FOREST — Both Handley and Sherando boys’ cross country advanced to Class 4 state competition at the Region 4D Championship hosted by Jefferson Forest High School on Tuesday on Thomas Jefferson’s Poplar Forest course. The Judges’ girls’ team also advanced behind freshman Ella Seniff’s school-record time of 18:56.7. She placed fifth overall.
The Judges’ boys scored 49 points, just five points behind first-place Blacksburg’s 44. Sherando placed third with 108. Handley’s girls’ team came in third with 73 points, trailing first-place Blacksburg’s 28 and Charlottesville’s 45.
The top three teams and top five individuals outside of those teams advance to the Class 4 state meet on Nov. 7 at Oatlands in Leesburg. In the girls’ meet, Millbrook’s Kennedy Combs and Adilyn Steinmetz each qualified for the Class 4 meet as individuals.
This is the first time the Handley boys have advanced to states since 2022, and the Warrior boys’ first time since 2015. The Judges girls’ team has now advanced to states in three of the past four years. This is the first time since 2012 that both Handley teams advanced to states.
The James Wood boys came in fifth with 131 points, Millbrook’s boys placed 10th with 275, the Pioneers’ girls were fourth at 116 points, the Warriors’ girls came in seventh with 187 and Colonels’ girls were right behind them in eighth with 189.
Blacksburg’s Rivers Matthews won the boys’ race in 15:32.7, while Charlottesville’s Juliana Pierce came in first at 18:45.3. Matthews beat second place by 26.7 seconds, while Pierce narrowly won by 4.3 seconds.
Handley boys’ scorers: 4. Everett Otto 16:37.2; 6. Emerson Redcay 16:44.4; 12. Ethan Truban 17:23.4; 13. Avery Miller 17:24.1; 14. Noah Meleason 17:27.9.
Sherando boys’ scorers: 11. William Norris 17:07.9; 19. Huntley Combs 17:36.6; 23. Noah Farringer 17:51.4; 25. Austyn Zeis 18:00; 30. Quintin Priest 18:09.8.
Wood boys’ scorers: 15. Nathan Reynolds 17:30.1; 20. Henry Brant 17:47.2; 22. Alecsander Kluge 17:51.4; 35. Lucas Rambo 18:38.7; 39. Zeke Lawler 18:51.4.
Millbrook boys’ scorers: 33. Jackson Reid 18:35.4; 48. Tyler Luna 19:23.4; 59. Evan Sidloski 19:51.2; 65. Jayden Buhler 20:09; 70. Eli Lassiter 20:16.2.
Other Handley girls’ scorers: 12. Sage Welpott 20:23; 16. Seneca Welpott 20:53.4; 18. Audrey Rinker 20:57.8; 22. Nadia Lopez 21:31.7.
Millbrook girls’ scorers: 11. Kennedy Combs 20:04.8; 19. Adilyn Steinmetz 21:00.1; 21. Marisol Lara 21:19.1; 23. Aubrey Steinmetz 21:40.7; 42. Lily Carr 23:55.
Sherando girls’ scorers: 25. Mia Adams 22:12.4; 29. Amelia Rice 22:34.1; 33. Lily Pangle 23:15.9; 49. Kathryn Davis 24:44.8; 51. Ariela Rivera 24:50.5.
Wood girls’ scorers: 30. Ally Oliver 22:49.6; 34. Abigail Ebert 23:18.8; 35. Isabella Posey 23:21.6; 37. Grace Dawson 23:27.7; 53. Wren Ferrebee 24:54.2.