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Based on how they did at the Valley District cross country meet last Wednesday at Grottoes Town Park, the Rockbridge County High School girls and freshman boy Preston Spangler advanced to the Region 3C meet.
The RC girls placed fourth of five teams, tallying 74 points, and Spangler placed second of 49 runners in the boys’ race and earned all-district honors by placing in the top 15, completing the moderately hilly 5-kilometer course on the warm evening in 16:18.7, coming up just short in a sprint to the finish with Broadway’s Tristan Yoder, who won in 16:16.7. Spotswood’s Peyton Kenee placed third in 16:29.6.
For the boys, the Wildcats concluded the team portion of their season, placing fifth of seven teams, tallying 120 points.
RC head coach Julie Tisone said her runners like hilly courses, so they liked that one, even though they think of it as mostly flat. She said the biggest challenge was the weather. “It was very warm for this time of year, and we had gotten used to the cooler weather,” she said. “They all managed the heat well.”
The top three teams from Class 3 and the top four individuals outside of those teams advanced to the Region 3C meet. The girls advanced because Harrisonburg, which placed second, is a Class 5 team.
With five runners in the top nine, host Spotswood, which had finished second to the Wildcats last year, won the girls’ title with 28 points. Harrisonburg (52) followed, and William Monroe placed third (69). The Wildcats (74) followed in fourth, and Turner Ashby (111) completed the team standings.
William Monroe’s Samantha Nitzsche won the girls’ race in 19:15.8, and Spotswood’s Taylor Myers placed second of 38 harriers in 19:27.
Senior Deena Ludtke, who won the Valley District title last year, led the Wildcats, earning all-district honors by placing third in 19:37.7, about 25 seconds faster than her time on the course at the district meet last year. She finished just ahead of two Spotswood runners, Ashland Dickel (fourth, 19:37.8) and Marika Dickel (fifth, 19:38.1). Ludtke stayed among the top six girls for most of the race and then sprinted at the end to earn third place.
The Wildcats’ second finisher was Nicole Black, placing 16th in 22:17.7, while teammate Anna Nye (17th, 22:18.2) and Brooke Eichelberger (18th, 22:36.1) followed closely. Wildcats finishing after Eichelberger were Dorothy Lewis (20th, 22:47.1), Kate Holston (26:16.9) and Hannah Ivins (33rd, 26:53.2).
In the boys’ race, RC’s second finisher was Alexander Miller, placing 26th in 18:48.3, 5.5 seconds faster than his time on the course last year. RC’s Trenten Cash followed in 28th in 18:52.1, and teammate Tyler Ludtke finished 31st in 18:57.1. Wildcats following Ludtke were Sammy Eastwood (33rd, 19:05.8), Fisher Howald (37th, 19:35.7) and Oscar McClung (38th, 19:38.4).
Tisone noted that both the boys’ and girls’ teams had their second through seventh runners very close together. “It is nice to have your teammates near you in a race,” she said.
Tisone noted that the boys are very young, with four freshmen competing at the district meet: Spangler, Ludtke, Eastwood and Mc-Clung. “We have a very young and talented boys’ team, so watch for them next year,” she said.
The Region 3C meet will take place today, Wednesday, on the hilly Pleasant Grove course in Palmyra, with Fluvanna County playing host. The girls’ race is scheduled for 2 p.m., with the boys’ race following at 2:45.
The top three teams and the top five individuals outside of those teams will advance to the Class 3 state meet, which will take place on Saturday, Nov. 11 at Green Hill Park in Salem.
At the Region 3C meet, Tisone expects the girls’ toughest competition to come from Spotswood and Western Albemarle.
