Roanoke County – The girls Class 2 state cross-country meet delivered a dominant performance from start to finish by Glenvar senior Carly Wilkes. The defending state champ took the lead from the start and never looked back. Wilkes left the field in her wake, crossing the finish line in 17:47 and change. Wilkes hit the tape a full one minute and 39 seconds ahead of her nearest competitor. The Furman university signee is always looking for ways to improve.
“I think I still need to figure out how to push a little bit harder when I’m out there by myself and really push to that next level where it’s kind of uncomfortable, because I think I had too much energy at the end. I felt really strong throughout so I think I could’ve given like a little bit more effort, Wilkes explained.
Alleghany took the runner-up finish in team competition. In other girls action, Jessica Palisca of Cave Spring was the top Class 3 finisher in our area. And in Class one, George Wythe was dominate. The Maroons won the state crown, with Morgan Dalton finishing second and Camryn Hardin third in individual competition.
On the Boys side, the Highlanders Daniel Zearfoss joined Wilkes by taking gold as well. Cyrus Hartig of Radford finished third.
In Class 3, Christiansburg’s Lawson Mecom had a 4th place finish. In Class 1, Kovyk Chandler of Parry McCluer was the top area finisher, coming in 3rd. George Wythe finished 3rd in the team standings.