The Fauquier girls blew out the competition on the second day of competition at the VHSL Group AA State Meet as Lady Falcons senior Sarah Bowman came back from her state meet record breaking 3200 meter run (10:21.15) on Friday night to break her own two meet records on Saturday in the 1600 (4:41.82) and 800 (2:09.32) meter runs. With Bowman\'s state title triple in the distance events (scored 6 points with a 5-3 third place finish in the high jump as well) and points from relays and other teammates, Fauquier (57 pts) surged ahead of day one leader Western Albemarle (2nd, 37 pts) to take the state crown by 20 points. Pulaski County senior Leslie Anderson helped her team take a surprising third place as scored all 36 points for the team by winning state titles in the long jump (17-9) and 400 meter dash (56.38) and taking two state runners-up to Brunswick senior Patrice Potts (12.03 100, 24.72 200) in both the 100 (12.47) and 200 (25.33) meter dashes. Lafayette won the boys\' team title with 43 1/2 points and it was due in part to several individuals. Dakari Taylor-Watson\'s triple jump win on Friday (47-4.75) and strong finishes in the 110 (4th, 15.20) and 300 (4th, 39.92) meter hurdles helped the Rams\' team standing as well as did a state runner-up performance by junior Ryan Gaul in the 1600 meter run (4:26.62). However, the biggest boost that pushed Lafayette over the rest was the surprising state title win by Caleb Stuart in the pole vault with a personal best clearance of 15-1. Tying for state runner-up honors were Bassett and Brentsville with 38 points. Bassett was led by Brandon Dillard\'s two state titles in the 100 (10.76) and 200 (21.92) meter dashes as he also was a member of the second place 4x100 meter relay (42.87). Meanwhile, Brentsville got on the shoulders of senior distance runner Pat Eggleston to a second place finish as Eggleston won the 3200 meter run on Friday night (9:37.51) and completed a grueling triple on Saturday with another state title in the 1600 meter run (4:25.66) and third place finish in the 800 meter run (1:57.46).
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After the first day of events at the VHSL Group AA State Meet, distance loaded Western Albemarle girls and Brentsville boys find themselves in first place in the team standings. In the first day of events alone, four state meet records were shattered. Western Albemarle junior Ashley Early broke her own state meet record (11-1) and improved upon her own state record with a successful clearance of 12-06.25! In other field events action, Park View freshmen Natalie Baird remained the state\'s leading discus thrower as she broke a 25 year old state meet record with a personal best toss of 139-11 in the discus. Brunswick senior Patriece Potts wasted no time in the preliminaries to show that the sprints belonged to her as she set a new state meet record in the 100 meter dash (11.83) and was not too far off the 200 meter record of 24.36 with a 24.47 clocking on Friday. No suprise in the girls\' 3200 meter run as Fauquier senior and US leader Sarah Bowman won by over 30 seconds to break the old state meet record by nearly 25 seconds in a 10:21.15 win.
Who will win this weekend\'s Group AA state team title for the boys is anyone\'s guess as at least five times have the potential to score over 40 points to win it all. Indoor state champions Lafayette will be led by the state\'s best triple jumper in Dakari Taylor-Watson. Cross country state champions Brentsville will use their distance strength to their full advantage as they have the top seed in the 1600 and 3200 meter races with Pat Eggleston as he is doing the distance triple being entered in the 800 meter run as well. Region IV team champs Bassett have 100 meter state leader Brandon Dillard on their side along with several other point scorers in the sprints and jumping events. Last year\'s outdoor state champs, Fauquier have potential 400 meter state champion Brandon Edwards to lead the charge on their title defense. Region III champion William Fleming should get point production out of several of their athletes and relays including top seeds Iziah Logan in the long jump and Brandt Hicks in the 300 meter hurdles. The team title hunt will start Friday at 5:30 PM and end on Saturday around 2:00 PM at James Madison University\'s Track and Field Complex in Harrisonburg. What happens during that time frame will decide who comes away with the glory and who comes up short.
The Group AA state girls\' team title appears to be for the Fauquier girls\' team to win with distance ace Sarah Bowman entered as the top seed in three distance events (3200, 1600, and 800). The Lady Falcons also will be counting on points from their three relay squads who will be formidable with or without Bowman. Meanwhile, defending state champions Courtland will be counting on Sha\'tia Hart to lead the way as she can score points in five individual events to go along with their top seeded 4x100 meter relay squad. The Western Albemarle girls, who have won numerous state titles over the year will be looking for big point production out of their pole vaulters with state record holder Ashley Early carrying the torch. Their distance crew has always been the key to their track team state titles and this year will be no different with the Stafford sisters and Tasmin Fanning. The Group AA State Meet will be held on Friday and Saturday at the James Madison University Track and Field Complex in Harrisonburg, Virginia.
Meet program for the Group AA State Meet this weekend. Includes heats and time of events.
Time Schedule for the Group AA State Meet to be held at JMU\'s track and field complex in Harrisonburg on Friday and Saturday can be found at this link.
Preliminary performance list for next weekend\'s Group AA State Meet in Harrisonburg. Final scratches will be made on Monday.