The top runners for the Parry McCluer High School boys track and field team had strong performances at the Kellie Wells Classic on Saturday, following solid showings from the Fighting Blues’ throwers last Wednesday in Daleville.
Leading the Fighting Blues at the Kellie Wells Classic, held at James River High School in Midlothian, was sophomore Kebryl Chandler, who placed second in the boys’ 1600-meter run in 4:22.25. He trailed only Clover Hill’s Joshua Taylor, who won in 4:20.5, while Princess Anne’s Daniel Rockey finished third in 4:23.47.
A week earlier in Blacksburg, Chandler had broken his older brother Kovyk’s record in the 1600-meter run by finishing in 4:18.74. PM head coach Chris Poluikis said last Saturday’s race was “just a little cold, a little slower of a race.”
Also on Saturday, Chandler placed 10th in the 800-meter run in 2:01.94.
PM’s Logan Wheelock stepped up for the Blues by placing fourth in the 3200meter run in 9:50.99, narrowly setting a personal record (PR). Rockey from Princess Anne won in 9:30.25.
Also setting a slight PR was PM’s Josh Cooper in the boys’ 800-meter run, placing 13th in 2:03.64. In the 1600-meter run, Cooper finished 17th in 4:39.1.
Caleb Cooper, Josh’s younger brother, placed 32nd in the 1600-meter run in 4:49.54 and came in 45th in the 800meter run in 2:11.86.
Teammate Hinckley Lovelace finished 38th in the 1600-meter run in 4:35.45 and came in 75th in the 800-meter run in 2:18.58.
The Blues only took five of their runners to the meet.
The PM boys scored 13 points to place 20th of 34 scoring teams. James River (Midlothian) won the meet with 39 points, Deep Run (37) placed second, and Manchester (35) finished third. Rounding out the top five were Prince George (31.5) and Patrick Henry (Ashland) (31).
Throwers Excel At LB
In an effort to get their younger throwers experience, the Blues took some of them to a meet at Lord Botetourt High School last Wednesday in Daleville.
The most experienced thrower there for PM, junior Griffin Harlow, won the boys’ shot put with a toss of 49 feet, 3.75 inches, more than five feet farther than the top throw by the runner up, Jayden Alston of James River (Buchanan), whose toss went 44-2.
Also stepping up for PM, Brendan Holdren placed fifth in the shot put with a PR throw of 38 feet and finished eighth in the discus with a heave of 96-9. Timber Thomas placed sixth in the shot put with a toss of 36-1 and came in 12th in the discus with a throw of 91-10.
PM’s Vincent Wilson placed 10th in the discus (96-5) and finished 11th in the shot put (32-11), while teammate Bobby Crowe came in 12th in the shot put (32-7) and 26th in the discus (73-6). Levi Hepler placed 13th in the discus (90-7) and 23rd in the shot put (29-9).
Keeli Wheeler led the PM girls, placing seventh in the discus (67-4) and finishing eighth in the shot put (24-7). Teammate Presley Austin came in eighth in the discus (67-3) and ninth in the shot put (234), while Phoebe Wood placed ninth in the discus (61-9) and 15th in the shot put (19-11).
The Blues were scheduled to compete in the New River Invitational at Giles High School in Pearisburg on Friday, but that meet was postponed due to rain and has been rescheduled for Wednesday, May 7.
On Thursday, the Blues will take their throwers and several of their runners to the Buffalo Invitational, which gets underway at 4 p.m.
