Gabriella Garcia ran for a purpose greater than herself over the weekend
The most impressive performance of the Class 4, 5, and 6 championships may have been that from Battlefield's Sailor Eastman
One of the more satisfying aspects of the Class 6 Virginia cross-country team championships was that the same teams that won the spring titles came back to win
Next Monday night, the commons area of Alexandria City High School (formerly T.C. Williams) will transform itself into Party Central
Saturday's Class 6 girls state track meet saw the end of several storied career
There were quite a few big performances on the field side of things. Here is the recap.
Midlothian won the team crown with 44 points, a single point over Atlee, with L.C. Bird third at 37.5.
Woodgrove's TC Nelson had a throw for the record books at Todd Stadium.
Atlee took home the winning team trophy for the Class 5 boys at last month's state cross-country championships
For Albemarle cross-country Coach Coffman and her staff, last Friday's Class 5 girls state championship was the fitting ending for a group of young runners.
Bryce Lentz rolled into the back of the makeshift fence surrounding the finish area and held up an arm to prevent a teammate from attempting to pick him up.
The Class 6 girls' state championship race at The Oatlands saw a breakthrough for a couple of individuals and one team
Potomac's Carr waited until the final attempt to win the triple jump but the wait was well worth it.
Despite a condensed VHSL state championship schedule, a few athletes truly exceled on Monday and Tuesday
Aniya Mosley ran a nearly perfect 1,000m race on Monday inside the Virginia Beach Sports Center track
Nova Track Club's 4x1600 relay almost set a new national record
For West Springfield cross-country coach Chris Pellegrini, Saturday's team results from the "season-opening" Monroe Parker Invitational were simply the first step in what could be a state title year for the Spartans.
One of the more unique occurrences of a track meet is the occasional jump-off - virtually the equivalent of sudden-death overtime in football. It is so rare that only two events entertain the possibility of continuing an event when two performers have reached the same height or distance.
McLean's young star distance runner Xavier Jemison enjoys the view from the front. To watch him race is to witness track's version of cat and mouse.
Teresa Myrthil has a flair for the dramatic. It must come from the artist inside of her.
After all, how many athletes can claim not to have practiced their craft for over half a year in preparation for their event at the state championship.
In a world where many coaches and parents insist on athletic specialization for their kids, it is a welcome breath of fresh air to meet and listen to the philosophies of Taylor Ewert.
The Virginia relay teams gained an early upper hand on their out-of-state rivals as the invitational events of the Virginia Showcase commenced on Friday afternoon.
In the aftermath of his girls' team's surprise victory at the Class 5 state meet, Deep Run Coach Drew Spicer has shifted into post, post-season gear, with several athletes preparing for this Saturday's Nike Cross (Southeast) Regionals.
For the past decade, the Lake Braddock girls' cross-country team has been the epitome of dominance. They took to the Great Meadow course on Saturday looking for a "one for the thumb" win - a fifth state title to finish the decade.
One of the most gratified individuals in attendance at last Saturday's Class 4-6 state cross-country finals was neither an athlete nor a coach. Well, not anymore.
In the anticipatory hours leading up to the Class 4 boys' race on Saturday, one comment continued to emerge verbally throughout members of the Great Meadow spectators. "Who's going to come in second?"
Although twelve teams qualified for each race at the state cross-country meets held in Salem and The Plains, there were also 20 individuals from each Class who earned the right to run for a state championship.