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By Jeffrey Tomlin
The Parry McCluer High School boys cross country team opened the season by placing fourth of 11 teams at the Blacksburg Relays on Saturday at Blacksburg High School.
In the 5 X 2000-meter relay, the Blues scored 123 points and finished in 33 minutes, 40.7 seconds, about 27 seconds faster than last year, with an average time of 6:44 per runner. Blacksburg won the relays with 34 points and finished with a team time of 31:3.6, Pacers Homeschool placed second with 85 points, and Hidden Valley (114) finished third. Rounding out the top five were PM and Floyd County (135).
Out of 121 runners, PM sophomore Kebryl Chandler had the ninth-fastest time, finishing 6:12.60. The top split of the day was by William Zealand of Pacers Homeschool, finishing in 6:01.7. Following Chandler was junior teammate Josh Cooper in 23rd in 6:33.1. PM junior Logan Wheelock had the 26th-fastest, clocking 6:35.70. Freshman Caleb Cooper finished 33rd in 6:44.8, and sophomore Sam Carpenter came in 78th in 7:34.7.
PM freshman Hinckley Lovelance won the 2-kilometer open race in 6:53.1, while freshman teammate Sebastian George placed second of 59 harriers in 7:23.7. Junior Kyra Lee led the PM girls, finishing 18th in 8:44.2. Also competing for the Blues were Caden Mason (51st, 11:13.5) and Zana Halilovic (57th, 13:50.5).
On Saturday, the Blues will travel to Green Hill Park in Salem to compete in the Knights Crossing Invitational.
