.jpg)
The Rockbridge County High School cross country teams competed in a quad meet against Valley District rivals last Wednesday at the Rockingham County Fairgrounds in Harrisonburg before racing at the Runnin’ With the Wolves XC Invitational on Saturday at Thomas Jefferson’s Poplar Forest in Forest.
Last Wednesday, the RC boys placed fourth of four teams, and only three RC girls competed, so the Wildcats didn’t have the minimum number of runners (five) required for a team score. With five r unners i n t he t op e ight, Broadway won the boys’ race with 24 points. Turner Ashby placed second with 58 points, Spotswood (59) finished third, and RC (98) came in fourth. There were just two full teams in the girls’ race. Taking the top four individual spots, Spotswood won with 17 points, and TA (44) placed second.
The meet gave the Wildcats and other teams a preview of the course for the Region 3C meet next month. RC head coach Julie Tisone was glad her runners got to race on it. “It was great to see the course for regions,” said Tisone. “We hadn’t been to that course in several years, so none of my athletes had run the course.” Tisone noted that three of her runners had personal- record times, “which is great because it is a really hilly course.”
Spotswood’s Peyton Kenee won the boys’ race, completing the moderately hilly 5- kilometer course in 16 minutes, 43.75 seconds.
Freshman Grant Swenty led the RC boys, placing 12th of 36 harriers in a season- best time of 18:27.21. RC’s second runner was Luke Eichholz, finishing 15th in 19:05.36, while Trent Cash (24th, 20:55.33) was the third runner for RC. Wildcats following Cash were Potter (30th, 22:14.6), Ethan Erskine (32nd, 22:26.51) and Phillip Brooke (33rd, 22:31.35). In addition to Swenty, Wildcats running season- best times were Eichholz, Niebur, Potter and Erskine.
Spotswood’s Marika Dikel won the girls’ race in 18:01.16, with twin sisterAshland Dickel placing second of 23 harriers in 18:33.94.
Junior Dorothy Lewis led the RC girls, placing ninth in 22:07.73. RC’s Kate Holston finished 16th in 24:37.731, and teammate Hannah Ivins followed in 18th in 25:53.04.
Wildcats Race At Poplar Forest
On Saturday, the RC boys placed seventh of 12 teams at the Runnin’ With the Wolves XC Invitational in Forest, while the RC girls finished eighth of 11 teams.
Tisone said the meet is “always a fun meet to go to nearer the end of the season.” She noted that the race has “an unusual start,” with an actor playing Thomas Jefferson holding a flag and swinging it around as the song “Won’t Get Fooled Again” by The Who is played. “The flag drops when The Who screams, and the race is off,” said Tisone.
“This was another beautiful, rolling hills course – true cross country,” she continued. Jefferson Forest won the boys’ race with 59 points, Charlottesville placed second with 67 points, and Pacers Homeschool (71) finished third. Rounding out the standings were Salem (109), Franklin County (127), Hidden Valley (176), RC (185), E.C. Glass (222), Amherst County (238), Mecklenburg County (256), Orange County (262) and Timberlake Christian School (284).
Pacers Homeschool won the girls’ race with 65 points, Charlottesville (71) placed second, and Mecklenburg County (114) finished third. Completing the standings were Salem (118), Jefferson Forest (118), E.C. Glass (158), Franklin County (160), RC (161), Hidden Valley (208), Timberlake Christian School (219) and Heritage (250).
Charlottesville’s Samson Palmer won the boys’ race, finishing the 5K course in 16:37. Sophomore Sammy Eastwood led the RC boys, placing 19th of 90 runners in 18:26.7. RC’s second runner was Swenty (32nd, 19:00.7). Cash finished 45th in 19:46.6, and Eichholz followed closely in 46th in 19:49.6. Wildcats following Eichholz were Ben Gresham (64th, 21:16.2), Hudson Saunders (66th , 21:25.5) and Finn Miller (68th, 21:34.6).
Charlottesville’s Elaina Pierce won the girls’ race in 18:06.8. Again leading the RC girls was Lewis, placing 12th of 76 harriers in 21:54.6). RC’s second runner was Brooke Eichelberger (18th, 23:19.6), and Holston (43rd, 25:54.7) was next. Wildcats after Holston were Evelyn McClung (51st, 26:30.1), Ivins (56th, 26:55.4), Alice Gresham (65th, 29:17.4) and Gemma Batis (73rd, 35:11.6).
The Wildcats were scheduled to compete yesterday in the sixth annual Town Park Invitational at Grottoes Town Park, a preview for the Valley District meet, but that meet was postponed due to flooding. The Valley District meet is slated to take place at the same location on Wednesday, Oct. 30, with the girls’ race at 4 p.m., followed by the boys’ race at 5. Before the district meet. The Wildcats are scheduled to compete in the Metro XC Championships on Wednesday, Oct. 23 at Blacksburg High School, with the girls’ race at 4:45 p.m., followed by the boys’ race at 5:30.
