By CHAD COOPER
[email protected]
As Buchanan County’s era of separate high school track programs came to a close, Council senior Ella Rasnake provided one final state-meet highlight with a top-10 finish at the VHSL Class 1 Track and Field Championships held June 5-6 at James Madison University.
Rasnake placed seventh in the girls 800-meter run with a time of 2:34.00, capping her high school career on the state’s biggest stage. The Council standout finished in a competitive field led by Eastside’s Shelby Stanley, who won the event in 2:21.25. Riverheads’ Verity Jordan was second in 2:22.01, followed by Lancaster’s Rory Lally in 2:26.39, George Wythe’s Alana Malavolti in 2:29.47 and Luray’s Brylee Painter in 2:30.32.
Rasnake crossed the finish line less than four seconds behind sixth-place finisher Allie Salyer of Eastside and ahead of Chincoteague’s Jenna Daisy, Galileo’s Ava Garcia and Brunswick’s Jada Seaborn in the top 10.
The meet marked the final state championship appearance for athletes competing under the Council and Grundy banners. Both schools, along with Hurley and Twin Valley, will combine this fall to form Southern Gap High School.
Grundy’s girls relay teams also turned in solid performances in their final state meet before the transition.
The Lady Wave’s 4×400-meter relay team finished 10th in the state with a time of 4:35.04. Narrows captured the championship in 4:13.98, followed by Chilhowie (4:17.42), Eastside (4:22.52), Brunswick (4:24.12) and Riverheads (4:27.30) in the top five. The Grundy quartet consisted of Sierra Lowry, Ava Ward, Destany Armendariz and Kelly Ratliff.
Grundy’s strongest showing came in the 4×800-meter relay, where the Lady Wave earned a fifth-place state finish in 11:07.90, moving into the No. 2 all-time mark in program history.
The relay team of Kelly Ratliff, Ava Ward, Destany Armendariz and Aliyah Armendariz delivered a season-best performance on the state stage. Ratliff opened with a 2:38.80 personal record, Ward split 2:51.50, Destany Armendariz added a 2:47.66 season best, and Aliyah Armendariz anchored in 2:49.96.
The effort placed Grundy behind only Eastside, George Wythe, Auburn and Luray in the final standings, while marking one of the top relay performances in program history.
Eastside claimed the title in 10:02.23, while George Wythe (10:15.91), Auburn (10:45.17) and Luray (10:55.63) rounded out the top four. Grundy’s team of Ratliff, Lester, Ward and Armendariz finished ahead of Eastern Montgomery, Rappahannock, Giles, Middlesex and Galileo in the final standings.
Freshman Emma Davis added another top-10 finish for the Lady Wave in the discus competition. Davis placed eighth with a throw of 94 feet, 2 inches.
Riverheads’ Sarah Piner won the event with a toss of 125-3½, while Auburn’s Allyson Harris was second at 114-9½ and Cumberland’s Daryn Woodson-Trent finished third at 112-8½. Castlewood’s Anna Summers (109-9) and Patrick Henry’s Andie Jarboe (109-2) completed the top five.
Davis finished ahead of Narrows’ Rebekah Farmer and King & Queen’s Melanie Holmes in the state finals and secured one of Grundy’s final individual top-10 finishes before the school’s athletic programs become part of Southern Gap.
GIRLS
100-METER DASH
Arnesia Dews, William Campbell, 12.46; 2. Rylee Coates, Northampton, 12.63; 3. Zyleigh Hayden, Holston, 12.68; 4. Ivanna Jones, Northumberland, 12.79; 5. Ayarni Benn, Franklin, 12.82; 6. Allyson Teitelbaum, Grayson County, 12.87; 7. Nevaeha Hobson, Cumberland, 12.96; 8. Makayla Drew, Surry County, 12.96; 9. Zoey Childers, George Wythe (Wytheville), 13.01.
200-METER DASH
Arnesia Dews, William Campbell, 25.66; 2. Zyleigh Hayden, Holston, 25.89; 3. Ayarni Benn, Franklin, 26.51; 4. Nevaeha Hobson, Cumberland, 26.54; 5. Makiya Hawkins, Cumberland, 26.95; 6. Talia Graham, Rappahannock, 27.28; 7. Brooke Williams, Highland, 27.33; 8. Allyson Teitelbaum, Grayson County, 27.44.
400-METER DASH
Arnesia Dews, William Campbell, 57.01; 2. Zyleigh Hayden, Holston, 57.82; 3. Caelyn Buracker, Narrows, 1:00.29; 4. Makiya Hawkins, Cumberland, 1:00.67; 5. Alivia Dickison, Chilhowie, 1:00.69; 6. Ellyn Bowles, Narrows, 1:01.80; 7. Jada Seaborn, Brunswick, 1:02.46; 8. Lamani Corbin, Rappahannock, 1:03.24; 9. Katie Williams, Eastside, 1:03.61; 10. Rylee Buck, Middlesex, 1:03.62.
800-METER RUN
Shelby Stanley, Eastside, 2:21.25; 2. Verity Jordan, Riverheads, 2:22.01; 3. Rory Lally, Lancaster, 2:26.39; 4. Alana Malavolti, George Wythe (Wytheville), 2:29.47; 5. Brylee Painter, Luray, 2:30.32; 6. Allie Salyer, Eastside, 2:33.37; 7. Ella Rasnake, Council, 2:34.00; 8. Jenna Daisy, Chincoteague, 2:34.78; 9. Ava Garcia, Galileo, 2:38.09; 10. Jada Seaborn, Brunswick, 2:38.43.
1,600-METER RUN
Shelby Stanley, Eastside, 5:20.61; 2. Headley Bowis, West Point, 5:25.52; 3. Beverly Warner, Auburn, 5:30.05; 4. Alyson Funk, Auburn, 5:30.38; 5. Emma Faulkner, George Wythe (Wytheville), 5:32.66; 6. Brylee Painter, Luray, 5:34.46; 7. Ava Garcia, Galileo, 5:43.02; 8. Allie Salyer, Eastside, 5:52.26; 9. Amelia Lewis, Thomas Walker, 5:53.70; 10. Sania Little, Altavista Combined, 5:58.77.
3,200-METER RUN
Emma Faulkner, George Wythe (Wytheville), 11:33.02; 2. Alyson Funk, Auburn, 11:41.68; 3. Beverly Warner, Auburn, 11:43.58; 4. Headley Bowis, West Point, 11:58.76; 5. Amelia Lewis, Thomas Walker, 12:37.51; 6. Bella Ozmar, George Wythe (Wytheville), 12:47.47; 7. Elizabeth Moore, Mathews, 13:06.74; 8. Charlee Songer, Auburn, 13:08.31; 9. Gabrielle Huffman, Giles, 13:20.45; 10. Hailey Mays, Eastside, 13:22.80.
100-METER HURDLES
Destnee Bullock, Brunswick, 15.26; 2. Derequa Johnson, Charles City County, 16.42; 3. Rylee Coates, Northampton, 16.44; 4. Isabella Anderson, Essex, 17.07; 5. Jazlynn Miller, Patrick Henry (Glade Spring), 17.21; 6. Fiorella Leon, George Wythe (Wytheville), 17.53; 7. Channing Waldie, Northwood, 17.79; 8. Brooklyn Firman, Brunswick, 18.42; 9. Isabella Dingus, Twin Springs, 18.98.
300-METER HURDLES
Raegan Jones, Chilhowie, 45.68; 2. Destnee Bullock, Brunswick, 45.85; 3. Rylee Coates, Northampton, 47.67; 4. Nevaeha Hobson, Cumberland, 47.92; 5. Allyson Teitelbaum, Grayson County, 48.79; 6. Channing Waldie, Northwood, 49.44; 7. Isabella Anderson, Essex, 49.59; 8. Johnnie Gaynor, Auburn, 50.18; 9. Isabella Dingus, Twin Springs, 50.88; 10. Sha’Kyla Holman, Brunswick, 50.89.
4X100-METER RELAY
Franklin, 50.30; 2. Northumberland, 50.64; 3. Chilhowie, 50.76; 4. Rappahannock, 51.82; 5. Brunswick, 51.93; 6. Patrick Henry (Glade Spring), 51.94; 7. Riverheads, 51.94; 8. Essex, 51.97; 9. Highland, 52.22; 10. Lancaster, 52.41.
4X400-METER RELAY
Narrows, 4:13.98; 2. Chilhowie, 4:17.42; 3. Eastside, 4:22.52; 4. Brunswick, 4:24.12; 5. Riverheads, 4:27.30; 6. Rappahannock, 4:30.62; 7. Altavista Combined, 4:30.68; 8. Patrick Henry (Glade Spring), 4:33.06; 9. George Wythe (Wytheville), 4:33.29; 10. Grundy, 4:35.04.
4X800-METER RELAY
Eastside, 10:02.23; 2. George Wythe (Wytheville), 10:15.91; 3. Auburn, 10:45.17; 4. Luray, 10:55.63; 5. Grundy, 11:07.90; 6. Eastern Montgomery, 11:21.95; 7. Rappahannock, 11:36.91; 8. Giles, 11:47.05; 9. Middlesex, 11:49.73; 10. Galileo, 11:50.85.
HIGH JUMP
Rylee Coates, Northampton, 5-0; 2. Jalynn Rogers, Rye Cove, 5-0; 3. Madie Burke, Thomas Walker, 5-0; 4. Ada Anderson, Middlesex, 4-10; 5. Alivia Dickison, Chilhowie, 4-10; 6. Arnesia Dews, William Campbell, 4-10; 7. Baily Bagby, Middlesex, 4-8; 8. Aaliyah Wilkins, Sussex Central, 4-8; 8. Nyvaeh Cooke, Sussex Central, 4-8; 10. Kalee Gilbert, Thomas Walker, 4-8; 10. Aaliyah Tucker, Brunswick, 4-8.
LONG JUMP
Rylee Coates, Northampton, 18-1; 2. Zoey Childers, George Wythe (Wytheville), 16-7¾; 3. Makiya Hawkins, Cumberland, 16-7¾; 4. Paytyn Fulton, Patrick Henry (Glade Spring), 16-6; 5. Adelaide Baxter, Highland, 16-6; 6. Emma Stiltner, George Wythe (Wytheville), 16-4¾; 7. Brooke Williams, Highland, 16-4½; 8. Ellyn Bowles, Narrows, 16-2¾; 9. Cameryn Reder, Rappahannock County, 16-2; 10. Destnee Bullock, Brunswick, 16-1¾.
TRIPLE JUMP
Arnesia Dews, William Campbell, 38-0; 2. Destnee Bullock, Brunswick, 36-10; 3. Nevaeha Hobson, Cumberland, 36-4; 4. Ellyn Bowles, Narrows, 35-4½; 5. Derequa Johnson, Charles City County, 35-2; 6. Alanna Billups, Middlesex, 34-9; 7. Emma Stiltner, George Wythe (Wytheville), 34-6; 8. Rylee Coates, Northampton, 34-5; 9. Nora Suthard, Mathews, 34-3½; 10. Channing Waldie, Northwood, 34-0.
POLE VAULT
Rylee Coates, Northampton, 11-2; 2. Makiya Hawkins, Cumberland, 9-6; 3. Olivia Keller, Riverheads, 9-0; 4. Rory Lally, Lancaster, 7-6; 5. Alexis Sacra, Riverheads, 7-6; 6. Lucy Stone, Cumberland, 7-0; 7. Sam Lewis, Auburn, 6-6; 7. Ava Garcia, Galileo, 6-6; 7. Piper Boike, Auburn, 6-6; 10. Kyleigh Akers, Auburn, 6-0; 10. Jenna Grimmer, Riverheads, 6-0.
DISCUS
Sarah Piner, Riverheads, 125-3½; 2. Allyson Harris, Auburn, 114-9½; 3. Daryn Woodson-Trent, Cumberland, 112-8½; 4. Anna Summers, Castlewood, 109-9; 5. Andie Jarboe, Patrick Henry (Glade Spring), 109-2; 6. Karadee Anderson, Middlesex, 97-11; 7. Reagan Freeman, Narrows, 96-6½; 8. Emma Davis, Grundy, 94-2; 9. Rebekah Farmer, Narrows, 93-9; 10. Melanie Holmes, King & Queen, 89-2.
SHOT PUT
Jayla Augustin, Cumberland, 36-5; 2. Karadee Anderson, Middlesex, 35-8¾; 3. Sarah Piner, Riverheads, 35-4½; 4. Andie Jarboe, Patrick Henry (Glade Spring), 34-9; 5. Allyson Harris, Auburn, 34-8; 6. Kaleigh McManus, Auburn, 34-6½; 7. Autumn Surber, Holston, 32-6; 8. Reagan Freeman, Narrows, 31-8½; 9. London Williams, Northumberland, 30-2¾; 10. Melanie Holmes, King & Queen, 29-11.
