Team Titles Preview
Back for more hardware are the Bruins of Western Branch and Warriors of Nansemond River. These two programs combine for a staggering 11 indoor track team titles in the past five years with Western Branch winning five girls and three guys titles in a row and Nansemond River with three girls' titles in a row of their own. All three of these teams are favored to win again but they will certainly have their hands full.
In the Class 5 girls competition, Nansemond River is joined by Bethel, Maury, and Mills Godwin. This one will be decided not by the star athletes but by the depth and performances of those athletes who sneak in and score a point here and there.
In the Class 6 girls competition, Western Branch leads by a lot. They have a shocking amount of talent and depth and that combination should carry them over the line to their eighth indoor team title all-time. South Lakes, West Springfield, Robinson, and South County will make it very interesting though for that runner-up trophy.
In the Class 5 boys competition, defending champs L.C. Bird return as the favorite on paper but of course have a lot of company. That company includes Highland Springs, Bethel, Atlee, Potomac Senior, and Glen Allen. The field events will be key here as no team seems poised to dominate any one area outright.
Closing out the team competition will be the Class 6 boys which will feature an all-star showdown between Western Branch and Oscar Smith. These two teams will be fighting for a lot of the same points but attack them very differently. Western Branch will be looking for many scorers scoring while Smith will look to superstars Aaron Shirley and Kurt Powdar to propel them to the title. All in all this should be the most exciting team battle of the weekend.