The Glenvar and Salem indoor track teams were back on the oval and pits last weekend as Glenvar attended the Liberty Premier Invitational at Liberty University in Lynchburg and the Spartans were in Salem at the East Coast Elite “Pajama Invitational” at Roanoke College.
Glenvar’s Joey Loder had an outstanding day of competition in Lynchburg. He took second place overall in the boys 55 hurdles, breaking his own school record with a new PR of 7.53. Joey also came in 10th out of 173 athletes in the boys 300 dash, breaking the school record held by Colby Thompson with a new PR of 35.73. Joey is now 21st in the nation with his time in the 55 hurdles.
The GHS girls’ 4×800 team of Anna Hall, Lauren Smith, Kailee McDonald and Rayya Bryson stepped onto the track for the first time this season and qualified for states, taking seventh overall with a time of 10:55.73.
“This meet was a strong turnout of nearly 1,500 athletes, with many high-quality performances,” said Glenvar coach Bekka Loder. “This caliber of meet helps set the tone for our athletes to push themselves to a higher level. We had seven athletes set new PRs and two new school records.”
At RC the Salem boys’ 4×200 relay team of DeVon Jones, Nicolas Baxley, Tristen Noel and Aedon Wiley took first place and the 4×400 relay team with the same four Spartans was second. Jones was second in the 1,000 hurdles while John Stovall and Austin Prosser took second and third in the 1,000 meter run. The boys 4×800 relay of Grant Horner, Thomas Scharp, Stovall and Prosser was fourth.
For the girls, Audrey Harmon, McKenzie Eversole, Olivia Huff and Alayah Copney combined to take a fourth in the 4×400 relay. Harmon was sixth in the 500 dash.
The Spartans and Highlanders will be at Liberty University this Saturday for the Walt Bass High School Invitational and Glenvar will also send athletes to the Virginia Showcase meet in Virginia Beach.
