Led by individual victories, both the Rockbridge County High School boys and girls cross country teams won a meet against Shenandoah District rivals last Wednesday evening at Buffalo Gap High School in Swoope.
With five of the top six finishers in a race of 44 runners, the RC boys scored 18 points. Buffalo Gap placed second of four teams with 79 points, Riverheads (80) finished third, and Stuarts Draft (88) came in fourth.
Team scores were not provided for the girls’ race, but the RC girls defeated Riverheads. Buffalo Gap and Stuarts Draft also had harriers in the race, but they didn’t have the minimum number of runners, five, required to record a team score.
RC junior Tyler Ludtke won the boys’ race, completing the 5-kilometer race in 17 minutes, 30 seconds. Teammate Sammy Eastwood placed second in 17:39, while Stuarts Draft’s Easton Nice finished third in 17:42.
RC’s third runner was Leif Guse (fourth, 17:55), and he was followed by teammate Lincoln Steele (fifth, 18:06). RC’s Grant Swenty placed sixth in 18:45. Completing the Wildcats’ top seven were Hudson Saunders (10th, 19:17) and Luke Eichholz (11th, 19:21). The only Wildcat to set a personal record was RC’s final runner in the boys’ race, Hayden Nicely (58th, 27:25).
RC freshman Reagan Imler won the girls’ race in 22:09, while Riverheads runner Verity Jordan placed second of 20 harriers in 22:21.
The Wildcats’ second runner was Dorothy Lewis, finishing fourth in 23:24. Also making the top 10 for RC were Kate Holston (eighth, 26:15) and Hannah Ivins (10th, 27:09). The Wildcats’ fifth and final runner was Audra Roney (16th, 30:31).
“We have had three meets in eight days, so we used this meet as a workout meet,” said RC head coach Julie Tisone. “This seemed to take the pressure off of the runners, and they had a really fun, successful meet.”
Today, Wednesday, the Wildcats will face district rivals Fort Defiance, Riverheads and host Wilson Memorial at the Wilson Workforce and Rehabilitation Center in Fishersville. The girls’ race is scheduled for 5 p.m., followed by the boys’ race at 6.
The Wildcats will then prepare for the Shenandoah District meet next Wednesday, Oct. 22, at Ridgeview Park in Waynesboro, starting with the girls’ race at 3 p.m., with the boys’ race scheduled
to follow at 4.
