Photo by Jon Fleming
The James River and Lord Botetourt cross country teams will host a meet at the Botetourt Sports Complex next Wednesday, September 24. Both teams will also run in the Alleghany Invitational this Saturday at the Jackson River Sports Complex in Axton, hosted by Alleghany High School.
Lord Botetourt was off in the past week but James River ran in the Clash with the Titans at Hidden Valley High School in Roanoke County. The Eastern Montgomery boys and North Cross girls won team titles at the event.
The Knights finished fourth out of 10 teams in the girls event. River’s Maddie Davidson paced the team with a seventh place finish, good for a medal. Freshman Maren Pauley was 19th and strong support came from Daniella Murray, Holly Weddle, Alex Bona, Jacey Walker, and Janiya Falls, helping secure the team’s solid placement.
“The girls overcame a few unexpected challenges before the race even began, including a 15-minute delay due to a swarm of bees on the course,” said River coach Daphne Davidson. “Thanks to a quick reroute by the Hidden Valley coach, the race went on with only minimal delay, though with some added distance. Despite the unusual start, our girls stayed composed and ran a strong race.”
The boys were seventh among 15 teams entered, finishing ahead of Three Rivers District rival Radford. Braden Jones was just a few strides away from medaling with a 17th place finish, only two spots shy of a top-15 medal. Mark Voight, Charlie Stull, Nolan Linthicum, Joel Laughridge and Brody Stewart also contributed.
“The course ran longer than usual so we didn’t see new PRs, but the team’s effort and determination were still top-notch,” said Davidson. “We’re incredibly proud of how both teams represented our school with heart, focus, and grit. The season is just heating up, and we’re excited to keep building momentum from here.”
