Rockbridge County High School sophomore girls’ high jumper Ariana Mitchell is headed back to the Class 3 state outdoor track and field meet this weekend.
Mitchell qualified by clearing 5 feet at a meet in mid-April at Wilson Memorial High School in Fishersville.
At the Region 3C meet last Wednesday at Wilson Memorial, Mitchell tied for 12th place, clearing 4 feet, 8 inches. Heritage senior Briyonna Tune won, clearing 5-2.
From the Region 3C meet, the top three individuals and top three relay teams, as well as those qualified by time, distance or height, advanced to the Class 3 state meet.
At the indoor and outdoor state meets as a freshman last year, Mitchell was short of clearing the starting height of 4-10. This winter, she earned all-state honors at the state indoor meet by placing in the top eight, finishing seventh with a mark of 5 feet. Her personal record is 5-2.
Due to a three-hour rain and lightning delay, much of the Region 3C meet was postponed until Thursday. Because of schedule conflicts, the Wildcats only had one runner, sophomore Grant Swenty, competing on Thursday.
Swenty placed 14th in the boys’ 1600-meter run in 4:55.36 and 21st in the boys’ 800-meter run, matching his personal record of 2:13.67.
“An amazing finish to a great season,” said RC head coach Julie Tisone.
The Wildcats’ Region 3C qualifiers who didn’t compete at the regional meet due to schedule conflicts were sophomore Hudson Saunders (boys’ 1600-meter run) and freshmen Sarah Lewis (girls’ 100-meter dash), Jude Eichholz (boys’ 800-meter run) and Luke Eichholz (boys’ 3200-meter run).
The Class 3 state meet is scheduled for this Friday and Saturday at Liberty University in Lynchburg. Mitchell and other high jumpers are slated to start competing on Saturday at 9:30 a.m.
