Chandler Wins 1600, 3200

Chandler Wins 1600, 3200 Fighting Blues Place Third In State

Junior Kebryl Chandler won two individual state titles to lead the Parry McCluer High School boys track and field team to third place at the state meet on Friday and Saturday at the James Madison University Track and Field Complex in Harrisonburg.

Chandler claimed both the boys’ 1600 and 3200-meter runs, which he had also won at the state indoor track and field meet in early March. The victories completed an impressive year for Chandler, who had also won the individual state cross country title last November to lead the Blues to their third consecutive state title.

In the team standings, the PM boys, who placed fourth at last year’s outdoor state meet, scored 54 points to finish just behind Pioneer District rival Eastern Montgomery, which finished second of 30 scoring teams, tallying 55 points. Auburn won the meet with 106 points. Rounding out the top five were Rappahannock (43.5) and Riverheads (40.5).

PM head coach Chris Poluikis said before the meet that Auburn was the clear favorite. He said the Blues had a strong chance of placing second to tie the 2024 team for the highest finish in program history, and they almost did. “The state meet is always chaotic, with the heat,” said Poluikis.

The difference between the Eastern Montgomery and PM scores came down to the boys’ 4 X 800-meter relay on Friday. The Mustangs won the race in 8:09.02, while the Blues placed second in 8:11.28, less than a tenth of a second off their school record of 8:11.19, which they set last year in finishing second to Middlesex by a hundredth of a second. On Friday, Middlesex placed third in 8:28.12. PM’s team members were Chandler, seniors Josh Cooper and Logan Wheelock, and sophomore Caleb Cooper.

On Saturday morning, Chandler overcame sickness to win the 3200meter run in 9:36.11, setting a meet record. Chandler said he was relieved that, despite his illness, he was able to pull out the win. Eastern Montgomery sophomore Calvin Wilbon placed second in 9:40.97.

Just a few hours later, after temperatures climbed into the 80s in the early afternoon, Chandler won the 1600meter run in 4:22.45. He was trailing Grundy senior Keyston Hartford for the first half of the race before catching him and breaking away by running the final 800 meters in 2:03. Hartford, who had placed second in the 1600meter run at the state outdoor meet last year to beat Chandler by one spot, followed Chandler this time in 4:26.1.

Three of Chandler’s running teammates earned all-state honors by placing in the top eight. Caleb Cooper finished third in the boys’ 3200-meter run in 9:46.55 and used a strong finishing kick to come in sixth in the 1600-meter run in 4:40.22. Senior Josh Cooper, Caleb’s older brother, placed fifth in the 800-meter run in 2:01.88. Senior teammate Logan Wheelock placed sixth in the boys’ 3200-meter run in 10:03.07 and finished eighth in the 1600-meter run in 4:41.55.

Summing up his 800-meter run, Josh Cooper said, “It wasn’t bad. I didn’t feel terribly today.” He said he was feeling the effects of the 4 X 800meter relay the day before. “I didn’t feel super fast. They went out really hard. I tried to reel the guys right in front of me in. I think I did a good job. I closed pretty well.”

Reviewing his career, during which he helped the Blues win those three cross country titles, the older Cooper said, “There’s a lot that I wanted to do, times that I wanted to run that I didn’t get a chance to, but was fun.” He’ll spend the next two years on a Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints mission in Brazil before attending Southern Virginia University, where he plans to continue running.

Wheelock was grateful he was able to have a strong finish to the season after recovering from a stress fracture in his foot in the Blues’ winning 4X 800-meter relay at the state indoor meet. “It was great to be able to come back,” said Wheelock. “Honestly, I don’t know how I was able to do it. It was something crazy to be able to come back and still race today.”

“I was grateful to be able to run,” added Wheelock. “I had almost a career- ending injury.”

Wheelock, who plans to study business at Radford University and is considering continuing his running career, said he was grateful for his teammates for pushing him and for Poluikis, who coached him in both cross country and track. “Poluikis has been amazing,” said Wheelock. “He’s the reason why I’m able to come back from that injury.” Wheelock said Poluikis, who just wrapped up his 20th year of coaching the Blues, is good at “making sure we’re consistent. … He’s our spine. He’s our backbone.”

Also racing individually for the Blues was junior Sam Carpenter, who placed 11th in the 3200-meter run in 10:48.94, about a second shy of his personal record (PR).

In the last race of the meet, the boys’ 4 x 400-meter relay, the Blues finished 21st in 3:52.97. Team members were Carpenter, sophomore Sebastian George, and Josh and Caleb Cooper.

The Blues’ lone thrower was senior Griffin Harlow, who had all-state finishes in both of his throws. On Friday, Harlow placed fourth in the shot put with a toss of 51 feet, 3.5 inches. Auburn senior Kobi Bonds, who has signed to throw for Division I school Virginia Tech, won with a throw of 62-1. Harlow followed up that performance by placing fifth in the discus with a heave of 136-1 on Saturday. Auburn’s Colton Honaker won the discus with a throw of 157-6.

Since last year, Harlow has battled two back conditions that have affected his throwing, but he overcame those to place third in the shot put at the state indoor meet and then finish his career among the elite throwers last weekend. “He persevered through that,” said PM throwing coach Danny Cole. “Most people would’ve probably quit. He’s a hard worker.”

Harlow finished his career with four Pioneer District titles and four allstate finishes. His PR in the shot put is 54-1.5, set last year when he placed third at the state outdoor meet, and he set his PR in the discus when he placed fifth at the Region 1C meet with a throw of 142-2 on May 26 in Elliston.

Grateful for Cole’s coaching, Harlow said, “He’s been great. He’s helped me a lot, keeping me motivated through injury and giving me words of encouragement to help me through it and doing whatever he can to help out.” Looking ahead, Harlow is considering throwing at the college level while weighing his options.

In addition to Harlow, the Blues have graduated their two other throwers, regional qualifier Brenden Holdren and Levi Hepler. “I’m starting from scratch next year,” said Cole. He said he’ll have one girl, rising senior Phoebe Wood, throwing in the indoor season, and he’s been talking to some rising freshmen. There were no girls competing for the Blues, runners or throwers, this spring.

Wheelock and Josh Cooper were the two senior runners on the team this year.

The Blues will look forward to continuing to build on their success, with Chandler leading the way as a senior.