Boys' track & field outlook

Only one of The Winchester Star’s 15 first team all-area selections from the 2019 outdoor track & field season remains, but it happens to be the one with the longest list of accomplishments from that season.

No one was more versatile than Jayden Vardaro in 2019, as he posted the area’s best marks in the 300-meter hurdles (40.49 seconds) and long jump (21 feet, 7.75 inches) and the No. 3 mark in the triple jump (42-8.75). Vardaro was also a standout in the 100 and high jump who placed among the top five in the Class 4 Northwestern District in each of the five aforementioned events. Vardaro also ran on Handley’s state runner-up 4x100 team.

The good news for the Judges is they have plenty of other versatile athletes for a team that has won its first two meets and is looking to defend its Class 4 Northwestern District title.

Junior Stephen Daley was also on Handley’s 4x100 team in 2019. Daley is not only continuing to display speed (Daley recorded a time of 11.03 seconds in the season-opening meet at Millbrook, with Vardaro just behind him in 11.05), but he’s also becoming a standout thrower. Daley won the shot put with a mark of 46-2 and the discus with a 139-1 during Wednesday’s meet at Handley.

One of the state’s best pole vaulters, William McKay (second in the Class 4 indoor meet with a mark of 13-6) is also looking to aid the Judges in the jumps. Matthew Peete — who has teamed with Vardaro, Daley and freshman Christian Metzger to win the 4x100 in both meets — continues to do well in the pole vault after ranking third on the team in 2019 (12-0) and will also play a big role in the hurdles.

Handley also features junior Nico Schianchi, who placed fifth at the indoor state meet in 4:35.90 in the 1,600 and took 11th in the 3,200.

James Wood will rely heavily on its distance crew under first-year head coach Abeeb Badmus, who was an assistant coach last year. Though Frederick County teams did not compete in the Virginia High School League indoor track & field season, the Colonels still had some athletes compete in indoor meets. Senior Chris White set a school record for indoor track by recording a time of 9:37.61 in a 3,200-meter race in February in Ohio. Junior Nathaniel Woshner had James Wood’s No. 3 all-time performance with a 9:43.03 in the same meet.

Sherando returnees include senior William Fletcher, who was the indoor district shot put champion in 2020. He threw 45-3.25 at the region meet and took 10th at the state indoor meet. Connor Madagan won the discus in last week’s meet with a 127-4 and took second to Fletcher in the shot put (41-10.5).

Senior sprinter Josh Mihill (11.63 in the 100 at a meet last week) is expected to play a big role for the Pioneers. The Pioneers also have a strong distance crew that features senior Chance Crosen, who won the 3,200 in last week’s quad at Millbrook (10:36.38), and Nick Hayden, Millbrook’s top cross country runner this year.

Clarke County has one of the top hurdlers in Class 2 in senior Ellis Nei. He placed second in the state in 2019 and had the area’s third-best time (15.54). Nei also recorded a mark of 6-2 in the Eagles’ opening meet two weeks ago.

The Eagles will also benefit from the all-around contributions of the Brumback twins, seniors Sam and Luke. Sam won the district high jump title two years ago with a mark of 6-0 and threw 44 feet in the shot put in a meet last week. Luke won the discus two weeks ago with a 122-9.

Clarke County is the defending Bull Run District champion. With a roster of 25 and strong athletes in a wide variety of events, the Eagles should contend again in a district that also features East Rockingham, which won the 2019 Region 2B meet.

The VHSL is not allowing athletes in track to qualify for the state meet based on times or marks in order to control the number of people who will be at a venue, so only the top four in each event will advance to the state meet.

There will also be no regional-qualifying times, so in Region 4C, the top six individuals and top three relays in each event at the district meet advance to the region meet. The Region 2B meet will allow three entries per school in each individual event and one entry per school for each relay event.

The four Winchester-Frederick County schools will next compete in the two-day Apple Blossom Invitational at James Wood that starts today. The 13-team meet will only feature teams from the Northwestern District (both Class 3 and Class 4).

Clarke County will next compete on Monday at Stonewall Jackson in a meet that will also include East Rockingham.

The following is a glance at each team:

Handley

Coach: Mike McKiernan, ninth season.

2019 performance: Region 4C and Class 4 Northwestern District champions; fourth in Class 4 state meet.

Key losses: Quinton Newman, Malachi Imoh, Miles Ashe.

Key returnees: Jayden Vardaro, Sr., hurdles/sprints/jumps; Stephen Daley, Jr., sprints/throws; Matthew Peete, Sr., hurdles/pole vault; Will McKay, Jr., pole vault; Ryan Stickley, middle distance/jumps.

Key newcomers: Nico Schianchi, Jr., distance; Garrett Stickley, Fr., distance; Elliot Redcay, Fr., middle distance.

McKiernan’s outlook: “Jayden can pretty much do anything, but the danger we run into with Jayden is overworking him. I really think his two best events are going to be long and triple jump. We’re excited to see what Stephen can do in the throwing events, and the young man can run. Matthew Peete is heavy for a pole vaulter, but if he can control a pole with his body weight he can be very good. We expect Nico to be the strength of our distances.”

James Wood

Coach: Abeeb Badmus, first season.

2019 performance: Second in Class 4 Northwestern District; fourth in Region 4C; 13th in Class 4 state.

Key losses: Will Crowder, Logan Owens, Lavaughn Freeman, Blake Sandy, Hayden Cunningham.

Key returnees: Nathaniel Woshner, Jr., distance; Chris White, Sr., distance; Owen Emerson, Sr. sprints; Liam McDonald, Jr., distance; Jimmy Burdock, Sr., distance

Key newcomers: Ethan Perez-Pratt, Fr., distance; Landon Burdock, Fr.; distance; Karim Cisse, Jr., sprints/jumps.

Badmus’ outlook: “I coach the sprinters, and I’ve been pushing them hard. We’ve got to get going, we’ve got to get better, we’ve got to have more passion. Hopefully, my words get to them so we can start getting better times. We’ll know more about the team as a whole after the ABI meet. That will be good competition for us.”

Sherando

Coach: T.J. Rohrbaugh, second season.

2019 performance: Fourth in Class 4 Northwestern District; third in Region 4C; seventh in Class 4 state.

Key losses: Eldon Agard, Darius Lane.

Key returnees: William Fletcher, Sr., throws; Jon Gates, Sr., middle distance; James Harris, Sr., distance; Connor Madagan, Jr., throws; Eric Sheetz, Sr., throws/middle distance.

Key newcomers: Anthony Binibini, So., hurdles/jumps; Darrien Bridgeman, Jr., sprints; Ben Freilich, So., distance; Dylan McGraw, Fr., middle distance; Julian Mendez, Fr., middle distance.

Rohrbaugh’s outlook: “I think our throwers are the strongest group on our boys’ side. Eric Sheetz, who also runs for us in the 400 and 800, he’s throwing this year and done a good job in the discus early on. We’re young as a team. I think we have a lot of guys who can contribute to us scoring points in the future. Overall, we have a good hard-working group on the boys’ and girls’ side. They have a great attitude and come to work every day at practice. They’re a great group of kids to work with and be around.”

Millbrook

Coach: Joe Hall, first season.

2019 performance: Sixth in Class 4 Northwestern District; 11th in Region 4C.

Key losses: None mentioned.

Key returnees: Josh Mihill, Sr., sprints; Brian Washington, Jr., sprints/jumps; Tyler Lam, So., sprints/jumps; Landon Baker, So., sprints; Nick Hayden, So., distance; Chance Crosen, Sr., distance.

Key newcomer: Tyson Mallory, Fr., sprints/jumps.

Hall’s outlook: “Sprints and distance will be our strengths. Josh Mihill has performed well this year in the sprints. Both [the boys’ and girls’] teams will be competitive in our district.”

Clarke County

Coach: Andre Kidrick, 14th season.

2019 performance: Bull Run District champion; fourth in Region 2B; 10th in Class 2 state.

Key losses: Peyton Rutherford.

Key returnees: Sam Brumback, Sr., hurdles/throws/jumps; Luke Brumback, Sr. throws/jumps; Daniel Lai, Sr., distance; Cooper Lowell, Sr., Ellis Nei, Sr., hurdles/jumps.

Key newcomers: Dain Booker, Jr., jumps/sprints; Kamren Lane, Sr., sprints; Wynn Morris, Sr., throws/sprints; Matthew Stroot, Fr., distance; Trey Trenary, Sr., throws; Liam Whalen, Jr., throws/sprints.

Kidrick’s outlook: “Luke and Sam are guys we’ll desperately miss. They’ll do whatever’s needed outside of the 800, mile or two-mile. Cooper scored 20 points in several events at Rappahannock. Because of injuries, he stepped in the triple jump for the first time. He’s also doing the long jump and disc, and he helped out in a couple of relays. He’s just our Mr. Gadget Guy. If we need him, he’s going to step up and try something. I expect Ellis to do well in the hurdles, and he’s looking to break the school high jump record.”

— Contact Robert Niedzwiecki at
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