By Duncan Nixon
Correspondent
The Flying Fluco winter sports banquet was delayed a couple times due to bad weather and a girls’ basketball play-off game. The banquet was held Monday (Feb. 25). Athletic Director Scott Morris was the emcee, and he led off with thanks to all the volunteers, coaches and spouses as he always does.
The first to speak at this banquet was girls’ basketball coach Chad White. He reported that his squad had a strong season and was one win away from qualifying to play in the State tournament. Four of his players received Jefferson District honors. Nevaeh Ivory made first team All-District. Jules Shepherd and Khamare Steppe were second team All-District and Mya Wright was honorable mention.
At the region level, Ivory was again selected to the first team, Shepherd was second team and Steppe was honorable mention. All of these athletes are underclassmen, so White will have a strong team again next year.
Boys’ basketball coach Jason Davis reported that his squad made it to the Region tournament, and that several of his players received Jefferson District and Region honors. Freshman Kobe Edmonds and sophomore John Boy Rittenhouse were honored at the District level. These two and senior Drew Pace were honored at the Region level.
Girls’ indoor track coach Rose Brogan reported that her squad had a very successful season. The team finished third at the Region meet and a host of athletes won All-Region honors, while three individual athletes and one relay team gained All-State honors. Emily Smeds, a top distance runner, was All-State in both the 1,600 and the 3,200 (one mile and two miles). In the pole vault Amina Wilson was second and Ashlee Pieno was third, so both were All-State. The 4X800 relay team finished third and made All-State. This team consisted of Smeds, Emily Beckman, Hattie Lintecum and Kieri Hart.
The Fluco girls finished third at the Region meet. Their only Region champion was Amina Wilson in pole vault. All-Region honors were won by Kaitlin Bower in the 55-meter dash and the long jump, Hart in the 55-meter, Beckman in the 1,600 and the 3,200, and Pieno in pole vault. All-Region honors also went to three relay teams consisting of Kieri Hart, Shea Hart, Bower, Tallon Solga, Skylar Solga, Lintecum, Smeds, Summer Craig and Anja Vernatter.
The boys’ indoor team also did very well at the Region meet. Coach Steve Szarmach’s squad finished second. They also went on to take ninth place at the State meet. All-State honors were garnered by Christian Holland in the long jump and the triple jump, Ledric Reid in the 55-meter hurdles,
Eli Hartzog in the shot put, Ethan Yancy in the pole vault, and Colby Martin in the triple jump. The 4X200 relay team was also All-State. It consisted of Jared Newman, Cameron Holland, Martin and Dante Eddings.
At the Region meet, the boys had one first place: Eddings won the 55-meter dash. Eddings was also All-Region in the long jump. All-Region honors also went to Yancey in the pole vault, Eric White in the 500-meter, Reid in the 55 hurdles, Hartzog in the shot put, Christian Holland in the triple jump and the long jump, Cameron Holland in the triple jump, and finally Martin in three events: the 55 dash and the long and triple jumps.
Swim coach Feda Morton reported that boys’ and girls’ swim teams broke 16 school records this season. Abigail Fuller set school records in the 50 free, the 100 free and the 200 free. Spanish exchange student Maialen Sudupe broke school records in the 200 IM, the 500 free, and the 100 backstroke. Abigayle Harlow broke the school record in the 100 breaststroke. Two relay teams set school records. The 200 free relay team won at the State meet. The team consisted of Sudupe, Fuller, Harlow and Emma DiFazio. The 200 medley relay team also won at the State meet. It consisted of Sudupe, Fuller, Harlow and Ally Lounsbury.
A bunch of boys’ records also fell this season. Hunter Strickland led the way by establishing new records in the 100 free, the 200 free and the 200 IM. Gus Jones set a school record in the 100 breaststroke. Three boys’ relay teams established new school records. The swimmers on these teams were Jones, Hunter Strickland, Owen Strickland, Jack Kershner, and Connor Bridge.
Wrestling coach Michael Gore reported that his young team had a good season, with six wrestlers making All-District: Jariq Henson, Wyatt Dillon, Mason Justus, Tyler Stoy, Dakota Mundy and Ethan Vernatter, who finished in second place in the Jefferson District. Vernatter and Shawn Metcalf finished third and fourth at the Region meet to achieve All-Region honors.
On the academic competition side, ACE Coach Luke Divine reported that his team finished the season with an 8-6 record. He noted that team was led by senior captain Bayley Leyshon, high scorer Liam Bridge and Jared Newman.
