Jessica Hoerter
BRISTOL, Va. — The cross country teams from Chilhowie and Marion showcased their talent and determination at the 17th Annual Randy Smith Classic held at Sugar Hollow Thursday.
Somervell Shines for Lady Warriors
Chilhowie senior Tess Somervell demonstrated her prowess on the challenging Sugar Hollow course with a 21:28 time, earning her an impressive 14th place overall in the girls varsity race. Somervell’s strong performance sets the stage for her upcoming appearances in the Hogoheegee District championships and the VSHL 1A Region D race at the end of October.
Marion’s Bruzzo-Morello, Hoerter Look Strong
Juniors Domenic Bruzzo-Morello and Ruby Hoerter ran strong races for the Scarlet Hurricanes at Sugar Hollow, both securing top 20 finishes.
Bruzzo-Morello finished strong with a time of 17:00, securing 13th place in the varsity boys’ race. Hoerter claimed 19th place in the girls varsity race with a time of 22:10. As Marion approaches the Southwest District and VSHL 2A Region D races later this month, both Bruzzo-Morello and Hoerter continue to display their talent as being post-season hopefuls.
Lady Warrior Highlights
For the Chilhowie varsity girls team, other runners competing at the Randy Smith Classic were sophomore Kendyl Gross finishing with a time of 25:46, securing the 82nd position. Sophomore Tori Blackwell clocked in at 27:41, taking the 105th spot, and sophomore Madison Gwinn claimed 144th place with a time of 30:48.
Team Effort from Chilhowie Boys
On the boys’ side, Chilhowie secured 21st place overall, with juniors Lucas Hubble and JT Moore leading the team. Hubble posted a strong time of 18:44, earning him 78th place, while Moore secured 103rd place with a time of 19:16.
The rest of the Chilhowie boys varsity team showcased their teamwork and commitment, with senior Mason Lee (19:44) at 121st place, sophomore Bryson Kelly (20:01) at 131st. Three juniors completed Chilhowie’s team effort: Edgar Bal (22:33) at 206th, Mason Adams (23:10) at 219th, and Nate Thomas (25:47) at 256th.
Lady Canes Show Grit
For the Marion varsity girls team, other runners competing at the Randy Smith Classic were were junior Alexa Blevins (29:10) taking 125th place, junior Gracie Widener (30:51) finishing in 146th place, and junior Emily Hash (31:42) coming in at 150th place.
Scarlet Hurricane Boys Show Promise
On the boys’ side, the Scarlet Hurricane team secured a 14th place team finish. Supporting Bruzzo-Morello (17:00) were two juniors Elijah Wheatley (18:21) who came in 63rd and Alex Armbrister (18:22) who placed 64th. Senior Wyatt Hall (20:12) worked hard with a 139th-place finish, while junior Will Burkett (20:33) followed closely at 149th. Marion’s complete effort continued with juniors Collin Cregger (23:02) at 217th, Josh Marousek (25:17) at 252nd, and Jonathan Barbrow (26:06) at 261st.
