* Nathan Atchue celebrates winning a state championship over his senior season
Photo Credit: Mary Ann Magnant/MileSplit
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Winning a coveted state title is an accomplishment in and of itself, but winning year-after-year is historic.
These four seniors finished up their final state meets and in total have won a staggering 40 state titles across their time as Virginia high school track and field athletes.
Let's meet them.
Madison Whyte (Newport News Heritage High. School)
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The University of Southern California signee has won a staggering 13 individual state titles in high school, including two triple crowns (100m-200m-400m) outdoors and this past weekend she claimed her third 200m and 400m outdoor titles in a row. She would likely have more, if not for the COVID-19 epidemic canceling the outdoor season in in 2020.
Madison was also a three-time champion in the 300m dash indoors.
Sydney Loder (Glenvar High School)
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She was the undoubted queen of the hurdles these past four years, tallying up seven state titles across hurdle events. Ultimately, she finished her high school career with 11 state titles.
Nathan Atchue (Franklin County High School)
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It is very hard to be competitive as a freshman distance runner, but Nathan was right there as a frosh.
He finished eighth in his first XC state championship and kept going from there. Though Nathan certainly had the speed and ability, it was a tough road for him to finally grab that first state title.
Before his first state title, he had an eighth, fifth, third, fourth, and a fourth-place finish. You could say that was the turning point because after his first state title his record in all state competitions went 1-1-1-1-1-1-1.
The University of Tennessee signee ends his high school career with eight state titles, seven of which have been won all in a row.
Gillian Bushee (Herndon High School)
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Just like Atchue, Bushee entered high school as a certified star and in her first XC season she finished seventh at the state championships. She had tough competition and quite a few setbacks, but she kept getting back up and battling. It was that drive that saw her tally up eight state titles over her career and an astonishing five runner-up finishes too.
Gillian, a University of Virginia signee, ends her high school career with a 5-0 streak as a senior.