Mid-Summer Trails and Swim

This Saturday a group of Crozet Crew runners met at Mint Springs Farm for a wonderful hybrid long run--part grass trails, part road, and wrapped up the morning with a swim in the beautiful pool. Thank you, Heidi and Roscoe, for another visit to the farm!

AAU Membership

Welcome to the site for the running club, Crozet Crew. This club has been in existence since Coach Lindy Bain and Coach Chuck Witt were in high school. Whenever we race at a Regional or National event we have raced as Crozet Crew.

To contact a coach please e-mail crozetcrew2024@gmail.com

Prepare for the next XC Season!

Summer Running / Fitness Opportunity

Join us this summer for 9 weeks of group runs and strength / flexibility in preparation for the fall XC Season! Coach Katie Pugh will be overseeing the program this summer with help from Jordan Stone and Sienna Collier. Coach Cherie will be out the first week just to help get things started and will pop in from time to time with Coach Chuck. This is an excellent way to get in your long runs, increase your flexibility and core strength, and get ready for the fall season. There will also be games, snacks, fitness logs, and other fun activities throughout the summer. This program is open to boys and girls. Please reach out to crozetcrew2024@gmail.com and / or call / text Coach Katie (434) 466-1469 at any point if you have any questions.

Participation Requirements

To participate, each runner must have a current, active AAU Membership. It is easy to sign up. Make sure you indicate that you are associated with the Crozet Crew club when prompted. If you have a membership, please check to see when it expires as you may need to renew it soon.
The cost of the program is 150$ for the whole summer, or 100$ for 4 weeks. Please Venmo to @crozetcrew2024. Please indicate the name(s) of your child when you send the Venmo.
Please fill out this google form to provide more information to the coaches about your runner(s)

Coaches' Information

Coach Katie Pugh: Katie has been coaching XC at WAHS since 2005, and is also a former WAHS distance runner. You can reach her at (434) 466-1469, katiexc@gmail.com, and crozetcrew2024@gmail.com

Jordan Stone: Jordan is a UVA student who ran for WA and was a part of multiple state titles. She, along with Sienna will be overseeing the program while Coach Katie is traveling with her family. You can reach Jordan at (434) 242-0372, jordanqstone@gmail.com, and crozetcrew2024@gmail.com

Sienna Collier: Sienna is a collegiate runner at Rhodes College. She is also a graduate of the WAHS distance program. She can be reached at (540) 446-5404 and crozetcrew2024@gmail.com

Schedule

We will be meeting 3 mornings a week at 7am for 9 weeks, from June 10- August 10. The schedule is as follows:

Tuesdays: "Couch" (the intersection of Dick Woods Road and Miller School Road)

Thursdays: Crozet Park (meet under the Pavilion)

Saturdays (locations vary):

6/15: "Ridge Road" (the intersection of Ridge Road and Garth Rd.)

6/22: "Millington" (the intersection of Millington Rd and Clark Rd--we run on Clark)

6/29: "Sugarhollow" (we meet at the gravel parking lot across from the Piedmont Store in Whitehall)

7/6: Ivy Elementary School (we run on Decca / Ridge Road)

7/13: Ridge Road

7/20: Millington

7/27: We will meet at 7am at Mint Springs Farm. This is the property of a former WAHS runner, and they are very generous to let us run here a few times a year. If you are being dropped off, please drive slowly down the driveway and drop off in front of the house. If you are parking, please drive slowly down the driveway to the back of the house and park in the field. We will be running some on trails behind the house, and also up the road to Mint Springs Park or into Crozet. After our run, we will do some stretching / flexibility exercises and go swimming in the pool. Pick up is at 9:30-9:45. To bring:

--bathing suit, towel, water bottle, yoga mat if you have one, SOMETHING TO EAT after your run.

Link to MAP

8/3: "Sugarhollow" (we meet at the gravel parking lot across from the Piedmont Store in Whitehall)

8/10: Ridge Road

Henley MS Meet

This past weekend the Crozet Crew joined forces with The Henley MS team on a hot day. They made quite a statement winning eight individual events.

Natalie Wildermuth

Natalie won the 100 and participated on three other relays. She ran a leg on the winning 4 x 100 team with Lulu Hitt and placed first. On the sprint edley team she had Cameron Huynh and they also placed first. She teamed up with Eva Wolfe-Ludwig on the 4 x 200 and they placed fourth.

Sofia Montini

Sofia won the 7th grade 800 and teamed up with Eva, Ada Jane Davis, and Maddie Fritts on the distance medley relay which placed second.

Ethan Apicella

Ethan ran the open 800, running a personal best time of 2:25.51. He's been nursing a sore foot so he got to take it easy, running just one event.

Maddie Fritts

Maddie had one of the most difficult doubles. She won the open 1600 in the seventh-grade division and then later ran the 1600 in the distance medley which placed 2nd.

Ada Jane Davis

Ada Jane won the sixth grade 800 and then ran the 400 leg on the distance medley, running a best time on both.

Cole Arbour

Cole ran an incredible time in the 1600, dropping almost a second off of her previous best, winning the 6th grade 1600.

Lulu Hitt

Lulu ran a leg on the winning 4 x 100 and then placed 4th in the seventh-grade 400.

Eva Wolfe-Ludwig

Eva ran the 400 on the 2nd place distance medley and also ran a 200 on the fourth place 4 x 200.

Cameron Huynh

Cameron had a tough double. She ran a 2:45 split on the 800 in the sprint medley relay which placed first and in less than 10 minutes she was back on the track running in the open 800 where she placed 4th in 3:02.

Tucker Richmond

Tucker finally got to race, placing sixth out of all the 6th-grade 100-meter runners.

Ragged Mtn MS Meet

The best run meet of the season is The Ragged Mtn Middle School meet, held at UVA. They somehow manage to run off the entire meet in less than two and a half hours. The team had some great performances and a lot of fun.

Ethan Apicella

Ethan ran a big personal best in the 1600 clocking 5:14.11. He was likely the top 7th grader in the field and Western Coach Lindy Bain can't wait to coach him next season.

Sofia Montini and Maddie Fritts

The dynamic duo ran an impressive race in the 1600, starting a bit back in the pack. They continued to move up throughout the race, running an impressive last 600 to finish 1st and 2nd. They both broke 6 in the 1600, running 5:53.99 and 5:54.90 respectively.

Three Breaking Three!

In the 800 we had a group of girls who were shooting to break three minutes. They went out as a pack with Hadley Cabell in the lead. She pulled the pack with all of them setting personal bests. Hadley ran a 2:52.34, Anneliese Fuller ran 2:56.91, Ada Jane Davis ran 2:57.61 and Sophia Cook just missed the barrier clocking 3:04.74.

Natalie Wildermuth

Natalie had an amazing triple, clocking 13.76 for the 100, finishing in 4th, running 29.60 in the 200 and then with little rest, running a 68.4 in the 400 of her leg of the 4 x 400.

Lulu Hitt

Lulu finished 7th in the open 400, running 70.79 then came back to run the first leg of the 4 x 400 with Ada Jane, Winnie, and Natalie which placed 4th.

Ruby & Cole

Ruby Carlson and Cole Arbour ran a smart race in the 1600. They both ran personal best times with Ruby finishing in 11th in a time of 6:27.10 and Cole, running 6:28.91 to finish 13th.

Windsor Torrence

Winnie had an amazing time in the 200 to finish fifth in 28.53. She came back to run a strong leg on the 4th place 4 x 400.

Eloise Olin

Eloise had a strong race in the 400 finishing with a 76.21.

Eva Wolfe-Ludwig

Eva ran a personal best on her open 400 and then ran a leg on one of the three 4 x 400 teams.

Ava Rogers

Ava ran the open 100 and a leg on the 4 x 400 team with Hadley, Sophia Cook, and Eva.

Windy Timberwolf Meet

Crozet Crew traveled to Midlothian this past weekend to run in The Timberwolf Meet. Even with winds gusting over 20 mph, The Crozet Crew performed well. The 4 x 800 teams displayed our depth, with two teams finishing in the top 7. The team of Sofia Montini, Ruby Carlson, Maddie Fritts, and Cameron Huynh placed 2nd. Sophia Cook, Anneliese Fuller, Hadley Cabell, and Ada Jane Davis finished 7th. Sofia Montini came back to place 7th in the 800, running a personal best time of 2:44.6.

Natalie Wildermuth is making a name for herself in the sprints. She placed 2nd in the 100. Finleigh Broadbent set a new personal best in the 400, running 68.1 and finishing 4th. Finleigh and Natalie returned after a long wait to join Lulu Hitt and Sofia Montini to finish 3rd in the 4 x 400.

In other news, Thibaut, the team mascot paid a visit to the team on Monday. It was his 6 month birthday and he enjoyed the adoration and the company during a bit of the distance run.

Winning 4 x 800

Cameron Huynh led off the 4 x 800 team and put us in great shape. We were in front of Henley's boy's team at that point. Cameron ran a PR split of 2:47.2. Then Maddie "I'm not an 800m runner" Fritts took the baton and whipped off a 2:42.8 split. Hate to tell you, Maddie, there are more 800s in your future. Then Tenley took the baton and had to fight off a team of runners who had just got off their bus and decided that, that would be a good time to cross the track. She got bumped into at least twice before she handed off to Sofia, running 3:02.5. Sofia ran unchallenged the final leg, splitting 2:46.6 for the win. It looks like Western Albemarle's string of 4x8 state titles will continue with this group coming up.

Natalie Wildermuth

Natalie had an outstanding first meet placing 2nd in the 100 and 4th in the 200. Her times were even more impressive. She ran a 13.8 and a 29.24. She is currently 3rd in the state in the 100 and 7th in the 200 out of 7th graders.

Ethan Apicella

Ethan is making a name for himself in the distance races. Last weekend he ran under 20 minutes for 5K, and at this meet he finished 3rd in the 1600 and 800. He is currently the fastest 7th grader in the state in the 1600 and the second fastest 7th grader. Even more impressive is that he beat the Henley runners who are training 5 days a week with Western Albemarle.

Broadbent & Hitt

Finleigh and Lulu ran the 400 and 200. Finleigh was rearing to go after her Nationals experience. She ran a 2-second personal best, 68.45 in the 400 and 29.70 which placed her 4th and 7th respectively. Lulu ran 71.71 in the 400 and 32.32 in the 200 placing 9th in the 400 out of 61 runners. The 400 was run like an 800 on a waterfall start, something I have never seen in my 48 years of being involved in track & field. The girls did a great job getting out. Normally the will have

Montini,Fritts, Huynh, & Kramer

The 4x8 crew came back in the open 800 Sofia placing 4th, Maddie 5th, Cameron 6th, and Tenley 10th. Sofia and Maddie are currently ranked 3rd and 4th in the state for their grade in that event. Thankfully this time Tenly managed to finish unscathed. They had a tough time getting out in the crowded field, so we may have to work on getting out in practice, but for a first meet, we couldn't be prouder!

Carlson & Arbour

Ruby and Cole went at it the 1600 finishing 4th and 5th. They both broke 7 in the 1600 for the first time, running 6:49.24 and 6:50.14. They ran a smart race. They started on the second row, which was a veteran move. If you are given the choice of being on the outside of the track or the second row behind the top competitors, sometimes it is best to be on the second row. Then Cole noticed the pace slowing down and went around a tall girl in green and continued to pick up the pace. Ruby took off in the final straight away and they both pushed it in together.

Will Broadbent had a great first meet running personal bests in the 100 and 200. He was the first 6th grader in the 200 and the second 6th grader in the 100. Looks like the Broadbent's have several years to go of hanging out at track meets on the weekends. The team as a whole did an excellent job warming up and cooling down, being on time for their races and staying warm between events.

Adidas Nationals!

Maddie Fritts breaks 6 in the Mile!

Maddie ran such an impressive race at Nationals. She went out smart, which put her near the very back of her field, but she ran with confidence and moved up throughout the race, running her last quarter in 86. She broke 6 minutes for the first time running 5:59.21.

Windsor Torrence

Windsor broke 70 in the 400 for the first time, running 69.50, and also broke 30 in the 200, with a 29.52. While she is just getting started on the big stage and still has a lot to learn, this was a good way to stick her big toe in the water. She will be one to watch this season.

Finleigh Broadbent

Finleigh was also getting a chance to run on the big stage for the first time. She ran personal bests in both the 400 and 200, running 70.21 and 29.67. One of the great things about Finleigh is her bubbly attitude. She is just having fun, but when it comes time to compete she has really stepped her game.

5K Relays at VMI

New Record Set by Emerson & Carter

Two years ago we participated in this VMI relay event and Sadie Adams and Jenna Stutzman set our school record, running 15:03. That record was taken down by Emerson Ritter and Carter Torrence. The girls averaged just under 36 per lap to run a 14:57. This was all the more impressive since Emerson was coming off her state swim meet where she participated in three events. The 200 medley relay placed 3rd and she was 9th in the 100 breast. Other indoor track members who also competed at the state meet were Raina Fitzwater and Harper Stone. They finished 1st and 8th in the diving portion of the meet.

Grace Cook & Hailey Hodson finished second out of the females running 15:15, almost a minute faster than they ran two years ago.

SJ Broadbent and Deen Ludke were next out of the female teams. They were stopped a lap too short, but were in third place at the time.

Hazel Johnston and AJ Torrence were next. AJ averaged 37.14 which is over three seconds per lap faster than she did two years ago.

Sophia Cook and Finleigh Broadbent represented our middle school contingent. They were one of the few middle school teams running with just two legs.

Back to Roanoke

Crozet Crew Travelled back to Roanoke for the East Coast Elite #3 meet. So many runners had personal best times. Windsor Torrence was on fire, running personal bests in both of her races. She placed 2nd in the 500 with a 1:34.29 dropping 1.5 seconds and dropping another 1.3 seconds in the 300 with a 47.11. Finleigh Broadbent placed 4th in the 500 running right at her personal best.

Sofia Montini placed 5th in the 1000 after earlier finishing 7th in the 1600. Maddie Fritz was 6th in both the 1600 and 1000, running a personal best in the 1000 with a time of 3:49.72. Cameron Huhyn also had a great day in both the 1600 and the 1000, running personal best times, finishing in 6:29.54 and 3:52.00. Tenley Kramer and Sophia Cook also ran both events. This was Tenley's first meet this season as she splits her time with mountain bike racing.

The boys also ran personal bests in both their events. Will Broadbent placed 5th in the 300 with a 50.01, beating older sister's time which will surely spur Finleigh on to work harder in practice to keep the rivalry going. Leland Varner also ran a personal best in the 1600, dropping 18 seconds and breaking 7:00 for the first time. For Complete Results, click here.

Crozet Crew Competes at Roanoke College

The East Coast Elite Meet management hustled to move the meet up a day so that the runners would get a chance to compete with the threat of a winter storm. The team parents quickly helped out and managed to get all the runners to Roanoke many parents drove the hour and 40 minutes to Roanoke and stayed late into the evening.

Sofia Montini & Maddie Fritts

Sofia and Maddie ran the 1600, 1000 double finishing 5th and 6th in both events. They ran 6:12 for the 1600 and came back to run 3:44 and 3:51 in the 1000. It was a tough double since there was not a lot of time between events.

Windsor Torrence

Windsor Torrence ran the 500, 300 double and finished 4th in the 500 and 5th in the 300 running 1:35.81 and 48.39 respectively. Great, first meet times and very exciting to watch.

All in the Family

It was fun having the high schoolers and the middle schoolers at the meet since it allowed many siblings to compete on the same stage. We had three Broadbents running as well as three Torrences. Will Broadbent pictured here with his sisters, Finleigh and SJ, placed second in the middle school boys 300. Also pictured here are Winnie Torrence and Lulu Hitt. Lulu did a great job running both the 500 and 300. She finished 6th in the 500 and 11th in the 300.

Halloween Relays

Some of the middle school runners got the opportunity to run in The Halloween Relay. They did a super job, running two of the top ten 1.1-mile times of the day. Sofia Montini had the 8th fastest time and Maddie Fritts had the 9th fastest time out of 27 girls. Ruby and Lily were 20th and 22nd. Each girl ran one leg which was a little over a mile and the other leg was an 800. Sofia got a bonus leg. Running through the narrow paths through the high corn stalks was so fun.

Middle School State Meet

Ethan Apicella

Ethan had his best race of the season at Middle School States. He beat all the 8th graders from Western Albemarle's team and he ran 15:12 which is just over 6 minutes per mile. He also ran negative splits.

Brady Sowers

Brady finished in 16:18 which is just over 6:30 pace and just behind Ethan Newell who is training with Western's team.

The Girls at States

This was the third race in a week for the girls. They ran a bit faster at Milestat, but in a less crowded field. Hopefully, they gained some good experience. They all ran respectable and finished in the top third of a field of 341 girls.

Ragged Mountain Cup

Sofia and Maddie were top 5 out of the females. They would have made Western Albemarle's top 10! Sofia ran 13:01 and Maddie 13:10

Windsor had her best race of the season running 15:32.

Very big field of Runners

Lily had her best race of the season running 16:05.

Ethan ran the fastest time out of Crozet Crew, running 12:30.

Brady ran 13:35.

Cole was the top 6th grader in the race, running 13:56.

Ruby had probably her best race of the season, running 14:22.

Anneliese was just behind Ruby, running 14:25.

Crozet Crew at Milestat

The Crozet Crew Team got to compete at one of the largest high school meets of the season in The Middle School division of Milestat. The meet drew teams from all over Virginia as well as North Carolina, Maryland, and other area states. The team ended 5th out of 19 teams. The top three teams were composite teams, meaning they were not all from the same middle school.

The Girls all set impressive personal bests. Sofia Montini ran 2:26 faster than this same meet last year and 32 seconds faster than her personal best. Maddie Fritts ran 1:11 faster than her state meet time from last year. Sophia Cook ran 2:21 faster than last year's Milestat time. Finleigh Broadbent ran exactly a minute faster than her state meet time and Lily Fontenot ran 1:50 faster than last year.

Sophia and Maddie came in first and second for our crew, just one second apart in 16:28 and 16:29. Cole was our number three runner in 17:03. Cameron Huynh was number 4 for us in 17:13. Anneliese Fuller ran her most impressive race by far, finishing number 5 for us in 17:15. Ruby Carlson was our number 6 in 17:56 and Tenley Kramer, in her first race of the season rounded out the top seven in 18:13.

Spirit Week Activities

Anything but a Water Bottle

We also had Neon Day, and a scavenger poker game. One of the favorite snacks this week was baked oatmeal with strawberries. Be sure to put this one on your list to make because it was delicious and had lots of great ingredients. You can make it ahead and just heat it or eat it cold. Click above for the recipe.

Crozet Crew Runner-Up at FUMA MS Meet

The Crozet Crew Girls' team finished second at The FUMA Middle School Meet by just 2 points. The girls put 3 in the top 6 with Sofia Montini in fourth, Maddie Fritts in fifth, and Cole Arbour in 6th. Ruby Carlson also medaled by finishing 16th. Lily Fontenot rounded out the team running steady throughout the race. The course was very hilly and is by far the toughest course the team will race on all season. It was also a 5k, which allowed the team to demonstrate their strength.

Ethan Apicella Medals in Big Field

Ethan finished 18th out of 97 boys in The Middle School Boys field. Ethan's time of 21:33 was impressive on the very hilly FUMA course.

Ethan moving up through the race

Ethan ran a smart race, going out strong with a pack of runners during the first half of the race and later finishing strong, moving up a few places in the final mile of the race.

Crozet Crew Lights Up at RVA Relays

The RVA Relays are known for a fun atmosphere and running just as the sun is setting adds a whole other element of fun. The Crozet Crew embraced the party atmosphere and ran a great first Cross-Country Race.

Ethan & Brady Lead the Team

Ethan Apicella ran 9:27 and finished 4th out of Middle School males in 7th grade. Brady Sowers was 7th out of 7th grade males. Brady's time was 10:08. Keep in mind there were schools from all over the state as well as out of state teams.

Starting Line-Up

The Crozet Crew quickly became a favorite among the officials. This one in particular took a liking to the team and all our team spirit. Sofia Montini and Maddie Fritts finished 7th and 8th out of the female Middle School 7th graders. They ran 10:12 and 10:14 respectively. Cole Arbour was the top female 6th grader in the race, running 10:35. Anneliese Fuller was 4th out of female 6th graders, running 11:12. Windsor Torrence and Ruby Carlson finished 11:24 and 11:27 respectively. Lily Fontenot and Addie Forkin also got some great experience running in a crowded field.

Crozet Crew in the Pink at Women's 4 miler

The Crozet Crew girls got a chance to show off their summer training by racing in the woman's 4 miler. Everyone ran amazingly well on the deceivingly tough course which features a steady down hill first mile, steady up for two miles, followed by a steady down last mile. The proceeds of this historic race goes to The UVA Breast Center. The race has been in existence for 41 years.

Over 1,000 Entries!

There were over 1,000 entered and our girls were toward the front. In fact, Addie Forkin, who just joined us a few weeks ago finished #205 and she is just 10 years old. Sofia Montini was our top finisher. She placed first in the 11-14 age group and right behind her was Maddie Fritts. They placed 55th and 56th overall! Their times of 29:54 and 29:56 were more impressive in that they went out in 7:28 pace and managed to hold that pace the entire way.

Annelise Fuller and Cole Arbour

Annelise Fuller and Cole Arbour finished 7th and 8th in the 11-14 age group. They ran 34:12 and 34:14 respectively. This was Cole's second time running 4 miles without stopping!

Fan Support

Thanks to all the wonderful parents and siblings who came out to support the team. We really appreciate everyone getting out early, making signs, and cheering. Can't wait to see them race again.

Volunteering at Walnut Creek with CalTri

There are only a few precious days left before school starts and we had several team members and parents get up super early to volunteer at Walnut Creek for the CalTri Triathlon. They had to be there at 6 am and worked till 12:30 ish. Thankfully the weather was good. Last year we cleaned up in a thunderstorm. This year it was perfect weather for August. It was actually a little cool in the morning. The team cheered on the athletes throughout the morning and then helped to clean everything up. Thanks to Sarah Jane and Robert Broadbent, Carter & AJ Torrence, The entire Appicella Family, Emmerson Ritter, Kinley Callihan, Hazel Johnson, Emma Schmitz, and Anneliese Fuller.

Day One of Fall MS Program

First Run to The Basin

While some team members are still away on vacation, this small group got a great start by running the 2.25 miles from Crozet Park to The Lickinghole Basin. The Basin is a great spot to see a Bald Eagle's nest or other wildlife.

Sign Up for The 4 Miler

Those who are signing up to run the 4 miler if you are not already on a team please sign up to run with Crozet Crew. We'd love to represent in our team jerseys. Also, if you need some volunteer hours and you are 14 and over, we'd love to have you help out at The Walnut Creek Triathlon. We need people to work the aid station, direct people on the run course, etc. Sign up here.

Training Begins

Half of the group were able to run both to and from The Basin, while the other half managed a run/walk on the way back. It was a great first day.

Camp 2023 in Complete

Check the camp log daily to see updates.

Crozet Crew at NB Nationals

Emma Schmitz in the Freshman Mile

Emma Schmitz is well into her summer basketball season, but managed to come up for the freshman mile as well as the 4 x mile. She got out a bit fast, but came away with a 5:21, finishing 21st out of the freshman.

4 x Mile team of Hailey Hodson, Grace Cook, Jordan Stone and Emma Schmitz

The 4 x mile came in ranked 19th out of the 24 teams entered in The Championship 4 x mile. It was there first time getting in the top heat.

They got to be introduced with the smoke. Click here to see the video, about 2:10 into it the girls are introduced.

Hailey Hodson ran the fastest split in the 4 x mile, hitting about 5:14 for the full mile.

The team finished ahead of their seed in 15th.

Carter Places 5th in the freshman 800 and sets new PR

Carter Torrence had a busy meet, being on two relays and running in two open events. In her open 400, she placed 6th overall. In the open 800 she placed 5th, winning the penultimate section in a personal best time of 2:16.98. It was an exciting race with her kicking past the leader in the final 50 meters. The camera man must have liked her because he followed her for a long time. Carter handled the attention like a pro, waving to the camera and hugging another competitor. To watch the video of her race, click here.

Hayley Mancini 1st Time at NB Nats

It was Hayley's first experience running in NB Nationals, but she got a solid time in the mile, running 5:40.0. She got out good, but then went to sleep for about a lap. She then ran strong the last half of the race, but it was apparent after the race she was not happy with her race.

Hayley sets new PR in the 800

Hayley Mancini came back more determined in the MS 800. She did not get a great start, getting cut off early in the race and was nearly last in the large field. She did not get discouraged and continued to move up the entire race, finishing strong with a new PR of 2:33. Click here to view video.

DMR team of Carter, Meghan, Hailey, & Jordan

After Carter ran the freshman 800 she had about an hour before taking the baton from Meghan Hundley in the DMR. Jordan ran the first leg and got taken out a little too fast, going out in 67. It would have been perfect if she was running the 800, but sadly she was running the 1200. Each of the girls managed to move the team up one place and the girls finished almost exactly as they were seeded. They also got to experience the smoke and flashing lights. It was Meghan's first experience at NB Nationals and she did a great job of keeping her composure. Carter ran a decent 800, especially considering her limited recovery time. Hailey Hodson ran another impressive 1600, running 5:15.64 and Meghan Hundley ran a 58.53 on her leg of the 400, her fastest relay split of the season. Video here.

4 x 400 runs 2nd fastest time

The last event of the four day meet was the 4 x 400. Everyone was evidently tired, but the girls rallied and ran the second fastest time ever by a Western Albemarle team. They set the school record at Dogwood in perfect conditions. So to finish the season with a 3:58.56 was outstanding. Meghan Hundley got us out well and Hailey kept us in the race. Jordan Stone ran her fastest split of the season, running 59.83. Carter brought it home running a 57.22. Click here for the video of their race.

Why it's best not to run in lane "0"

If you've ever heard me complain about runners running in lane 0, take note of this picture. If you get in the habit of running in lane 0 in practice and small meets, this could be your future. This particular girl went down hard. No doubt she spraigned that ankle. So just remember, while it is good to run near the inside line, running on it is never a good idea.

Middle School Enjoys a Meet of their Own

4 x 800 Finishes 3rd

The team of Olivia Blakey, Amelia Hodson, Dorothy Streit, and Sofia Montini took third in the 4 x 800 at The Timberwolf meet in Midlothian this past weekend. The runners all averaged 3:00 per leg to run 11:56.74. Winnie Torrence ran an amazing time in the 100 dash to place third, running 14.39 in a stack field. Winsor came back in the 400 to slice an amazing 9 seconds from her time from just a couple of weeks ago.

Hayley Mancini Qualifies for Nationals

Hayley came down from Harrisonburg to get some good competition to help push her to qualify for NB nationals. She went after it in the 1600 and fell just a few seconds short, placing 4th in 5:47.11. She was not deterred and came back in the 800 and qualified by running a 2:38.74!

The pair of Becket and Elliot ran solid times in the 1600, running 6:17 and 6:44 respectively. This was a first time for Beckett in the 1600. Elliott knocked off 23 seconds from his previous best. Beckett came back in the 800 with newcomer Colin Pipkin to run 2:57.17 and 2:59.87. Beckett managed to shave off a few tenths which is impressive since last time he ran this event fresh. Colin did an amazing job, especially since he just joined us this past week.

Middle School Team Opens up at Monelison Invitational

The Middle School team got their first meet in at Amherst. We had many great performances, especially considering this was the first meet of the season. Dorothy Streit may have had the most exciting race of the meet, having to duke it out with a runner in the final straight away of the 1600. Dorothy made a dive at the line which got her the win and a little banged up. Thanks to Maia Ritter for helping to bandage her up.

In that same race Sofia Montini placed third. In the boys race Brady Sowers and Elliot Newell placed 6th and 7th.

Olivia Blakey leads a Crew in the 800

Olivia Blakey has some experience in track as she's been on the AAU circuit for the past several years. She placed 3rd in the 800 and led a huge group of runners from Crozet Crew. Kinley Callihan was 5th, Alex Thiele was 6th, Maddie Fritts was 8th, Tenley Kramer was 9th, and Sophia Cook was 17th out of the 30 runners competing in that event.

Sarah Jane Broadbent finishes 3rd

In the 400, we also had several girls who finished in the top half of the field. There were 40 girls in that event and Crozet Crew took 3rd, 12th Amelia Hodson, 14th Cameron Huynh, 18th Winsor Torrence, and 23rd with Maya Reed.

Sarah Jane came back in the 200 to finish 8th, Natalie Wildermuth finished 12th and Ava Rogers finished 38th out of the 44 runners.

Finleigh Broadbent finished 12th out of the 49 runners in the 100.

In the boys 800, Beckett finished 13th out of 28 runners in that event. Cade McCall got some good experience in the 100 and 200.

Dorothy, Sofia, S-J, & Liv finish 1st

The relay team of Dorothy, Sofia, S-J, and Liv, finished first in the 4 x 400 all running strong legs.

Winsor, Alex, Kinley, & Amelia placed 4th

The two 6th graders teamed with two 8th graders to place 4th out of the 9 teams.

Sofia, Finleigh, Ava & Natalie

This group of 4 placed 8th, which was a hard double for Sophia, Natalie and Ava, coming back from the 800 or 200. With no 3200, there was not much rest before they raced again.

Tenley, Maya, Maddie & Cameron place 6th

This was the third of three teams from Crozet Crew in the top 6. Definitly lots of depth in this group.

Cade, Elliot, Brady and Becket place 5th

In the boys 4 x 400, the boys team ran strong. Most of the guys are more suited for distance, but it is always good to work on some speed.

While I was so sorry to miss this first meet, I heard great things about the runners as far as sportsmanship. I appreciate all the parents chipping in to help get the kids there. Big thanks to the Hodson's for guest coaching. Hailey Hodson seems ready to take over my job at a moment's notice. Not at all surprised. Super proud of the work these athletes are putting in. Can't wait to see them race.

Adidas Nationals

Western sent the 4 x 200 team, Maddie Hill in the freshman 60m, Caroline Hill and Klarisa Amos in the high jump and triple jump and Elizabeth Strobach in the pole vault to Adidas Nationals in Virginia Beach.

The 4 x 200 team had some bad luck during the second hand-off where the baton was knocked out of Emmy Batista's hand. Jordan Henderson and Maddie Hill got things off to a good start, but then Emmy had to pick up the baton and lost more than 5 seconds doing so. Meghan Hundley ran a blazing last split of 26.75, but the team finished well back of their usual. Meghan came back to finish 19th in the 400 in 60.55.

In the Freshman 60 m dash, Maddie Hill ran an 8.42 which converts to a 7.85 in the 55 m. She finished 16th out of the 31 finishers. In the Pole Vault, Elizabeth Strobach finished 10th in the National Elite section, vaulting 11-5.75.

In the the high jump Klarisa Amos and Caroline Hill finished 11th, clearing 4-10.25. They also competed in the triple jump where Caroline finished 16th and Klarisa 33rd out of 50 jumpers.

This was the first time at any type of Nationals for most of this crew and they all gained valuable experience.

4 x 800 Caps off Nationals with a 9 second season best in the 4 x 800!

Hodson Hodson led off almost tying her season best despite being boxed in for 2 of the 4 laps. She finally broke out and took the lead in no time. She did a great job all weekend staying focused and getting pumped up for all three of her races. Her competitive nature is infectious and we appreciate her ability to set the tone of each relay.

Jordan Stone ran a strong leg to keep the team near the front managing to float around the track without conflict. We may have to start calling her untouchable. She had an amazing weekend. The coaches couldn't be happier to have her as the calming influence on the team always staying so humble.

AJ Torrence, ran a spectacular leg, running a 4 second personal best to split 2:25.59. Her last 100 she hit a turbo speed we have never seen out of AJ. It was thrilling to see her come alive on the big stage and to see her handle it with resolve. She was determined to get the job done and it showed.

Carter Torrence ran her season best relay leg, splitting 2:20.23 putting us back in front and shutting the door at 9:29.86. What an outstanding meet she had. Each race she became more and more relaxed and it was nice to see her enjoying herself on the last day.

The next heat finished and still our time had not been beat. We would have finished somewhere in the middle of the third heat, and even beat one team in the top heat. Next year's goal . . . Make that top heat. We finished 16th out of the 43 teams entered. A nine second season best and just 0.5 seconds off the school record which was set at NB Nationals in 2017 at The Armory.

Carter Torrence Places 6th in the Freshman 800 with Personal Best

In Carter's third race of the weekend, she competed in The Freshman 800, running a 2:19.07, placing 6th from the second to last heat. She ran a smart race, going out conservative in 69.4, coming back in 69.7. She is still figuring out how to race that distance and there is no doubt in my mind that she will be threatening that outdoor record this spring. That school record was set by Tasmin Fanning who ended up running for Virginia Tech, finishing 3rd in the NCAA Division 1 XC Championships in 2008 and also making it to the finals in the 5000 at The Olympic Trials in 2008.

Strobach and Fitzwater have Strong Performances at Nationals

Elizabeth and Raina made the trip to Boston and got to see what it was like to vault with some of the best vaulters in the nation. Senior, Elizabeth Strobach, matched her personal best, vaulting in the midst of music playing, pyrotechnics, and non-stop hype going on all around her. She kept her focus and ended up finishing 23rd out of the 40 vaulters competing. Raina cleared 11-6 and gained some valuable experience which will server her well in the future as she is just a sophomore and has several more opportunities to compete at the High School level.

4 x Mile Sets School Record!

Emma, Hailey, Jordan & Grace Post Race

If you told me that we would lose the top two milers from last year's team and still run faster this year in the 4 x Mile, I may not have believed it possible, but that is just what they did. Grace Cook took it out splitting a 5:22.64, Last year she ran a 5:27.82 at Adidas, which was a 1600. It convert to a 5:29.72. She ran a full 7 seconds faster this year. I say this to highlight the point that you compare where you are now to where you were this time last year in order to really see your growth. Both Grace and Hailey ran the 4 x 1600 last year and they were both approximately 7 seconds faster this year. That is part of what made the difference in this year's team.

The other part was the fact that the entire team ran within 1.2 seconds of each other. So we had a more balanced team.

Keeping it Fun!

Another big boost came from senior, Jordan Stone. She had only run the mile or 1600 twice in all her high school running career. Her PR was 5:45, but after running such a strong 1000 at the state meet, we knew she was up for the challenge. She ended up running the fastest split in 5:20.76. Emma also ran a strong leg, after running 6.5 seconds faster than last year's MS time at Adidas in her open mile, (with the conversion), she came back and split a 5:22.95 in the relay. Just running two solid races after being away from racing 4 months is impressive, but to run a personal best just gives you an idea of how hard Emma plays when she plays basketball. It was a pleasure to watch the girls race and move up with each leg.

The final time was 21:28.10 which now stands as the School Record.

Hailey led off averaging just under 77 seconds per 400 DMR finishes 19th out of 35 in The Championship division

Hailey led off averaging just under 77 seconds per 400 for 1200 meters.

Next came Carter who was just a blur in the 400, running an amazing 57.21 and passing two teams. Next came Carter who was just a blur in the 400, running an amazing 57.21 and passing two teams.

Jordan ran a 2:22.17 for the 800 leg and since she moved us up to first in our heat, we got to hear our name a lot! I think the announcer just enjoyed how it rolls off the toungue. Jordan ran a 2:22.17 for the 800 leg and since she moved us up to first in our heat, we got to hear our name a lot! I tJordan ran a 2:22.17 for the 800 leg and since she moved us up to first in our heat, we got to hear our name a lot! I think the announcer just enjoyed how it rolls off the toungue. hink the announcer just enjoyed how it rolls off the toungue.

Grace got a little excited and went out at sub 800 pace. Only problem, she was running a 1600. She held on admirably, running 5:22.67. Grace got a little excited and went out at sub 800 pace. Only problem, she was running a 1600. She held on admirably, running 5:22.67.

The team had a great experience and we saw some solid racing out of them. One thing we can say is they are not afraThe team had a great experience and we saw some solid racing out of them. One thing we can say is they are not afraid to get after it, no matter what the competition is like. id to get after it, no matter what the competition is like.

After warming down and a team photo shoot, the girls were able to have some fun, and so did their parents. Grace and the girls hustled their way into a game of pool as everyone got a much deserved meal and some time to unwind. Only one race for Saturday and that will be the 4 x Mile.

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