By Jessica Hoerter
In a showcase of high school running talent, Sugar Hollow Park hosted the Hogoheegee and Southwest District Championships. Marion’s boys secured the runner-up position in Southwest competition, while Chilhowie’s cross-country prowess took center stage in the Hogoheegee.
Marion’s boys secure second place, Hoerter and Bruzzo-Morello shine in all-district performance
In a close battle in the Southwest District, the Marion Scarlet Hurricane boys cros country team battled to a second place team finish with a one point win over Virginia High.
But it wasn’t just team effort that shone for the Hurricanes, individually juniors Ruby Hoerter and Domenic Bruzzo-Morello earned well-deserved spots on the Southwest’s All-District team thanks to their top five finishes. Hoerter’s performance led her to a third-place finish in the girls’ race with a time of 23:09, while Bruzzo-Morello’s 17:42 run earned him fifth place in the boys’ competition.
In the boys’ race for the Hurricanes, Bruzzo-Morello set the pace followed closely by Marion junior Elijah Wheatley (17:57), who made a significant contribution to the boys’ team, securing a top-10 finish and playing a crucial role in the Hurricane boys second-place finish.
Domenic Bruzzo-Morello
Wyatt Hall and Will Burkett
Junior Alex Armbrister (18:39), senior Wyatt Hall (20:30), and junior Will Burkett (20:41) played pivotal roles, finishing 11th, 20th, and 21st, respectively. Gage Stamper (22:51) and Collin Creggar (23:45) also delivered strong performances, clinching 27th and 29th place finishes. These collective efforts propelled the Scarlet Hurricane boys team to the runner-up position.
Coach Susan Hanna expressed her satisfaction with the team’s performance, stating, “We are really pleased with the boys’ team performance. They ran and competed well. We knew it would be close with Virginia High.”
She highlighted the team’s focus on advancing this season and their success in achieving that goal.
Coach Hanna also commended the individual progress, stating, “Many have improved this season. Ruby has pushed herself, and it shows in her times. Domenic is getting faster each race. They both achieved top five at districts, and we can’t wait to see what they achieve next week.”
She further emphasized the growth of junior Elijah Wheatley, saying, “We are also really excited with Elijah’s performances. He PRd again and continues to get closer to Domenic. We knew he would be a strong runner for us from coaching him in track, but we are extremely excited to see how he has developed this season.”
With evident pride, Coach Hanna concluded, “We’re extremely proud of this team and look forward to seeing them next week.”
Additional Scarlet Hurricane runners included Alexa Blevins (28:58) who placed 15th, Emily Hash (30:39) who placed 17th, and Gracie Widener (31:49) who finished 20th in the girls race. On the boys side, Camden Wilcox (27:16) secured the 33rd position, Jonathan Barlow (27:32) placed 34th, and Ethan Veselik (32:34) took the 37th spot.
Chilhowie’s impressive show at Hogoheegee
At the Hogoheegee Cross Country Championships, Chilhowie’s standout runners, Mason Lee and Tess Somervell, delivered remarkable performances. Lee secured victory in the boys’ race with a swift time of 18:36, while Somervell dominated the girls’ competition, finishing with an impressive time of 21:57.
Chilhowie’s boys’ team claimed first place, with junior talents Lucas Hubble (19:04) and JT Moore (19:38) taking second and fourth place, respectively. Sophomore Bryson Kelly (22:37) secured the 11th spot, and junior Nate Thomas (26:17) finished at 20th.
The Warrior girls displayed their strength, with sophomores Tori Blackwell (25:17) and Kendall Gross (25:54) securing the sixth and eighth positions in the girls’ race.
Additional Chilhowie runners included Madison Gwinn (35:11) and Edgar Bal (44:35).
Gwinn finished 19th in the girls’ race, while Bal placed 24th in the boys’ event.
Other area school performances:
In the Hogoheegee Championship boys race, Northwood freshman Jack Cook (21:26) earned a top-ten finish at seventh place, while Northwood’s Shaylee Phillips (27:57) showcased her talent by securing 14th place in the girls’ race.
Strong performances from Rural Retreat
The Hogoheegee Championships also showcased Rural Retreat’s boys and girls teams.
Leading the way for the boys, Talan Hammack delivered a strong performance, securing the sixth position with a time of 20:57. Senior Jacob Howard recorded a time of 23:22, claiming the 13th spot. The team’s tenacity was evident with Michael Hamman (25:28) at 18th, Jayden Winbourne (25:48) at 19th, and Owen Chatterton (26:44) taking the 21st spot.
In the girls’ race, Rural Retreat’s team secured second place overall, thanks to strong performances by Kylea Davis (25:06), Annabelle Fiscus (26:04), and Olivia Crigger (26:27), all finishing in the top ten. Davis clinched the fifth place, while Fiscus and Crigger claimed the ninth and tenth positions, respectively.
Noteworthy performances continued with Olivia Bailey (28:29) securing the 15th position, followed by Lydia Brewer (30:29) at 17th and Elaina Terry (30:31) at 18th.
Coming up
The regional championships for both districts are set for next week, with the VHSL 1A Region D Championships in Grundy and VHSL 2A Region D Championships in Bristol.
