STEPHENS CITY, VA -- The rains came and quickly washed the few remaining spectators out of the stands. But it couldn't wash away Handley's title.
With a nine-point lead heading into the final event of the Northwestern District track and field championship, the 4x400 meter relay, Handley needed simply to get the baton around the track four times. But the Judges finished it off in style, winning the event to finish with 121 points and claim their fourth-straight district title.
Second-place Fauquier finished with 110 with James Wood third at 83 on a wet, chilly evening Thursday at Sherando. Liberty's 64 edged Warren County's 63 for fourth while Sherando finished sixth with 54. On the girls' side not even the final event could settle it as Fauquier and Liberty ended in a tie for first with 111 points each. Handley's 91 was good for third. Warren and Wood tied for fourth (62) and Sherando was sixth with 56.
Fauquier's Sarah Bowman was the meet's unofficial outstanding athlete. The indoor national champion in the mile, Bowman captured three events - the 1,600, 400 and 800 - within the span of 65 minutes. She set new meet records in all three and added a high jump win for good measure.
Meanwhile Handley's boys won only two events total and took four runner-up slots.
"You take the team you have and do the best you can with them," said Handley coach Derek Dowrey. "We're not very deep - we only have 23 guys - but everybody contributed."
Fauquier's 4x4 boys team refused to die and Johnny Myers and David Gustin couldn't get a lead for the Judges. Marcel Long, who was third in the 800, did on the third leg and Richard Myers finished it off. The foursome clocked 3:29.64 (times were converted to automatic timing).
"I wanted the 4x4 to get me a good lead because I'm hurting with my groin," said Richard Myers. "Basically I went for points today."
Richard Myers won the long jump with a 21 foot, 10 inch leap with Johnny Myers taking second (20-9). Richard Myers also finished second in the 400 (52.14) and third in the 200 (23.14) while Johnny Myers took third in both the 400 (52.64) and triple jump (39-4.5).
The Judges also got a second in the triple jump from Charles Potter (40-10.5).
The first race of the day was one of the most exciting. Handley and Wood's 4x8 teams were back and fourth through each leg. But Kyle Russell's strong anchor broke Long and gave the Colonels the win in 8:15.54. The Judges finished one second back at 8:16.54. Joel Hanlon, Zach Frye and Tom Carpenter joined Russell while Chris Anders, Kyle Moler and Gustin teamed with Long.
The girls 4x8 held none of the drama but all of the excitement. Handley's foursome of Joanne Britland, Ayla Smith, Jaime Lockhart and Erin Bender smashed the meet and school records with their 9:45.54 clocking. The previous meet record was 9:54.3 while the previous school record was 9:55.59 from 2001. Wood finished second in the race but was 50 seconds back.
Bender and Lockhart went 1-2 in the 3,200 as Bender pulled ahead in the final lap to finish in 11:47.14 while Lockhart crossed in 11:50.74.
Meghan Starliper also came up big for the Judges. The sophomore captured the 100 hurdles in 16.34 and took second in the intermediates in 48.24. Both times were personal bests. Starliper then led off the 4x4 relay and, along with Stephanie Shiley, Ryanne Grim and Smith, brought home another title. The Judges eked out a 4:16.74 to 4:18.74 win over a pesky Warren County team.
"That just topped it off," said Starliper of the relay. "I'm so happy we could come in as underdogs and to get first is awesome. It's been a really good day. I had a pretty confident feeling and the [hurdle] trials boosted me because my rhythm was really good."
Smith closed in on a 20-plus year old school record with her 59.84 performance in the 400 behind Bowman's incredible 57.84. Just half an hour earlier Bowman shattered the meet record in the 1,600 with a scintillating 4:45.84. Half and hour later she shattered the 800 record with her 2:13.64 clocking. The previous meet records stood at 58.44, 2:18.74 and 5:00.34 (converting to automatic timing).
Finishing second to Bowman in both the 1600 and 800 was Warren's Emily Harrison. In another year her 5:10.24 1,600 would have been outstanding, behind Bowman it looked almost pedestrian. Incredibly, six girls all-told finished in 5:30 or better.
Warren's boys turned in some solid performances themselves. Joseph Owens and Kyle Miller went 1-2 in the high jump with both clearing 6-2. Miller added a win in the intermediates (40.94) then teamed with Kennault Lawrence, Phillip Chunn and Kendall Porter to take second in the 4x100. Their 44.04 clocking also established a new school record, erasing the old mark of 44.34 set on separate occasions in 1991 and 1995.
"Today was a good day but the times weren't," said Miller, who also took fifth in the 200. "I don't know if my head's getting to me today - I've got to get my head in it. [In the 4x1] we were pumped - Handley was talking a lot of stuff. We beat them at home but they said they didn't have their full team. At regionals we're going for Fauquier."
Said Warren coach Kennon Yeck: "Chunn's been sick and he came back last week. We worked on handoffs a lot and we got it right today." Wood also got a win from James Printz who took the 3,200 in 10:02.34 and Caitlan McHale who won the girls' triple jump in 34-3.5. McHale also placed in the other jumps while Printz placed sixth in the 1,600. Russell finished second in the 800 with his 1:58.94 while Micah Linderman took second in the 110 highs (15.84).
"Overall I'm fairly pleased," said Wood coach Mark Weir. "Most of our kids did real well. I can't complain with any of the performances we had, especially considering the weather."
Sherando's Ryan Foster bested a deep 1,600 field in 4:22.34 and Jessie Castelli captured the girls' discus in 98-1. Nataglia Foreman added seconds in the shot put (31-7.5) and long jump (16-6.25) and helped her 4x1 team finish second (53.14). She also added a 100 third and triple jump fourth. Erik Fullmer took second in the 3,200 (10:17.54).
In one of the most competitive events, the boys' discus, Sherando's Chan Cho threw 144-8 for third while Wood's Kevin Boggs threw 144-5 for fourth.