PENN LAIRD — The Handley boys and the James Wood girls each placed second to lead local teams on Monday at the Region 4D indoor track & field meet at the Edward S. Long Jr. Track Complex.
Blacksburg won both 15-school competitions.
The Bruins boys scored 94 points and were followed by Handley (80), James Wood (seventh, 43), Sherando (eighth, 39) and Millbrook (15th, 2). The Blacksburg girls recorded 231 points and were followed by James Wood (69), Millbrook (fourth, 40), Handley (tied for seventh, 24) and Sherando (ninth, 18).
Handley senior Rylan Stribling — the defending Class 4 55-meter state champion — was one of four local individual champions. Stribling won the boys’ 55 by 0.16 in 6.47 seconds. Millbrook junior Janai Washington — the defending Class 4 outdoor high jump champion — won the girls’ high jump by two inches with a mark of 5 feet, 4 inches.
Other local regional boys’ champions were the Judges’ Timmy Campbell in the high jump (6-2 to win by two inches) and the 4×800 relay team of Will Thomas, Everett Otto, Avery Miller and Noah Meleason (8:32.91 to win by 4.12 seconds); and Sherando’s Thomas Miles (500 in 1:08.71 to win by 0.68). The James Wood girls’ 4×200 team of Alexis Brown, Reese Lessard, Isabelle French and Sierra Nicole-Wimer ran a time of 1:49.59 to win a regional title by 0.72.
The top three finishers in each event, as well as those with qualifying times and marks, qualified for the Class 4 state meet on March 2-3 at Liberty University in Lynchburg.
Other Handley boys’ leaders: Thomas (3,200, second, 9:50.17); Isaiah Baxter (triple jump, second, 42-2); Carson Green (shot put, second, 47-6.25); 4×200 (Brock Ashe, Micah Combs, Hudson Slaughter, Stribling), third, 1:35.06.
James Wood boys’ leaders: Connor Kenney-Fitzner (500, second, 1:09.39); 4×400 (Ivan Andrews, Kenney-Fitzner, Jorel Baltimore, Triston Debela), second, 3:37.57; Duncan Stanton (55 hurdles, third, 8.11).
Other Sherando boys’ leaders: Sunil Dutt (55 hurdles, second, 7.91); 4×800 relay (Hatcher Smith, Quintin Priest, Miles, Chester Konisiewicz), second, 8:37.03.
Other James Wood girls’ leaders: Alina Kieffer (3,200, second, 11:54.73); Aubrie Darnall (high jump, second, 5-2); Kate Konyar (1,600, third, 5:12.05); French (55 hurdles, third, 9.27).
Other Millbrook girls’ leaders: 4×800 relay (Caydence Bayne, Aubrey Steinmetz, Marisol Lara, Adilyn Steinmetz), second, 10:32.57; 4×400 relay (Washington, Everleigh Mannarino, Ella Mannarino, Bayne), third, 4:23.95.
Handley girls’ leader: EJ Mullins (300, third, 41.42, 500, third, 1:21.44).
Sherando girls’ leader: Mercedes Silver (high jump, third, 5-0).