VHSL Group 2
The final pair of races on Friday will be the Group 2 championship races. One last time they will be featured both individual and team wise by the Green Dragons of Maggie Walker. This school of just 700 students will be looking for their sixth and final Group 2 state team title in a row on both sides prior to their move next year to Group 3. If the guys are to win this year, they will then hold the Virginia State Meet Record of six guys titles in a row.
The Green Dragons, led by Hall of Fame Coach Jim Holdren, are certainly always ready for the state meet and this year looks no different. Pending nothing crazy happens, both teams should win the team titles Friday. Union High, Wilson Memorial, Radford, and Grayson County will be fighting for the second spot on the guys side while Goochland, Wilson Memorial, and Clarke County will battle on the girls side.
The closer of the two team races will be the girls race where Clarke County has an outside shot at pulling off the massive upset. They will need to displace Maggie Walker's 4th and 5th runners to win. So if you see Clarke County finish either one runner behind or tied with Maggie Walker's 4th and 5th then you can bet Clarke County will be celebrating soon thereafter.
Individually Maggie Walker is also attempting to make history. Only thrice in the past six years has a school won both races, this year Maggie Walker could make it four with Mary Caroline Heinen and Adam Sachs favored in their respective races.
In the girls race Mary Caroline Heinen leads by a huge minute plus margin over Madison Webster (Clark County), Carly Wilkes (Glenvar), and teammate Mary Kemp. She is also joined by 2016 state champion Jessey Ball of Lebanon who looks to be in great form this season. You can never count out a champion like her who loves the hills.
Even with the tough competition though, this race is MC Heinen's to win or lose.
Over on the guys side of things it is a different storyline with Adam Sachs and last year's runner-up Oliver Wilson-Cook basically in a dead-heat heading into the meet. Both runners have run under 15:50 and are separated by just six seconds. This race is too close to call but almost certainly will be between these two and only these two.