WINCHESTER — It might take moving the start time of the Sherando High School prom from 7 o’clock to 2 p.m. or so to keep the Warriors’ boys’ track & field team from winning the Apple Blossom Invitational.
Sherando always holds its prom on the same day as the ABI at James Wood’s Kelican Stadium. The Warriors’ upperclassmen — including senior and meet MVP Jackson Ogle — were long gone by the time the meet ended in the rain at about 3 p.m. on Saturday. But Sherando head coach Brad Symons was there to pick up the championship plaque for the 10-team meet.
The Warriors scored 93 points to win by 15 over runner-up Clarke County (78). It’s the second straight year the Warriors have won the title despite putting out a lineup that’s based more on getting athletes home quickly as opposed to maximizing opportunities to score points.
“Our philosophy now is come and do what you can, and if anything changes with the schedule, you just leave,” Symons said. “You let us know and just leave and go to prom. Boys or girls, it really doesn’t matter, they really are focused on prom [on this day]. We just come and do what we can with what we’ve got, and that’s what we did today.”
In addition to athletes leaving early, Sherando was also without three distance runners who were on a DECA trip to Atlanta. Last year, Sherando still needed a third-place finish from its 4×400 team without two of its regular members to win the championship by half a point over Clarke County, but the Warriors didn’t need to put a team in the meet-concluding event to win comfortably this year.
James Wood was third with 73 points. Handley was also noticeably shorthanded with sprinter Rylan Stribling and distance runner Noah Meleason out nursing injuries and distance runner Will Thomas on a band trip. The Judges took fourth with 70 points. Millbrook was ninth with 36.
Ogle didn’t set any personal records on Saturday — athletes typically don’t fare their best competing on James Wood’s jumping pits — but Ogle (24) came close to a couple of them and accounted for more than a quarter of the Warriors’ point total on Saturday.
He placed first in the triple jump with a mark of 38 feet, 9.75 inches to win by 1-6.25 over Liberty’s Travis Ferguson. He also took second in the long jump (20-4.75) and third in the high jump (6-0).
“He’s done a really good job,” Symons said. “I’m just really proud of him and what he’s doing for us.”
Sherando was also led by the 4×100 relay team of Vincent DiVittorio, Wyatt Grimm, Daniel Turner and Donovan Blackwell (second, 45.75); Jesse Robinson (third in discus, 140-5; third in shot put. 43-0.25); Quintin Priest (third in 1,600, 4:51.10); Gavin Flynn (third in 400, 52.81); Nate Lloyd (fourth in triple jump, 36-4); James Mitchell (fourth in discus, 133-5); Noah Farringer (fourth in 3,200, 10:43.00); the 4×800 relay (fourth, 9:15.94); Grimm (fifth in 100, 11.47); and Blackwell (fifth in 200, 24.31).
“We had a lot of solid performances,” Symons said. “I’m really proud of everybody.”
Clarke County junior Landon Horton had one of the more impressive performances of the day. Running the 3,200 for the first time this year, Horton obliterated his seed time of 10:08.97 that he set last year with a 9:46.33, 46.16 seconds faster than Warren County’s Emiliano Erickson. Horton still had plenty of energy after he finished, veering off the track to the infield and clapping his hands together a few times in celebration as he continued to run.
An All-State cross country runner in the fall, Horton said Saturday’s performance was another byproduct of the work he’s put in during the last year.
“I’ve been working hard over the last summer and winter [in the offseason],” Horton said. “I knew I needed to prove myself [in the 3,200], and I had a feeling I was going to do it today.”
Horton didn’t mind the rain that poured during the 3,200.
“Before the race, I was very cold,” Horton said. “But once I got in a groove, I felt like I was flying.”
Clarke County coach Gary Wymer added that Horton also reached his goal of running fast enough to qualify for the Dogwood Classic next Saturday in Charlottesville.
“He’s going to continue to showcase his talents,” Wymer said. “He made a great showing at the Handley mile. He’s just a phenomenal runner.”
Horton was one of four Eagles to win events on Saturday.
Junior Elijah Abdulbarr won the 110-meter hurdles in 15.05, 0.22 ahead of runner-up Jorel Baltimore of James Wood (15.27).
Abdulbarr had a strong debut season as a sophomore in his first year after transferring from Lightridge — he had a top time of 15.27 and placed sixth in Class 2 — and he’s progressing nicely this year. He shattered the school standard with a time of 14.98 earlier in the month at Woodgrove.
“Breaking the school record was a good confidence-booster,” Abdulbarr said. “I feel like I can beat most people, and I feel like I did pretty good today.”
Wymer said Abdulbarr has put in the time to make himself better.
“He’s got a tireless work ethic,” Wymer said.
Junior Maximo Aiello had a winning toss of 146-4, 5-4 better than his PR and 5-10 better than runner-up Jacob Stickley of Strasburg. Aiello’s top throw last year was a 113-4.
“He’s made a huge amount of progress,” Wymer said. “There are days when everyone is gone and he’s still down there working. He’s been super dedicated this year, and it’s showing up.”
Junior Brody Ellis ran a season-best time to win the 800 in 2:04.47, 3.1 seconds ahead of Handley’s Everett Otto (2:07.57).
“He keeps improving, and he’s getting super close to qualifying for states,” Wymer said.
Clarke County was also led by Adam Hillerson (second in 1,600, 4:49.82, fourth in 800, 2:11.92); and the 4×400 team of Ellis, Chris Reid, Hillerson and Carter Starley (third, 3:43.65).
James Wood ended the meet with a victory by the 4×400 team of Ivan Andrews, Riley Malone, Baltimore and Connor Kenney-Fitzner, who sent the Colonels to the lead with his anchor leg. The Colonels finished in 3:37.98, 5.67 seconds ahead of Liberty.
James Wood was also led by Kenney-Fitzner in the 400 (second, 51.96) and 200 (third, 23.18); Baltimore in the long jump (third, 19-5) and 300 hurdles (fourth, 42.48); Carrick Amerine (third in 800, 2:08.39); and the 4×100 team of Trace Hamman, Conner Wygant, Quincy Gaskins and Jackson O’Connor (third, 47.10).
Handley had two champions. Carson Green captured the shot put by 7 feet, 7 inches with a mark of 50-8.75, and Otto won the 1,600 by 18.28 seconds in 4:31.54.
The Judges’ Timmy Campbell took second in the high jump at 6-2 (champion Kendrix Singleton of Rock Ridge also had a 6-2 and had fewer misses) and placed fourth in the long jump (19-4.25). Handley was also led by Brock Ashe (second in 300 hurdles, 40.70; fourth in 110 hurdles, 15.70) and Ethan Truban (third in 3,200, 10:39.33).
Millbrook’s 4×800 team of Jackson Reid, Steve Luna-Pleitez, Nick Taylor and Samuel Lapp won by 3.9 seconds over Warren County in 8:55.86. Lapp was passed by Warren County with about 300 meters to go, but took the lead back with 150 left. Lapp also placed fourth in the 1,600 (4:54.77). The 4×100 team took fourth (47.42).
For more coverage of Saturday’s meet, see Tuesday’s Winchester Star.
— Contact Robert Niedzwiecki at rniedzwiecki@winchesterstar.com
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