Panther track stars head for States
While most spring sports have wrapped up their seasons, Rappahannock County’s varsity track athletes are continuing to compete, breaking records and qualifying for the VHSL Group 1A state championship in the process.
Standout senior runner Julia Wood, headed to William and Mary this fall to run for the Tribe, will be seeking to add to her collection of nine state titles when she travels Radford University this Friday (June 3) for the state competition. Julia took the 1A East Regional championship in the 800-meter race and will be seeking to end her high school athletic career with a 10th state championship.
Junior Gavin Jenkins, another standout runner, broke a 40-year-old school record last week at the regional championship, finishing the 800-meter race in a time of 2:01.13. In addition to his 800-meter title, Gavin brought home a first-place medal in the 3200-meter race — and will be competing in both events at Radford. In the 3200, Gavin will be running with freshman teammate Sam Barnes, who finished fourth in the regional championship.
Other state placers include junior Julia Estes, who finished second in the 100-meter hurdles and third in the 300-meter hurdles at regionals, adding a state championship appearance in both events to her schedule. Her performance is all the more impressive when considering that, in addition to running track this spring, she was also a standout soccer player, earning second-team All Bull Run District accolades for her performance on the pitch.
Junior Jessica Thorne will join Estes in the 100-meter hurdle race at the state track meet on the merits of her fifth-place finish at the regional meet. Jessica will also be taking her talents to the high jump bar, looking to add state recognition to the regional title that she earned with a leap of 4 feet 10 inches. And Rapp will have representation in the throwing events in Radford as well, with junior A.J. Palmer competing in the shot put on the strength of his fifth-place showing at regionals.
Kudos also to track athletes Camryn Clark, Danielle Fryant, Savannah Hensley, Evan Marcus, Bryce Jones, Jacob Sheffield, Hannah Bennett and Hailey Whorton, all of whom qualified for and competed well at the Region 1A East Championship.
The Group 1A state track meet is this Friday and Saturday (June 3-4) on the grounds of Radford University (which is near Blacksburg, about a threehour drive). Best of luck to the athletes and their coaches, Scott and Heather Stephens and Kenny Burt, as they seek to return Saturday with some new records and championships for athletic director Brandon Burley to display on the RCHS championship banners.
— Jimmy Swindler