Wildcats Runners-Up In Salem Meet
The two local high school boys cross country teams proved that they are two of the top teams in the state on Saturday at Green Hill Park in Salem, when Parry McCluer won the Fast Times East Coast Elite Wildcat Invitational, and Rockbridge County placed second of 23 teams.
The meet was a state meet preview, and both teams are hoping to be contenders for state titles on the same course on Saturday, Nov. 8, with the Fighting Blues in Class 1 and the Wildcats against larger schools in Class 3. The PM boys will be aiming to win their third consecutive state title and their fifth in the last seven years, while the RC boys will be aiming to qualify for the first time in recent history and to be among the state’s elite teams.
RC also had four girls racing, but they did not count in the team scores because at least five runners are required for a team score.
There were 222 harriers in the boys’ race, and the Blues had five runners in the top 26.
The PM boys won with a score of 69 points, while RC placed second with a score of 116. Christiansburg (113) finished third, while Lord Botetourt (176) and Broadway (191) rounded out the top five.
Lord Botetourt’s Eric Duncan won the boys’ race, finishing the flat course in a blistering time of 14 minutes, 46.2 seconds. PM junior Kebryl Chandler, the state runner-up the last two years, led the Blues, placing second in 14:57.5, a personal record (PR) by about 14 seconds. St. Anne’s-Belfeld School’s Quinn Eliason followed in third in 14:59.5.
PM’s second runner was senior Logan Wheelock, placing 11th in 15:56.9, his first time under 16 minutes in a 5K.
“Kebryl and Logan ran really well,” said PM head coach Chris Poluikis. “They looked good all week. Logan has been looking good for a couple of weeks.”
The Blues’ third runner was sophomore Caleb Cooper (13th, 16:07.7), while his older brother Josh Cooper (24th, 16:43.6) was the fourth. Sophomore Hinckley Lovelace (26th, 16:45.6) was PM’s fifth runner. Also in PM’s top seven were junior Sam Carpenter, who finished 96th in a PR time of 18:25.2, and sophomore Sebastian George (115th, 19:01.2).
Also running for the Blues were their three freshmen, racing but not figuring into the team score. Kaleb Vassar finished 144th in 19:48.8, his first time under 20 minutes, and teammates Matthew Cooper (156th, 20:15.6) and Victor Poluikis (219th, 30:02.3) followed.
Coach Poluikis noted that it was a new course for the state meet and was different from the Knights Crossing Invitational on Sept. 6, which was a flat course but had some gravel. Proud of his runners, Poluikis said, “I felt good about how they did on that course.”
The state meet was held at the moderately hilly course at Virginia Tech last year, after taking place at Green Hill Park the previous five years, and Coach Poluikis said he was glad the runners could return to a course that was slightly different than two years ago.
The PM coach said he prefers the course because it is all grass, without gravel. He said he was concerned about the sharp turns on the course, but his runners “rounded them out nicely. The turns were not an issue.”
Leading the RC boys was junior Tyler Ludtke, placing 16th in 16:21.8, followed closely by sophomore teammate Leif Guse (18th, 16:27.5), senior teammate Trent Cash (21st, 21:34.7) and RC junior Oscar McClung (32nd, 16:53.1).
Completing the Wildcats’ top seven were junior Lincoln Steele (43rd, 17:07) and sophomores Grant Swenty (51st, 17:17.6) and Hudson Saunders (80th, 18:08.7).
Coach Poluikis, now in his 20th year, said, “That’s the best Rockbridge boys’ team I can remember seeing.”
RC head coach Julie Tisone was glad her runners could race in “a really good meet and a very exciting meet.” While the Wildcats’ home meet last Wednesday, which the RC boys won, was on a hilly course at Natural Bridge State Park, this one was different. “Our home meet was a strategic meet,” said Tisone. “This meet was for speed.”
“It was a fun, flat course, out in the open where spectators can watch the entire race,” added Tisone, noting that the course had a 2-kilometer lap and then a 3-kilometer lap.
Christiansburg won the girls’ race with 54 points, while Kettle Run (99) placed second of 19 teams, and Alleghany (141) finished third. Floyd County (156) and St. Anne’s-Belfield School (165) rounded out the top five.
Alleghany’s Kiera Lowman was the individual winner, finishing in 17:45.5, about a minute ahead of the runner-up, Christiansburg’s Mariah Reed (18:45.3).
Leading the Wildcats was freshman Regan Imler (16th, 20:23.7). RC’s second runner was senior Evelyn McClung (52nd, 22:13.9), finishing right ahead of senior teammate Dorothy Lewis (63rd, 22:14.9). The Wildcats’ final harrier was sophomore Audra Roney (144th, 27:34). PM has no girls running this year.
All but one of the Wildcats set a PR. “We went out to run fast and get PRs, and the runners did exactly what they wanted to do,” said Tisone.
The Wildcats will race again today, Wednesday, against several Shenandoah District teams at Buffalo Gap, starting with the boys’ race at 5:30 p.m. The Blues’ next meet will be the Virginia XC Showcase on Saturday, Oct. 18, at Pole Green Park in Mechanicsville, just outside of Richmond.
