Eastwood, McClung, Guse All-Region
Stepping up to secure a spot in the Class 3 state meet, the Rockbridge County High School boys cross country team placed second of 13 teams at the Region 3C meet last Wednesday afternoon in Palmyra.
Racing on the Pleasant Grove course, the RC boys scored 63 points, trailing only Region 3C champion Western Albemarle, which had five runners in the top nine and won with 27 points. Turner Ashby placed third with 126 points. Rounding out the top seven were Harrisonburg (138), Rustburg (163), Monticello (163) and Broadway (169).
The top three teams and the top five individuals outside of those teams advanced to the state meet.
The last time the Wildcats had a team advance to the state meet was when the RC girls placed sixth at the Class 3 state meet three years ago.
“The boys had a great meet,” said RC head coach Julie Tisone. “They went into the meet ranked second. They felt confident, and all of them ran the race they needed to.”
Spotswood freshman Caden Erickson won the boys’ race, completing the hilly 5-kilometer course in 15 minutes, 48.7 seconds. Western Albemarle’s Christophe De Wekker placed second of 99 harriers in 16:06.2.
The top five RC boys all finished the course in under 17 minutes, “which helped secure that second place,” said Tisone, who is in her 10th year as the Wildcats’ head cross country coach.
Junior Sammy Eastwood led the RC boys, who won the Shenandoah District title a week earlier in Waynesboro, placing fifth in 16:13.4, a personal record by about a minute. “Sammy had a phenomenal race,” said Tisone.
RC’s second runner was junior Oscar McClung, finishing 12th in 16:29.7. Also earning all-regions by placing in the top 15 was RC sophomore Leif Guse (14th, 16:33.6).
The Wildcats’ fourth runner was junior Tyler Ludtke (17th, 16:49), and senior teammate Trent Cash followed in 19th in 16:51.8. Also racing for RC were sophomore Grant Swenty (33rd, 17:23.4) and junior Lincoln Steele (47th, 17:51.5).
Alleghany senior Kiera Lowman won the girls’ race in 17:46.7, while Fluvanna County’s Ruby Frazier placed second of 96 harriers in 17:56.5.
Three RC girls competed individually, with all three coming up short of advancing to the state meet. Freshman Reagan Imler led the way, placing 24th in 20:54.9.
“Reagan had an amazing year,” said Tisone, noting that Imler led the RC girls for most of the year. She learned a lot competing in all of the races – both big and small. She will be a runner to watch in the upcoming seasons.”
RC senior Dorothy Lewis came in 47th in 22:40.5, and senior teammate Kate Holston also wrapped up her high school cross country career by finishing 63rd in 23:33.1. RC senior Evelyn McClung had qualified for the Region 3C meet, but she didn’t race because she was out sick.
Spotswood won the girls’ race with 61 points, Western Albemarle (69) placed second of 13 teams, and Harrisonburg (90) finished third. Rounding out the top seven were Monticello (113), Alleghany (161), Fluvanna County (161) and Waynesboro (169). The Wildcats did not record a team score because they didn’t have the minimum numbers of runners necessary, five, to do so.
The Class 3 state meet will take place on Saturday on the flat course at Green Hill Park in Salem, with the boys’ race at 11:15 a.m.
