PMHS Student One Of Six Local Runners At Nike Nationals
Parry McCluer High School rising senior Kebryl Chandler broke his own school record in the 3200meter run in the Nike Outdoor Nationals held June 18-22 in Eugene, Ore., and he was one of six local runners to compete at the meet.
Racing on the evening of June 20 at the University of Oregon’s Hayward Field, one of the world’s premier track and field venues, Chandler finished the 3200 in 8 minutes, 53.6 seconds, breaking his previous school record of 8:54.82, which he’d set in mid-April at the ASICS Carolina Distance Carnival in Matthews, N.C. With temperatures in the low 70s, he placed 18th of 48 runners in the 3200. There was also a finish line for the 2-mile run, which was about 18.7 meters longer than the 3200, and Chandler passed two runners and finished 16th at that distance, clocking 8:56.36.
Chris Poluikis, PM track and field and cross country coach, watched the video of the race and noted that Chandler was on pace to finish in 9 minutes until the final 400 meters, which he sped up to finish in 60.3 seconds. Commenting on Chandler’s finish, Poluikis said, “That’s typical of him.”
Chandler, racing at the Nike meet for the first time after winning Class 1 state titles in the 1600 and 3200meter runs on June 6 at James Madison University, said the meet “was an awesome experience. Hayward Field is very historic and prestigious, so it was a privilege to race there.”
“As for the race, like always, there were things to do better, but I was proud of the middle of the race,” added Chandler. “There were some moments where I started to lose contact with the pack, but I was able to hang on.”
Chandler’s performance ranks him second among high school runners in Virginia, eighth all-time in Virginia, and 72nd in the nation.
There were five Rockbridge County High School runners racing at the Nike Outdoor Nationals, competing for the East Coast Elite (ECE) Track Club.
Individually, Reagan Imler competed in the freshman girls’ 800-meter run on Monday of last week, placing 38th of 74 runners in 2:25.75. Imler, the RC girls’ lead cross country runner who was a regional qualifier last fall, said getting to race at Hayward Field “was a dream come true. Competing against athletes from all over the country and watching some of the best in the world was truly an amazing experience. I am so grateful for the opportunity and memories made.”
Four RC boys teamed up in the 4 X Mile relay on June 19, placing 18th of 28 teams in 18:07.94. Going into the competition, the ECE team was ranked 22nd in the nation. Team members were juniors Sammy Eastwood and Tyler Ludtke, junior Blake McClung and sophomore Leif Guse. All four boys helped the RC boys cross country team placed second in the Class 3 state meet last fall, after winning the Shenandoah District meet and placing second in the Region 3C meet.
Ludtke, who had competed at the Nike meet as a freshman in the mile, also teamed up with runners from other Virginia schools to represent the Virginia All Star Team in the boys’ distance medley relay on June 21. The distance of the relay was 4 kilometers, and the boys placed ninth of 13 teams in 10:17.59. Ludtke ran the opening 1200-meter leg in 3:09, and was followed by teammates Isaac Richardson in the 400-meter leg, Macon Smith (800 meters) and Preston Spangler (1600 meters).
Reviewing his experience, Ludtke said the meet “was a lot more fun this year with my team and others than my freshman year with just my sister [2024 RC graduate Deena Ludtke]. The team dinners we had were one of my favorite parts of the trip. I also was able to see so many people I’ve met at running camp and even people that I’ve raced against.”
ECE head coach Drew Ludtke, father of Tyler and Deena, praised his athletes for the efforts they put in over the past year. “We are proud of the hard work of all our current and former athletes this year,” he said. “The ECE team finished up an outstanding season with their performances at Nike Outdoor Nationals. The entire year was outstanding, with personal records from all athletes and continued growth of our team. We are happy for the year and excited for what the future holds for these athletes.”
