Only two days removed from strong races at the Reebok Boston Indoor Games, the Stevens twins (pictured above by Frank Locascio) of Blacksburg knocked half dozen seconds off their US #1 and #2 10:26 3200 meter performances earlier in the season at Monday's River Ridge Championships. After being usurped from the top of the national leaderboard in the 3200 meter run two weeks ago by Foot Locker Nationals champion Megan Goethals of Michigan with her 10:25 performance, the Stevens twins got an opportunity to run a fresh 3200.
On the banked Virginia Tech indoor track, Kathleen Stevens won in a US #1 time of 10:19.85 and followed in by twin sister Joanna Stevens in a US #2 time of 10:20.64. While their Monday night performance is still a good margin away from Erin Keogh's state indoor record of 9:57, it inserts them among Keogh's fastest times indoor in the event as the all-time #2 and #3 performers in the 3200 prior to today's district meet.
The Stevens twins have already accomplished a great deal in individual events this season and posted some of the fastest all-time performances, but their top goal this indoor season will be the chance at setting a national 4xmile record (current record - 19:59.24 Saratoga Springs NY 2005) with two other teammates. The remaining two legs on that relay slated to compete at the Nike Indoor Nationals in March is still to be determined because currently Blacksburg has three other girls running under 5:10 for 1600 meters. Those same three girls all raced in the 1600 at the River Ridge District Championships with an incredible top 3 sweep led by Sarah Dorrell as the winner at 5:04.12 and trailed by teammates Hannah Brown (5:07.32) and Leah Fitchett (5:09.51). Fitchett came back in short time to win the 1000 meter run in a personal best time of 3:03.34.
Group AA's top two multi-event athletes dominated the boys' meet in Scott Campbell of Salem and Travis Hudson of Christiansburg. Campbell won the long jump (22'1.50"), 55 meter dash (6.73), and 300 meter dash (36.47), while Hudson placed second in the hurdles to teammate Chris Dobbins to go along with a successful clearance of 6'7" in the high jump and taking runner-up to Campbell in the long jump. The Christiansburg boys team has quite a few athletes on their roster with two potential state champions with Dobbins in the hurdles and Hudson in the jumps to go along with triple jump winner Zack Snell and 1600 meter champion Andy Eddleton.
Pulaski County's Amber Church was even more dominating than Campbell or Hudson in the girls' events as she garnered a grand total of four individual victories including the 55 meter hurdles, 55 meter dash (7.41), high jump (5'2"), and long jump (17'9.75"). Of the seven events which she competed in on Friday, Church achieved a personal best in five events and season bests in the other two events. The Pulaski County senior posted a Group AA leading time of 8.41 in the 55 meter hurdles and scored 52 points individually of her team's overall total of 67 points.
River Ridge District Championships Complete Results
Below are the performances entered for the meet that met the national silver standard.
37
.