SALEM, Va. – The VHSL Cross Country Championships for Classes 1 through 3 returned to Green Hill Park over the weekend, bringing some of the best high school distance talent in the state to the Roanoke Valley.
In the Class 3 girls’ race, Alleghany’s Kiera Lowman was in stride with William Monroe’s Samantha Nitzsche for nearly the entire 5K. Lowman ultimately crossed the line second with a time of 17:45.7 seconds. Christiansburg finished runner-up in the team standings.
Lowman said she’s already looking ahead to her next challenge. “I wanted to PR today, and I didn’t quite get that,” she said. “But that just makes me more hungry. I’m going to go run in college [Radford University] and have nationals in a month.”
On the boys’ side, Lord Botetourt’s duo of Ethan Thorne and Eric Duncan headlined a loaded Class 3 field. Thorne pulled away late to capture the individual title in 15:08.8, with Duncan close behind in second.
Thorne reflected on his journey after battling through injury last season. “I’ve worked a lot through the ups and downs,” he said. “Last year, I had a hamstring pull indoor. But I passed through the wall and feel a lot better for cross.”
Pulaski County’s Cole Boone took third. Rockbridge County earned second in the team standings, followed by Lord Botetourt and Christiansburg.
Floyd County continued its dominance in Class 2 girls, placing three runners in the top 10 — Reagan Lynch, Annika Beegle and Natalie Dalton — to secure back-to-back team titles. Radford finished fourth overall.
“This year, it was going into it with a positive mindset and confidence, but not cockiness,” Lynch said. “We were just hoping that we could go into it with a little bit of confidence and finish off the race strong.”
In Class 2 boys, Glenvar claimed the team championship behind strong performances from Tyler Davis and Aldin Smith, capping a successful day for several area programs at Green Hill Park.
In Class 1, George Wythe’s Emma Faulkner claimed the girls’ individual state title, while Auburn finished second in the team standings. On the boys’ side, Parry McCluer’s Kebryl Chandler captured the individual championship, leading the Blues to back-to-back team titles.
In Class 4 competition, Blacksburg swept both the boys’ and girls’ team championships. The girls’ title marked the 21st in program history, continuing the Bruins’ long-standing tradition of dominance in Virginia cross country.
For more results from Classes 1-3, click here.
For more results from Class 4, click here.