a great place to escape to, even if in this politically correct environment one cannot openly say so. But I would hardly call Purcellville rich and entitled - yes, where I live is truly privileged and white and asian and ridiculously expensive (think $800,000 for a modest single family home), but not Purcellville - yet.

merriam webster wrote:

YMMV wrote:

How is "Loudoun" pronounced?

Rich & entitled D.C. suburbs...and white.

In 2014, Loudoun’s median was $122,294. For the 2010-2014 period Loudoun’s median was $123,966 (in 2014 $’s). [

https://loudoungis.maps.arcgis.com/apps/MapSeries/index.html?appid=60c2aef4e3f140bd83b3aefa394072d6

]

69.3% white. 18.7% Asian. [

https://www.loudoun.gov/DocumentCenter/View/129676

]

That seemed like an awful lot of work to say nothing whatsoever of any value or relevance.

merriam webster wrote:

Other schools in the VHSL that are at a disadvantage who compete against them.

How so?

4 of my kids went or are going to Loudoun Valley.

The current dominance in VHSL is down to the Hunter's. Valley is by far not one of the richest schools , by zip code. There are many in he county of Loudoun more well to do.

There's a Loudoun County (all schools in Loudoun ) XC meet , and last year Valley nearly swept 1-5 in all races. If winning went to the most privileged, then Valley shouldn't have fared as well.

So is Loudoun a rich per capita county in the US? You bet. But that doesn't explain why far more well to do schools in the county and in neighboring Fairfax don't fare as well. I'm betting if we started looking at schools like Bolles in Florida which has a yearly tuition rivaling top colleges, y'all would rethink the privilege angle.

Nope, look no further than Marc and Joan Hunter, if you want to claim that Loudoun has an unfair advantage.

There is something to the Hunter-talk as being a reason.

There was a school in my home state that had a reputation for putting out great girl's teams—multiple state champs as individuals, a few team titles, always podium finishes, etc.

When the XC state champ from a neighboring state moved to our state because their father got transferred, guess which school district they chose to live in, even if it meant commuting a long way?

Hint: THAT ONE.

Guess who dominated for years? THEY DID.

Super-programs like Loudon Valley, especially in the age of the internet, basically recruit for themselves outside the district boundaries—I am alleging nothing unethical… just saying that they may be dealing with a much richer gene pool than would otherwise be apparent. The recent talented transfers would appear to bolster this theory.

The Hunters have also helped foster a good pipeline. Indoor track exists in Loudoun County in a large part because of the Hunters. When it didn't exist, they ran a winter running club for kids throughout the county. Kids are also going through the youth program out in Purcellville too.

And of course, if kids are talented runners and their parents are moving, they want their kids to be in Valley's school zone just like at one point, parents with kids good at football used to move to be in Stone Bridge's school zone (located in nearby Ashburn).

ThatEpicMania wrote:

The Hunters have also helped foster a good pipeline. Indoor track exists in Loudoun County in a large part because of the Hunters. When it didn't exist, they ran a winter running club for kids throughout the county. Kids are also going through the youth program out in Purcellville too.

And of course, if kids are talented runners and their parents are moving, they want their kids to be in Valley's school zone just like at one point, parents with kids good at football used to move to be in Stone Bridge's school zone (located in nearby Ashburn).

Only 2 of the 4 legs of the relays actually attended the school last year. Wells and Affolder were new to the school this year. I'd wager that most coaches haven't ever gotten transfers like them, let alone in the same year.

ThatEpicMania wrote:

The Hunters have also helped foster a good pipeline. Indoor track exists in Loudoun County in a large part because of the Hunters. When it didn't exist, they ran a winter running club for kids throughout the county. Kids are also going through the youth program out in Purcellville too.

And of course, if kids are talented runners and their parents are moving, they want their kids to be in Valley's school zone just like at one point, parents with kids good at football used to move to be in Stone Bridge's school zone (located in nearby Ashburn).

I agree. It's the Hunter's work ethic and coaching ability (with some help from transfers, but mostly excellent coaching) that has helped LV become such a dominant team. If my small 2A school had coaches like LV does, we could/would dominate every meet and state championship. Period.

That being said, the transfers do help. But the transfers have/continue to work hard and improve themselves with their excellent coaches.

Excellent coaching, I agree. I would also attribute some amount of their success to having several good kids, acquiring several others, and now having a nice, large, like-minded training group of similarly talented athletes. It's like when a freshman in college suddenly improves simply because he is surrounded by a culture of hard work, high miles, and dedication.

It takes something to get that momentum, and that's something I would certainly attribute fully to the Hunters' good coaching and Drew Hunter's success.

Wealth helps with the infrastructure, but you still have to get kids to join and develop them. The key is having a feeder program, a running and winning culture and motivated coach which all tends to go hand and hand with a motivated coach.

If Loudoun Valley High School were so socioeconomically "special", why did their track and XC teams just plain suck until the Hunters took over the program? Yes, the Hunters had a superstar in their own son, but Drew is looooong gone. And he was but one individual. Now they are, more than ever, a team. The Drew Hunterless-XC boys team last December won the national championship in a dominating fashion -- a TEAM national championship. And this weekend's relay races are TEAM events that are devoid of Drew Hunter, but not devoid of his inspirational influence upon young minds and bodies, and, for that matter, upon LVHS coaches, too.

LVHS doesn't have that one Drew-like superstar at the moment, although Sam Affolder is showing great promise. So if they do well this weekend, consider the possibility that Marc and Joan Hunter have at least a little something to do with that program's current success.

The whole transfer picture has been covered elsewhere on this forum, and the nattering nabobs of negativism will never stop bitching about that topic. Never. The Hunters would be the first to acknowledge great fortune in having Sam Affolder and Connor Wells choose to come to LVHS.

It is human nature for some – rivals or just even fans – to WILLFULLY embrace bitterness and sniping in reaction to successes like LVHS’s, and to CHOOSE to see the LVHS story as one where the “rich” get richer. LVHS is "TALENT POTENTIAL-rich" – no different from other high schools far and wide. Despite this, there are few programs producing like LVHS. Why is that? Give credit where credit is due.

Congratulations to Marc and Joan Hunter for your success so far. I hope it rubs off on some of your detractors, as well as competitors who respect what you are achieving, because as a fan I’d love to see the sports of XC and T&F further enlivened.

I know. The Wells transfer I know very little about; I do know he went to another Loudoun school and, given the policies of VHSL and the county, I assume his family moved into the district (or else he wouldn't be able to compete). Regardless, I can't speak to him.

With Affolder, his family legitimately moved because of a work assignment from his father. That kid is a junior and has gone to three high schools already because of his father's career. I'm well removed from high school, but would certainly not be envious of that situation. His father made a decision to move the family to where he felt they could best thrive, given that many moves.

That being said, Affolder's father commutes from Purcellville to the Pentagon? Woof, talk about sacrifices. I'd have to be making major money to make that dreadful commute.

ThatEpicMania wrote:

That being said, Affolder's father commutes from Purcellville to the Pentagon? Woof, talk about sacrifices. I'd have to be making major money to make that dreadful commute.

That's your narrow approach to life. Too bad for your small mind. Some people are willing to make major sacrifices, I mean colonel sacrifices, that don't obsess upon the almighty dollar. Now, what does Col. Affolder have already, as a result of his fiscally-irresponsible decision to live in Purcellville and send his kids to Loudoun Valley HS? Oh, just a national championship in the fall for one of his boys, with a chance (that's all it is at this point) of further team greatness this weekend. Oh, just a way of life, in a delightful community, to which few in the greater Washington, DC area are exposed.

Jeeze, slow your roll. I don't have a "small mind." I respect his decision. It's just not one I would make and I'm not sure people outside the area know the sacrifice he made regarding his commute.

Read the thread, I've been defending Valley the whole freaking time.

Woof, talk about benefits wrote:

ThatEpicMania wrote:

That being said, Affolder's father commutes from Purcellville to the Pentagon? Woof, talk about sacrifices. I'd have to be making major money to make that dreadful commute.

That's your narrow approach to life. Too bad for your small mind. Some people are willing to make major sacrifices, I mean colonel sacrifices, that don't obsess upon the almighty dollar. Now, what does Col. Affolder have already, as a result of his fiscally-irresponsible decision to live in Purcellville and send his kids to Loudoun Valley HS? Oh, just a national championship in the fall for one of his boys, with a chance (that's all it is at this point) of further team greatness this weekend. Oh, just a way of life, in a delightful community, to which few in the greater Washington, DC area are exposed.

I live in Loudoun and a miserable commute is part of the deal if you live here. Col Affolder's commute is really not all that bad. The pentagon work force is comprised of an early arriving population and that mitigates the effects of the commute for those living remotely. I have a similar commute and it is not all that bad if you are on the road before 6 in the morning (and your are leaving the work place around 15:00).

ThatEpicMania wrote:

Jeeze, slow your roll. I don't have a "small mind." I respect his decision. It's just not one I would make and I'm not sure people outside the area know the sacrifice he made regarding his commute.

Read the thread, I've been defending Valley the whole freaking time.

Yeah, you respect his decision with a "yes, but", because you can't think outside of your small mind. Big freakin' deal that YOU wouldn't have made the Affolder decision.

How do you know what kind of sacrifice it is, anyway? What time does Col. Affolder get cracking in the morning? When does he return home? Is he smack dab in the middle of rush hour hell? On a far more flexible commuter schedule that isn't bad at all? Does he carpool? Does he even drive? Does he take a van or a bus and leave the driving totally to someone else, giving him a great chance to doze, or to chill out and watch videos of his sons racing? His average trip might be far easier than any recent snowbelt commute he's ever had, especially given the easy winter in Northern Virginia.

Now, tell me, where should Sam Affolder go to college? Your opinion is the important opinion. If, ultimately, his choice doesn't align with yours, are you going to woof at us again?

So STFU.

Get over yourself, dude. You're the one telling me I'm not allowed to have an opinion, not the other way around. At no point did I say Colonel Affolder's decision was wrong nor did I say he needed anyone's approval. My point was it's a 50 mile commute. So GFY.

Brentwood won the DMR.

Awesome job from Brentwood, anybody pay for the live stream and know what the splits were and how the race played out?