By Duncan Nixon, Correspondent
Impressive number head to States
The Fluvanna High track and field teams turned in quality performances in the Region 3C meet held Wednesday (May 23) at Monticello High. The boys’ team under Coach Steve Szarmach finished in third place out of 13 teams, while the girls’ team under Coach Rose Brogan took fourth place out of 12 teams.
The boys’ team was unable to capture any Region titles, but achieved an impressive number of second place finishes. Christian Holland was second in the triple jump. Dante Eddings was second in the 100-meter dash. Shane Morris was second in the pole vault, and Eli Hartzog was second in the discus throw. All of these performances were of All-Region caliber.
Holland also was All-Region for a third place finish in the long jump. Hartzog also had a second All-Region performance with a fourth place finish in the shot put. Other All-Region performances for the boys’ team were turned in by Colby Martin in the long jump and the triple jump, and by Ledric Reid in the 110-meter hurdles and by Ethan Yancy in the pole vault.
The Fluco girls’ team won two Region titles. Emily Smeds finished first in the 3,200 meter (metric two-mile) in a time of 12:22.52. She won by just over two seconds. The Fluco 4X800 meter relay team also notched a first place finish. This team consisted of Kieri Hart, Saige Haney, Hattie Lintecum and Kristen Cabrera. They won by an impressive 18 seconds.
The girls’ team had two second place finishes: Amina Wilson in the pole vault, and the 4X400 relay team consisting of Lintecum, Skylar Solga, R’Tia Payne and Cabrera. Others who finished well enough to garner all-Region honors were: Lintecum in the long jump, Delaney Reed in the discus, Emily Beckman in the 1,600 meter, Smeds in the 1,600 meter, Cabrera in the 800 meter, and Haney in the 3,200 meter.
The track and field season is still not over for a host of Fluco athletes who have qualified for the State meet. Szarmach said the following boys will be heading to Harrisonburg High June 1-2 to compete at the State level. The 4X100 relay team of Jared Newman, Holland, Colby Martin and Eddings, will compete in the long jump and the triple jump. Martin will also compete in the long jump and Eddings in the 100 meter. Hartzog will also head to the State meet to compete in the discus and shot put. Morris and Yancy will compete in the pole vault.
Brogan also will have a large contingent going to the State meet at Harrisonburg High. The 4X800 relay team and the 4X400 relay team will both attend. The 4X800 team consists of Hart, Haney, Smeds and Cabrera, with Beckman and Lintecum as alternates. The 4X400 team consists of Lintecum, Solga, Payne and Cabrera, with Hart and Alexis Kesterson as alternates. Individually Smeds has qualified for States in the 1,600 meter and the 3,200 meter. Haney will be running the 3,200 meter, while Cabrera will go in the 1,600 meter. The girls’ team will also have Wilson and Ashlee Pieno competing in the pole vault and Jules Shephard competing in the long jump.
The array of Fluco athletes moving on to the State meet is truly impressive. Many schools, at this point, are down to only one, two or three athletes, or even none. The Flucos seem to be developing strong and balanced teams with top notch competitors in both track and field events on both the girls’ and boys’ side
