Lord Botetourt High School seniors Eric Duncan and Ethan Thorne competed in the Brooks South Region cross country meet last Saturday at McAlpine Park in Charlotte, N.C., presented by Fleet Feet. The LB students were running unattached as they cannot represent Lord Botetourt at non-sanctioned races like the Brooks Region or Nationals.
Every year, four regional races across the USA are held to determine who will qualify for the Brooks national championships in cross country. Only the top 10 from each region qualify, making it among one of the most prestigious accomplishments in not only running, but national high school athletics as a whole. Historically, the “South” region boasts one of the most competitive fields, drawing the best of the best from powerhouse states including Texas, Florida and over a dozen others.
Photos courtesy Noel Preece
Duncan and Thorne represented Team Virginia to place 15th and 20th, respectively, among this field. Only one Virginian placed higher, Buena Vista’s Kebryl Chandler in 11th. These performances mark the highest placements ever by Botetourt County high schoolers, improving from William Miller’s 2017 highest placement of 73rd.
Despite missing out on national championship spots by a handful of seconds, their strong performances mark the end of a record-setting season. Thorne won the Class 3 state championship at Green Hill Park in Roanoke County on Nov. 8. Ethan finishes his high school cross country career ranked second all-time at Lord Botetourt, eighth in 2025 in Virginia, and ninth all-time for Class 3 in Virginia.
Duncan was the Class 3 runner-up at Green Hill Park. He was ranked first in the state for 2025 while setting Lord Botetourt High School record and VHSL Class 3 state records. He ends his high school cross country career ranked eighth all-time among Virginia runners of all classifications.
