Four Wildcat Girls Advance To Regional Meet
The Rockbridge County High School boys cross country team defended its Shenandoah District title on Tuesday of last week at the Jackson River Sports Complex in Covington, while the RC girls placed fifth of seven teams.
The RC boys and four RC girls will advance to the Region 3C meet, which is scheduled to take place today, Wednesday, on the hilly Wilson Memorial High School course in Fishersville. The girls’ race is scheduled for noon, followed by the boys’ race at 12:45.
With five runners in the top 10, the RC boys scored 40 points, while Fort Defiance placed second of nine teams with 79 points. Wilson Memorial (81) finished third, Alleghany (83) came in fourth, and Riverheads (114) placed fifth. Rounding out the standings were Waynes- boro (155), Stuarts Draft (197), Staunton (205) and Buffalo Gap (215).
The top three Class 3 teams and the top five Class 3 individuals outside of those teams advanced to the Region 3C meet.
“The boys ran a comfortably- paced race,” said RC head coach Julie Tisone. “After the big effort at the state preview [the previous Saturday] and [before] the upcoming regional meet, they need to prioritize their big efforts. We had a big pack racing near the front, which looked impressive.”
WM junior Julian Galiano won the boys’ race, completing the flat 5-kilometer course in 16 minutes, 48.67 seconds.
Leading a pack of five Wildcats who earned alldistrict honors by placing in the top 10 was senior Oscar McClung, placing sixth of 62 harriers in 17:44.43. Junior teammate Leif Guse placed seventh in 17:44.54, and RC senior Lincoln Steele finished eighth in 17:44.84. Rounding out the top 10 were RC seniors Tyler Ludtke (ninth, 17:46.07) and Sammy Eastwood (10th, 17:46.72). RC’s final two runners were junior Grant Swenty (15th, 18:12.11) and freshman Will Ditzel (16th, 18:15.57).
Waynesboro won the girls’ race with 39 points, Alleghany (50) placed second, and Fort Defiance (90) finished third. Following in the standings were WM (95), RC (123), Riverheads (135) and Stuarts Draft (182).
Fort Defiance junior Henley Ann Coffman claimed the individual title for the girls, finishing in 19:43.72.
Leading the Wildcats and earning all-district honors by placing sixth of 45 harriers was sophomore Reagan Imler in 20:54.69. Also advancing to the Region 3C meet for the RC girls were senior Hannah Ivins (22nd, 23:37.78), freshman Isabel Tubb (32nd, 27:00.03) and sophomore Audra Roney (34th, 27:20.6). Concluding a strong freshman season for the Wildcats was Elizabeth Margalus (35th, 27:28.41).
From the Region 3C meet, the top three teams and the top five individuals outside of those teams will advance to the Class 3 state meet, which is scheduled for Saturday, Nov. 7 at Green Hill Park in Salem.
Last year, the RC boys placed second to Western Albemarle at both the Region 3C and Class 3 state meets. Tisone said the boys’ toughest rivals will be Western Albemarle, Broadway and Turner Ashby. “We will have to put forth a big effort to be one of the top three team qualifiers for states,” she said. “We are looking forward to the tough competition.”
Tisone said her qualifying girls “will continue to set personal goals. Regions should be a very exciting race.”
