Fluco Track and Field athletes show strength at Jefferson District meet
By Duncan Nixon
Correspondent
Fluco track and field Coaches Rose Brogan and Steve Szarmach report that their squads turned in excellent performances at the Jefferson District meet held on Feb. 11.
The girls’ team had one District champion. Amina Wilson soared to 10-6 in the pole vault. Evelyn DeMers was second in the 500 meter run, and Elle Dudzik was second in the shot put. Shea Hart was third in the 55 hurdles. Others who gained all-District honors were Hattie Lintecum and Jules Shepherd in high jump, R. Tia Payne and Hannah Feith in triple jump, and Carmen Smith in shot put.
Three relay teams also made All-District. The 4X800 team consisted of DeMers, Emily Beckman, Maggie Sites and Kieri Hart. The 4X200 relay team consisted of Feith, Payne, Rachel Warden and Kaitlyn Bower. The 4X400 relay team was made up of DeMers, Lintecum , Kieri Hart and Skylar Solga.
At the Jefferson District meet, the boys’ team finished second, a single point out of first. The boys’ had District Champions in five events. Eli Hartzog won the shot put competition with a meet record throw of 52.6. Ledric Reid was the winner of the 55 hurdles with a school record time of 7.62 seconds. Ethan Yancey won the pole vault with a vault of 13 feet. He was also All-District in shot put, finishing fourth. Jaden Ferguson, who is only a freshman, won the high jump and the triple jump and placed third in the long jump. Eric White was second in the 500 meters and was also All-District in the 55 hurdles with a third place finish. Aiden Girard and Cameron Holland finished second in the 300 meter and the long jump respectively. Jariq Hensen was second in the pole vault. Trace Harris was All-District in high jump and long jump. Malachi Hill, Nathen Valentin and Travis Morris also made All-District in their disciplines.
The Fluco track and field teams competed in the Region 3C meet on Feb.18 and those who qualified for the State meet will move on to that event on March 2 and 3.
Fluco swim and dive teams score well at Region 3C meet
By Duncan Nixon
Correspondent
First year swim and dive Coach Sarah Stevens said that the boys’ and girls’ swim and dive teams both finished in third place in the Region 3C meet held on Feb. 8, and that the Flucos combined standing was second place.
On the girls’ side Abby Harlow led the way for the Flucos with first place finishes in the 50 freestyle, and the 100 breastroke. She was also on two relay teams that finished second. For the boys, the standout performer was Hunter Strickland who finished second in the 200 IM and second in the 100 butterfly. He was also on relay teams that finished first and second.
Other top individual performers were Ahmad Woodson, who was first in the 200 freestyle, Abby Fuller who was first in the 100 freestyle, Jason Dech who was the top boys’ diver, Thea Thomsen, who was third in the 200 IM and Lauren Davis, who was third in the girls’ dive event.
The following relay teams did well. In the 200 medley, the boys and girls both took second. The boys’ team consisted of Owen Strickland, Gus Jones, Hunter Strickland and Connor Bridge. The girls’ team was made up of Emma DiFazio, Abby Harlow, Ally Lounsbury and Abby Fuller. In the 200 freestyle relay, the Fluco boys finished first, while the girls’ team took second. The boys’ and girls’ teams in this relay consisted of the same swimmers as in the 200 medley relay.
Fluco girls outlast Monticello Mustangs for 56-48 win
By Duncan Nixon
Correspondent
The Flying Fluco girls’ basketball team started strong on Feb. 11 against the visiting Mustangs from nearby Monticello High. They hung on with a fourth quarter filled with free throws and defense and prevailed 56-48 to end their regular season with a 12-10 record. Leading the way for the Flucos was senior guard Nevaeh Ivory who scored 23, including 8 of 10 from the foul line in the fourth quarter.
The Flucos jumped into an early lead in the opening quarter as senior guard Mia Wright nailed two three point baskets. Junior guard Navaeh Bishop also had a three point shot and Ivory had two driving lay-ups. Bishop hit her three point shot with 36 seconds left in the quarter for a Fluco lead of 18-10, but Monticello had a rebound put back to end the quarter at 18-12. The second quarter was evenly balanced and the highest scoring quarter in the game. The Flucos outscored the Mustangs 17-16 to take a 35-28 lead to the locker room. Ivory had six points in the quarter and freshman forward Aniah Webb had five points on a lay-up and a three point shot. The Fluco girls had four three pointers in the first half, uncharacteristic for a Chad White coached team that usually takes the ball inside every chance it gets.
The Flucos started the third quarter strong with a six point run, to take a thirteen point lead. Senior guard Jules Shepherd had a steal and took the ball coast to coast for a lay-in, Ivory scored underneath on an inbound pass and junior center Khyariah Davis-Heinrich scored on a short jump shot. However, the Mustangs immediately started to close the gap. A seven point Mustang run caused Coach White to call a timeout with two minutes remaining in the quarter. On the ensuing inbound Fluco freshman Eva Stribling scored inside on a pass from Ivory. Monticello was not deterred, and the Mustangs scored seven in a row to cut the lead to one. As the clock wound down Ivory launched a half court throw that swished through the net. The officials determined that she got it off before the buzzer and the Flucos went to the fourth quarter up by four.
If you knew at this point that the Flucos would not score a basket of any kind in the fourth quarter, you would have assumed that Monticello would have a comeback victory. Not so. The Mustangs opened the quarter with two quick baskets to tie the score at 46-46. The Fluco defense cracked down from that point on and the Mustangs were held to one more basket the rest of the way. Meanwhile, Ivory was driving to the basket and, late in the game, getting fouled to keep the Flucos from running out the clock. She went to the line for two shots five times in the final quarter and made eight of ten. Shepherd also made two free throws in the quarter and the Flucos won the fourth quarter 10-6 for a victory by eight 56-48.
The Fluco girls went to the play-offs on Valentines’ Day playing at Western Albemarle. A win would send them on to the second round, again on the road. After the game, Coach White noted that although he has three important senior graduating, Ivory, Wright and Shepherd, he still believes he will be alright next year with the return of two starters and a number of underclass woman who got valuable experience off the bench.
