The Valley District Meet is no walk in the park and the #2 AA ranked Fort Defiance did not take their opponents for granted. The Indians had six of their runners earn All-District top 15 honors including race winner Matt Bailey. The junior Bailey won by a 15 second margin as he crossed the line first in a time of 17:05.48. Derek Hizer (4th, 17:25.90), Daniel Stewart (7th, 17:34.82), Daniel Alonso (8th, 17:36.09), and John Wampler (15th, 18:12.36). If Fort Defiance continues to pack their top five as tightly as they have been doing all season, it will surely be an exciting showdown between the Indians and top ranked Brentsville.
Spotswood finished a strong second to Fort Defiance with 53 points and four All-Districts performers. Leading Spotswood were strong individual runs by Robert Heitz (3rd, 17:23.34) and Jordan Jarrels (5th, 17:30.69).
Taking third place honors and advancing onto the Region II Meet was Stuarts Draft with 76 points. Senior Jonathan Lichtenstein led the squad with an individual runner-up finishing time of 17:20.48, while fellow senior Brandon Spalding also performed well finishing sixth in a time of 17:32.77.
Harrisonburg took the last regional meet qualifying spot with a fourth place showing and 94 point team total.
The rest of Region II and Group AA better pay great attention to the Broadway girls and their star runner, Elizabeth Reeves. The Broadway girls took the Valley District title with a team total of 42 points with their entire top five earning All-District honors. They were paced by individual district champion, Elizabeth Reeves, who won by a 25 second margin on the challenging Virginia Horse Center 5K course in a time of 20:33.37. Earning All-District honors along with the senior Reeves were sophomore Knupp (5th, 21:29.96), junior Tracey Bruce (10th, 22:00.93), freshmen Holly Baker (11th, 22:01.08), and freshmen Ashley Lehman (15th, 22:07.36).
The Rockbridge girls were team runners-up to Broadway with 61 points as the Lady Wildcats were led by individual race runner-up Lida Wise as the sophomore finished with a time of 20:58.88. Junior teammates Katie Rouse (7th, 21:54.41) and Sarah Heidel (9th, 21:59.12) also earned All-District honors.
Finishing third in the team standings, Fort Defiance compiled a team score of 65 points with three All-District performers in Jaclyn Wine (4th, 21:18.36), Katie Williams (6th, 21:40.60), and Molly Sheets (12th, 22:01.77).
Earning a trip to the Region II Meet, which will be held next Thursday at the same course, Harrisonburg finished with a team total of 70 points as sophomore Catherine McGowan was the team\'s top finisher in third place with a time of 21:07.34.