Blues Rest Top Runners, Prepare For Regionals
Resting its top five runners, the Parry McCluer High School boys cross country team placed second at the Pioneer District meet last Wednesday evening at Glen Maury Park in Buena Vista. It was the Fighting Blues’ only home meet this season.
Eastern Montgomery won the meet with a perfect score of 15 points, with its top five runners sweeping the top five spots. PM, which had won the last two Pioneer District titles, tallied 53 points. Narrows had three runners, not the minimum number, five, required to compete as a team.
PM head coach Chris Poluikis said his top runners did not race because they were recovering from competing in the prestigious Virginia XC Showcase meet the previous Saturday in Mechanicsville, where the Blues had placed fourth of 32 elite teams. Also, all teams from the district advance to the Region 1C meet.
Eastern Montgomery’s Spencer Sisson won the meet, completing the flat 3-mile course in 17 minutes, 31.01 seconds. Teammate Calvin Wilbon placed second of 18 harriers in 17:31.02.
Freshman Matthew Cooper led the Blues, placing sixth in 20:17, and freshman teammate Kayleb Vassar followed in seventh in 20:22.
PM’s third runner was sophomore Sebastian George (ninth, 20:33). Blues following George were junior Sam Carpenter (14th, 22:39), senior Caden Mason (17th, 29:04) and freshman Victor Poluikis (18th, 39:04).
Eastern Montgomery claimed the girls district title, as the only complete team competing. EM’s Cecilia Contreras was the individual winner, finishing in 23:50. Bath County had four runners racing, and PM has no girls competing this year.
The Blues were scheduled to race in the Region 1C meet yesterday at Blacksburg High School, with the three teams and the top five individuals outside of those teams advancing to the Class 1 state meet. Poluikis said he expected Eastern Montgomery to be the biggest competition for the Blues at the regional meet. For results from the regional meet, visit www.thenews-gazette.com, and see next week’s newspaper for the full story.
The Class 1 state meet will take place on Saturday, Nov. 8 at Green Hill Park in Salem, with the boys’ race at 1:45 p.m. The Blues, ranked as the No. 1 team in Virginia by Milestat.com last week, will be attempting to win their third consecutive state title.
PM FRESHMAN Matthew Cooper (38) runs next to a Narrows runner while PM sophomore Sebastian George (70) follows them. Cooper led the Blues, placing sixth of 18 harriers, completing the 3-mile course in 20:17, and George finished ninth in 20:33. (Stephanie Mikels Blevins photo)
FIGHTING BLUE junior Sam Carpenter paces himself. Carpenter was PM’s fifth runner, placing 14th in 22:39. (Stephanie Mikels Blevins photo)
