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Two Rockbridge County High School distance runners, senior Evan Roney and junior Deena Ludtke, will compete in the Class 3 state indoor track and field meet on Feb. 28 at Liberty University. Other Wildcats concluded their season at the Region 3C meet on Saturday at Heritage High School in Lynchburg.
Roney qualified by time in the boys’ 1000meter run earlier this season, so he didn’t race in the event at the Region 3C meet. Ludtke advanced in two events, qualifying by time in the girls’ 3200-meter run in early January and placing third in the 1600-meter run in 5:45.22 at the regional meet.
If not qualified by time or distance, the top three individuals and relay teams advanced to the state meet.
RC head coach Jennifer Showalter noted that, since times are slower than most meets at Heritage’s indoor track, which is 12 laps per mile, runners mostly qualify for the state meet by placement instead of time.
This will be Ludtke’s first time competing at the state indoor meet. As a junior last year, Roney placed eighth at the state indoor meet in the 1600meter run.
Instead of competing in the 3200-meter run at the regional meet, Ludtke raced in the 1600 and the 1000-meter run, in which she placed fifth in 3:28.75.
Narrowly missing advancing for the RC girls was senior Grace Rolon, placing fifth in the 1600meter run in 5:50.33 and finishing sixth in the 1000-meter run in 3:32.86.
Junior Deborah Fashida placed 14th in the 55meter dash in 8.18 seconds, a personal record (PR), and came in 23rd in the long jump with a leap of 12 feet, 2.5 inches.
Sophomore Madeline Swisher placed 14th in the 500-meter dash in 1:38.78 and came in 15th in the 300-meter dash in 50.63 seconds. Sophomore teammate Brooke Eichelberger finished 19th in the 300-meter dash in 51.48 seconds.
The RC girls placed 11th in the 4 X 200-meter relay in 2:10.64. Team members were Eichelberger, Fashida, Swisher and sophomore Lydia Kendall.
Junior thrower Bri Marando placed eighth in the shot put with a season-best throw of 28-7.5.
For the RC boys, senior Andrew Brannon placed fifth in the 1000-meter run in 2:57.73, and senior Brian Kendall finished 19th in 3:14.97. Freshman Fisher Howald came in 13th in the 1600-meter run in 5:18.83.
The RC boys placed sixth in the 4 X 800-meter relay in 9:48.74. Team members were Brannon, Kendall and Fisher and Hunter Howald. Senior thrower Ben Batis placed 13th in the shot put with a toss of 35-3.
Team results from the regional meet were not available.
