The Lord Botetourt boys’ indoor track team is the Virginia High School League Class 3 state champion. The Cavaliers had a pair of individual champs while outpointing 35 schools that scored at Liberty University on March 2 and 3.
“From Region 3D runner-up to Class 3 state champions,” said a proud LB coach Tra Wilson. “It was a great indoor season for both the LB boys and girls. The boys went to states and scored points in nearly every event they qualified for, not only racking up points but bringing home hardware as well.”
The LB boys won the state with 59 points, nine more than second place Fluvanna County. Western Albemarle had 48 and Abingdon was fourth with 36.
Not surprisingly, Botetourt’s distance duo of seniors Ethan Thorne and Eric Duncan fueled the run to the state title. In the fall Thorne won the state cross country Class 3 individual title and Duncan finished second as the Cavaliers were third as a team. This time, both Thorne and Duncan went home with first place medals.
Thorne won the 3200-meter state crown in 9:24.02, with Duncan finishing third in that race in 9:34.28. In the 1600-meter run Duncan is the state champ with a time of 4:19.02. He edged Thorne, beating his teammate and friend in a photo-finish as Ethan ran a time of 4:19.33. LB’s Preston Vaughn was 13th in the 3200.
Triston Graves of LB took a second in the 55-meter hurdles with a time of 7.55. The Cavs also took fifth in the hurdles as Caleb Miller crossed the line in 7.68, and John Moughrabi scored with a fifth place finish in the 500-meter run and a time of 1:07.22.
Botetourt scored in two relay events. The 4×800 team was third in 8:07.96 and the 4×200 team came home sixth in 1:32.4.
Heritage High of Lynchburg ran away with the girls’ meet, scoring 102.5 points to win by 63.5. Western Albemarle and Abingdon tied for second with 39 points each and Christiansburg was fourth with 36.
Photos by Jon Fleming
Abigail Perkey placed for LB with an eighth place finish in the shot put, heaving the heavy ball 33’ 7.” Ratie Jenson was 14th in the preliminaries in the girls’ 55-meter hurdles.
“We still have work to do,” said Wilson, who now turns his attention to the spring team. “Don’t wish for it, work for it.”
