Salem – Salem’s Green Hill Park played host once again to the finest prep runners in the state in Classes 1 -3.
SW Virginia brought home a pair of individual champions and a pair of team titles after the dust(and mud!) had settled.
In Class 2 girls action, Alleghany freshman sensation Kiera Lowman blazed to victory in 18:59.94, leading her squad to the Class 2 Girls state championship.
“You know it’s warm today. I felt a little bit warm but I felt pretty good and coming down the hills helped me get my breathing back after going up them so that helped a lot,” Lowman explained.
In Class 2 boys action, running newcomer Mason Erchull of Floyd County earned state gold in his first year of running. He topped the field in 16:33.84 to lead his team to a 4th place showing.
Glenvar was the top area Class 2 team with a 3rd place finish.
In Class 1, Parry McCluer’s Kovyk Chandler was second in 16:37.28, good enough for state silver. Eastern Montgomery was the top Class 1 boys team, finishing 4th.
On the girls side, Auburn. Kasey Rosenbaum led the way for the area with a bronze medal effort. George Wythe, meanwhile..took home the girls team title with a outstanding 3+5+8+10+23 team grouping to win the team gold going away.
In Class 3 action Christiansburg’s Lawson Mecom was our top local finisher at 7th. On the girls side, it was Hidden Valley’s Sadie Wagner in 7th.
Classes 4-6 were held at Outlands Plantation in Leesburg, Va.
Blacksburg’s Conner Rutherford won the Class 4 boys race in 15:46, outpacing Alex Jordan of Jefferson Forest by 10 seconds. The Bruins won the State team title, edging John Handley.
On the girls side, Zoie Lamanna dominated the Class 4 contest, winning in 18:44. But it was the Blacksburg girls that took home the team title.
Finally, in Class 6 action, Nathan Atchue of Franklin County ran to state gold in 15:43. Atchue just signed with the University of Tennessee.