Cavaliers, Knights run in big meet at Green Hill Park

Runners of all ages converged on Green Hill Park in west Roanoke County last Saturday for the 18^th annual Knights Crossing cross country meet. The event ran from early morning to mid-afternoon under cool and occasionally rainy weather.

Lord Botetourt competed in the “Red” Division, for larger schools, while James River ran in the “Black” division for smaller schools. There were also races for middle school boys and girls, jayvees and an open run for anyone who wanted to participate.

The LB boys finished 21^st out of 38 teams running in the Red Division. Blacksburg was the team winner with 112 points, followed by Broughton with 125 and Daniel Boone High with 135.

The individual winner in the 5,000-meter race was Conner Rutherford of Blacksburg with a time of 15:08. Botetourt’s best finish was Carter Hudson in 50^th place with a time of 16:57. Also scoring for the Cavaliers were Cole Stelter in 102^nd, Tristan Marshall at 111, Jonah Cook at 221 and Jacob Malue at 240. A total of 346 boys ran in the Red race.

For the girls, LB finished 30^th among 36 schools entered in the Red Division. Broughton High won with 131 points, just two better than Blacksburg’s 133. Dobyns Bennett High of Tennessee was third at 155.

The individual winner in the Red race was Zoie Lamanna of Jefferson Forest, who covered the 5,000 meters in 18:10. Erna Dietrich led LB at 20:24 for 46^th place out of 299 runners. Also scoring for the Cavs were Falan Peters at 206, Elizabeth Meadows at 222, Karis Hambrick at 259 and Jillian Harris at 264.

In the Black Division the James River boys took 12^th among 23 schools. North Cross of Roanoke County finished first in the Black and Adam Groves of Waynesboro was the individual champ, running the 5,000 meters in 15:46.

Michael Jorgensen of James River was 16^th overall among 218 runners in the Black Division with a time of 17:38. Also scoring for the Knights were Cayden Shorter in 33^rd, John Laughridge in 34^th, Silas Miller in 67^th and Colt Race-Waller in 172^nd.

Charlotte Latin High won the girls Black Division with Alleghany of the Three Rivers District taking second. Charlotte Latin had four girls in the top 10 while Kerrigan Chaney of North Cross was the individual winner in 18:41.

James River did not have a full team in the girls race but had four individuals. Freshman Georgia Miller was 70^th among 166 runners while sophomore Victoria Race-Miller was 116^th, freshman Anna Davidson was 121^st and senior Yazim Lopez-Capo was 153^rd.

Both the LB and James River teams will run again on Saturday, September 24, in the Alleghany Invitational at the Jackson River Sports Complex.