By Marty Gordon
NRVsports@ourvalley.org
Photos by Jon Fleming
Blacksburg High School ran away with the Region 4D cross-country championships Tuesday as both the boys and the girls won the region titles on Blacksburg’s home course while the Radford girls claimed the region 2C cross-country championship and the Bobcat boys qualified for the state meet with a second-place finish. Radford’s William Hartig won the boys’ race.
Blacksburg finished ahead of Jefferson Forest in the girls’ competition by a 22 to 40 margin. Salem was third, and Halifax County finished fourth.
The home team took three of the top four spots in the individual results with Annika Griggs second, followed by teammates Mia Jones and Audrey Link. Mari Garza crossed the finish line in sixth place, and Mary Finch ran her way to a seventh-place finish.
In the boys’ race, Blacksburg eased by Jefferson Forest 29-34. Pulaski finished third while E.C. Glass was fourth.
Blacksburg’s Landon Dinkel brought home a second-place medal with teammate Jonathan Goerlich in tow for third place. Ben Schmitt finished fifth for the Bruins with Conner Rutherford sixth.
Blacksburg will race next at the Class 4 state championship in Leesburg.
In Region 2C competition, Radford High School’s girls’ team took top honors by outdistancing Alleghany 40-58. Glenvar was third with 73 points.
Emma Hastings-Crummey and Abby Barnes took individual spots two and three for Radford, and Ellie Buskill was sixth. Glenvar’s Carly Wilkes came in first.
Radford finished second in the boys’ competition with 35 points as Alleghany claimed the team title, and James River was third.
William Hartig of Radford claimed the gold with a time of 16:39. Teammate and brother Cyrus Hartig finished fourth.
Both Radford squads advance to next week’s state meet to be held at Green Hill Park in Roanoke.