With five runners in the top 12, led by individual winner Kebryl Chandler, the Parry McCluer High School cross country team won its third consecutive Class 1 state championship on Saturday afternoon at Green Hill Park in Salem.
The Fighting Blues, winning their fifth state title in the last seven years, scored 36 points to defeat Pioneer District rival Eastern Montgomery (52), the state runner-up for the second year in a row. EM had beaten the Blues in the Pioneer District meet on Oct. 22 in Buena Vista, when PM had rested its top five runners, before the Blues defeated EM for their third consecutive Region 1C title on Oct. 29 in Blacksburg.
Auburn (79) placed third of 12 teams at the state meet, while Galileo (57) and Mathews (68) rounded out the top five. The runners raced in mostly sunny weather, with temperatures in the upper 60s.
Chandler, a junior who had placed second the last two years, went out front early and gradually increased his lead, completing the flat 5-kilometer course in 15 minutes, 16.8 seconds. EM sophomore Calvin Wilbon placed a distant second of 103 harriers in 15:51, and Wilbon’s sophomore teammate Grayson Welcher finished third in 16:05.3. Grundy senior Keyston Hartford, who had defeated Chandler by about nine seconds for the state title last year at Virginia Tech, finished fourth in 16:12.3 on Saturday, while EM senior Spencer Sisson placed fifth in 16:21.1.
PM’s second runner was Caleb Cooper, completing a strong sophomore season by placing sixth in 16:22.6. Also cracking the top nine for the Blues were seniors Josh Cooper (eighth, 16:31.2), Caleb’s older brother, and Logan Wheelock (ninth, 16:35.4). PM sophomore Hinckley Lovelace also earned all-state (top 15) honors by placing 12th in 16:46.4.
The Blues’ final two runners were sophomore Sebastian George (32nd, 18:18.8) and junior Sam Carpenter (56th, 19:11.3).
Many of the Blues plan to run indoor track this winter and outdoor track in the spring. Before the indoor season, several Blues will race in the Nike Cross Regionals Southeast Championships in Cary, N.C. on Saturday, Nov. 22.
The future looks bright for cross country as well. The Blues will graduate three seniors in the spring: Wheelock, Josh Cooper and Caden Mason. PM has no girls running this fall.
For the full story and photos from the state meet, with comments from PM head coach Chris Poluikis and several PM runners, please see our Nov. 12 newspaper.
