The Glenvar Track Club competed in the 2nd Annual Virginia Middle School State Championships last Saturday at Deep Run High School in Glen Allen, Virginia. Salem was well represented as several local standouts wrapped up their season against some of the top middle school athletes in the state.
Salem’s own Ava Poindexter battled rainy conditions and elite competition to capture two state titles, winning the high jump with a leap of 5’0” and dominating the 100-meter hurdles in 16.53. Ava also earned state runner-up honors in the 300 hurdles with a time of 50.53 and received All-State honors with a fourth-place finish in the triple jump (32-8.5).
The Glenvar girls’ team earned a third-place overall finish. Reese Bodigon ran a personal-best 1:05.28 in the 400-meter dash to place 10th overall, while Mylea Williams finished 14th in the shot put with a throw of 29-0.5. Maya Poindexter also contributed strong performances, placing 21st in both the 400-meter dash and long jump.
On the boys’ side, Jaxson Kuzmich earned All-State honors in both the 3200-meter run and the 4×800 relay. Kuzmich placed fourth in a highly competitive 3200 while breaking the previous state record with a time of 10:30.54. He also narrowly missed All-State honors in the 1600-meter run, finishing seventh in 4:59.06.
The boys 4×800 relay team of Matthew Gard, Sawyer Austin, and twin brothers Jaxson and Bryson Kuzmich also earned All-State honors with a fourth-place finish. Glenvar’s Zack Smith placed eighth in the shot put with a throw of 41 feet, 6 inches. Joshua Foster and Landon Hill also represented Salem with pride and strong performances throughout the meet.
