Cash, Imler Lead Wildcats At NB State Park
With six runners in the top 10, the Rockbridge County High School boys cross country team won its five-team home meet against Shenandoah District rivals last Wednesday at Natural Bridge State Park, while the RC girls placed third of three teams.
Taking on a hilly course on a beautiful evening, the top six RC boys ran with the front group for the early part of the race, and the Wildcats scored 28 points to win comfortably. It was the second win in a row for the Wildcats. Wilson Memorial, which had five runners in the top 13, placed second with 50 points, while Waynesboro (55) finished third. Rounding out the standings were Buffalo Gap (114) and Staunton (150).
RC head coach Julie Tisone said that one of the reasons her boys’ team is strong is because the runners “work together.” Tisone added that the top Wildcats are so close in pace that the lead “goes back and forth. We’ve got a lot of good, strong runners.”
Waynesboro’s Miles Jolin won the boys’ race, completing the 5-kilometer course in 17 minutes, 12.7 seconds. Jolin’s teammate Grayson Norris placed second of 51 harriers in 17:35.3.
WILDCAT SOPHOMORE Zach Hart (268) and senior Ethan Erksine keep pace with each other. Hart placed 32nd in 22:09.3, and Erksine finished 36th in 22:47.9. (Stephanie Mikels Blevins photo)
Leading the Wildcats and placing third overall was Trent Cash, one of RC’s six seniors honored before the meet. Cash finished in 18:02.4, narrowly beating junior teammate Tyler Ludtke, who placed fourth in the same time. RC sophomore Leif Guse followed in sixth in 18:04.6.
Other Wildcats making the top 10 were juniors Sammy Eastwood (seventh, 18:04.8) and Lincoln Steele (18:27) and sophomore Grant Swenty (10th, 18:31.2). Steele’s time was a personal record, but he would run faster on Saturday in Salem. (see separate story) RC’s seventh runner was sophomore Luke Eichholz (14th, 19:42.7).
Reviewing his team’s race, Cash said, “When we started out, we had a huge pack. We were running with Waynesboro guys, kind of just chilling, enjoying the sport. We were talking a lot, having fun. I think, probably about a mile in, most guys dropped out, and it was maybe four Rockbridge guys and the two Waynesboro guys up front.”
Cash is confident in what his team can accomplish this season and said the main goal is to qualify as a team for the Class 3 state meet. “And then, who knows?” he said. “We’ll see what we can do there. We’re hoping for, I don’t know, top five. We’re not sure what our competition is quite yet.”
The RC boys’ other senior, Ethan Erskine, was also honored before the meet. Erskine finished 36th in 22:47.9.
Waynesboro won the girls’ race with 32 points, edging Wilson Memorial (33), while the Wildcats (66) placed third.
WM’s Thea Franklin was the individual winner, finishing in 21:28, while Waynesboro’s Lacey Keagy placed second of 33 harriers in 22:44.3.
Leading the Wildcats and placing fifth overall was freshman Reagan Imler, finishing in 23:16.4. Senior Dorothy Lewis was RC’s second runner, placing 10th in 24:16.7.
Imler had practiced on the course, but this was her first time racing on it.
“It was just a fun race, just testing out things and having fun,” she said.
Reviewing the race, Lewis said, “I think it went pretty well. It was fun to run it for the last time. … There were some fun people I was running with, so it was great.”
The next three RC girls ran together. The Wildcats’ third finisher was junior Hannah Ivins (24th, 27:57.4), and she was followed closely by senior teammates Evelyn McClung (25th, 27:59.7) and Kate Holston (26th, 28:00.2).
RC sophomore Audra Roney (31st, 30:21.4) set a personal record, which she would break by nearly three minutes on Saturday, and the Wildcats’ final runner was senior Gemma Batis (33rd, 32:40.4).
The RC girls have a small team, and Lewis said one of their goals is to advance to the Region 3C meet by placing in the top three in the Shenandoah District meet on Wednesday, Oct. 22 in Waynesboro. Enjoying her final cross country season, Lewis said, “We just have a really fun team culture. We’re just having a great time.”
RUNNING TOGETHER in the girls’ race are (from left) senior Evelyn McClung, junior Hannah Ivins and senior Kate Holston. Ivins placed 24th of 33 harriers in 27:57.4, followed closely by McClung (25th, 27:59.7) and Holston (26th, 28:00.2). (Stephanie Mikels Blevins photo)
RC FRESHMAN Reagan Imler maintains a comfortable lead over her closest followers. Imler led the RC girls, placing fifth in 23:16.4. (Stephanie Mikels Blevins photo)
