Chandler Leads PM Boys To Another Class 1 Title
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, capturing 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 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 Blues didn’t let the pressure get to them and pulled through for another win in a tighter race than last year, when PM had beaten Eastern Montgomery by 32 points. “You’re in a tough spot when you’re the favorite,” said PM head coach Chris Poluikis. “It can make them a little anxious.”
The runners raced in mostly sunny weather, with temperatures in the upper 60s.With conditions warmer than usual, there were few personal records on Saturday. Poluikis, who is in his 20th year as PM’s head coach and is assisted by Jacob Zimmerman, said his runners “all went out very hard.”
Chandler, a junior, had placed second the last two years, once to his older brother Kovyk, a 2024 PM graduate, two years ago. The younger Chandler went o ut f ront e arly o n S aturday a nd 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 on the hilly course last year at Virginia Tech, finished fourth in 16:12.3 on Saturday, while EM senior Spencer Sisson placed fifth in 16:21.1.
Going over his race strategy, Chandler said it was to “get out fast but controlled.”
“The hard parts on this course where people struggle are from the 3K to the 4K mark and just the turns at that last [kilometer],” said Chandler. “It’s just easy to lose your focus.”
The course was slightly different than when the Blues raced on it at the state meet two years ago, with sharper turns that challenged runners throughout the race. T he Blues h ad a c hance t o p re- view the course on Oct. 4 in the Fast Times East Coast Elite Wildcat Invitational, when PM faced 22 other teams and won.
FIGHTING BLUE junior Kebryl Chandler approaches the final part of the Class 1 boys’ race. After placing second in the state the last two years, Chandler won, completing the 5-kilometer course in 15 minutes, 16.8 seconds, more than 34 seconds ahead of the runner-up. (Jonathan Schwab photo)
PM’s second runner at the state meet was Caleb Cooper, completing a strong sophomore season by placing sixth in 16:22.6. Poluikis said Cooper “has been strong all year.”
Reviewing his race, Cooper said, “I ended up going out too fast in the first kilometer and then faded hard in the last two kilometers, but I’m happy with the boys. We all put it together and still managed to get the win.”
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). Unlike his teammates and many of the runners, Josh improved from his Oct. 4 race on the course, cutting more than 12 seconds off his previous time. “That’s definitely my best performance of the season,” he said.
Poluikis said Josh “stepped up real big today. He had a great race. He probably had the best race of anybody on the team.”
Praising his two seniors, Poluikis said, “Logan and Josh have been extremely solid, running very well.”
“They’re kind of like the core of our team,” said Chandler of the senior duo. “They’re just consistent, like a sunrise. It’s there every day.”
Going over his race, Wheelock said, “Today was all right, but I feel like I felt too good in the warmup. “I knew, going into it, it was not gonna be the greatest. I think the biggest thing was to hopefully get my place and make sure the team wins.”
Both Wheelock and Josh Cooper plan to continue running in college. PM’s fifth runner, sophomore Hinckley Lovelace, also earned all-state (top 15) honors by placing 12th in 16:46.4. “I didn’t have the best performance today, but it’s so good getting that team title,” said Lovelace.
The Blues’ final two runners were sophomore Sebastian George (32nd, 18:18.8) and junior Sam Carpenter (56th, 19:11.3). Assessing his race, George said, “I came back from an injury at the start of the season, so I’m pretty happy with my performance.”
All of the Blues were relieved and happy to get another team title. “It wasn’t pretty, but we got the job done, and that’s what matters,” said Josh Cooper.
The older Cooper brother said he has learned a lot from Poluikis during his time at PM. “I love him, and I’m so grateful for everything he’s done for us,” said Josh.
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, who had no girls running this spring, will graduate three seniors in the spring: Wheelock, Josh Cooper and Caden Mason. That means the Blues will be looking for their younger runners to step up, and their fans can expect them to compete hard for varsity spots.
Chandler said Poluikis has sent a strong message to his runners that helps them succeed and cherish that success. “He’ll be talking, and I’ll be worried,” said Chandler. “He just reminds me, be thankful for what we have. We can’t take it for granted.”
PM SENIOR Logan Wheelock sprints to the finish. Wheelock was the Blues’ fourth runner, placing ninth in 16:35.4. (Jonathan Schwab photo)
