Three Botetourt County high school student-athletes competed in Virginia High School League state cross country meets last Saturday in Blacksburg. Lord Botetourt’s Eric Duncan and Madeleine Gantzhorn competed in the Class 3 meet and Braden Jones of James River ran in the Class 2 meet on the Virginia Tech 5K course.
“States was so great,” said LB coach Elizabeth Edmonds. “Both Maddy and Eric ran incredibly well.”
Duncan earned all-state honors with a fourth place finish in the Class 3 boys race. He ran a time of 15:46, just 12 seconds behind state champion Tristan Yoder, a senior from Broadway. Eric, a junior, finished second in the race among underclassmen.
“He was moving up the whole race,” said Edmonds.
There were 132 runners in the boys race. Broadway was the team champion with Maggie Walker second and Lafayette third.
Photos by Jon Fleming
In the girls Class 3 race Gantzhorn ran a personal record of 22.08, finishing 63rd among 132 girls. The winning time was 18:03 by Samantha Nitzsche of William Monroe High. Spotswood was the Class 3 girls team champ, followed by Abingdon and Christiansburg. Gantzhorn is just a sophomore.
“We are so proud of the two of them, and even more excited that they are both returning runners,” said Edmonds of the two Cavaliers.
In the Class 2 race Jones of James River, a sophomore, finished 45th with a time of 18:34. Fellow Three Rivers District runner Mason Erchull of Floyd County finished first in 16:15 and the Buffaloes finished second as a team behind Clarke County.
It was reversed in the girls’ race with Floyd winning the Class 2 state championship and Clarke taking second. Abigail Rhudy of Tazewell was the individual winner in 18:58.
