Marty Gordon
NRVsports@ourvalley.org
The Virginia High School League recently released its latest Wells Fargo Cup standings and the New River Valley is well represented.
Auburn and Blacksburg lead their respective classes, while Radford is fifth in Class 2 following the winter sports season. Auburn controls Class 1 with 252.5 points to second place Matthews (130) and third place Parry McCluer (125).
Blacksburg (305) holds a five-point lead over Loudoun Valley (300). Blacksburg has won Class 3 for the past three years but switched to Class 4 this year and will have to step up the game to win third straight title.
Auburn won 1A in 2016, while Radford won the same division last year but also moved up a class this year. Radford trails Maggie Walker (322.5) and Poquoson (227.5). Radford also won 1A in 2014 and 2015.
First awarded in 1990, the Wells Fargo Cup goes to the school in each group classification that has achieved the best overall record in VHSL state-level competition in 27 sports – the state champions’ state champion.
Cups are presented for athletic and academic activities to the top school in each of the League’s enrollment groups.
The winner of the Wells Fargo Cup is determined by a point system based on performance in state championship events. Points are awarded for all sanctioned sports in the following manner.
First place 50 Fifth place 30
Second place 45 Sixth place 25
Third place 40 Seventh place 20
Fourth place 35 Eighth place 15
In the event of a tie, the schools received an equal number of points based on the number of schools that tie and the number schools that finish higher in the standings. For example, semifinal losers split third and fourth place points (37.5 points each).
Schools earning the League’s Sportsmanship, Ethics and Integrity Award earn 50 points each.
