Imler Wins Girls’ Race At State Preview
The Rockbridge County High School boys cross country team won both of their meets last week, racing Shenandoah District rivals last Wednesday at Wilson Memorial High School in Fishersville and claiming the East Coast Elite state meet preview on Saturday at Green Hill Park in Salem.
With many runners setting personal records, the RC boys won Saturday’s race with 29 points, with three harriers in the top 10, and they received a big sledgehammer as a reward. Salem placed second of four teams with 62 points, North Carolina Leadership Academy (72) finished third, and Glenvar (74) came in fourth.
Pleased with her boys, RC head coach Julie Tisone said, “The entire team had goals and paces to meet, and those goals and paces were met.”
Bassett’s Thomas Fulcher was the individual winner, completing the flat 5-kilometer course in 15 minutes, 26.9 seconds.
Junior Leif Guse led the RC boys, placing second of 59 harriers in 16:12.8. Salem’s John Stovall finished third in 16:26.1.
The Wildcats’ second runner was Sammy Eastwood, placing seventh in 16:37.3, and teammate Lincoln Steele finished ninth in 16:45.9. Wildcats following Steele were Oscar McClung (11th, 16:52.7), Will Ditzel (12th, 16:53.9), Hudson Saunders (19th, 17:27.4) and Bede Eichholz (19th, 17:37.3).
In the girls’ race, RC sophomore Reagan Imler won in 20:37.2. Placing a distant second of 18 harriers was Lee’s Allie Jones in 21:22. Imler went out fast and stayed in front the entire race.
The Wildcats’ second runner was Hannah Ivins, finishing seventh in 23:31.5, while teammate Elizabeth Margalus came in 10th in 25:09.3. The Wildcats didn’t have the minimum number of runners, five, to record a team score.
RC Boys Win At WM
With five runners in the top eight, the RC boys won a fiveteam meet last Wednesday at Wilson Memorial High School in Fishersville.
The Wildcats scored 28 points, Alleghany (55) placed second and WM (56) finished third. Rounding out the standings were Staunton (123) and Buffalo Gap (126).
WM’s Julian Galiano won the race, completing the hilly 5K course in 17:49.57.
Junior Luke Eichholz led RC, placing third of 50 harriers in 18:30.88. Teammate Grant Swenty followed in fourth in 18:39.56. Other Wildcats in the top eight were Guse (sixth, 18:40.36), Tyler Ludtke (seventh, 18:40.71) and Steele (eighth, 18:43.61). Completing the Wildcats’ top seven were McClung (12th, 19:42.12) and Ditzel (13th, 19:54.3).
In the girls’ race, only Alleghany had a full team, led by winner Faith Barron in 21:58.8.
Imler led the Wildcats, placing fourth of 21 harriers in 24:10.7. Ivins followed in 10th in 25:56.15. RC’s third runner was Audra Roney (16th, 29:01.22), followed by Margalus (17th, 29:21.83).
The Wildcats were scheduled to compete in the Shenandoah District meet at the Jackson River Sports Complex in Covington yesterday, Tuesday.
The top three teams and the top five individuals outside of those teams advanced to the Region
3C meet.
For the RC boys, who won the district title and placed second at the Region 3C and Class 3 state meets last year, Tisone said they were looking forward to facing “the four powerhouses” of Class 3 at the Region 3C meet.
The Region 3C meet is scheduled for next Wednesday, Oct. 28, at Wilson Memorial, starting with the girls’ race at noon, with the boys’ race following at 12:45 p.m.
“We are looking forward to going into the post season and racing the big meets,” said Tisone.
