Local Track Programs Impress at State Meet; Blacksburg Girls Capture Team Championship

By Britney Hodge

GLEN ALLEN, VA — Local middle school track and field teams impress at the Middle School State Championships hosted at Deep Run High School on May 23, 2026. Competing against many of the top athletes in Virginia, programs from the New River Valley and surrounding areas delivered standout performances throughout the day.

The 2nd Annual Virginia Middle School State Outdoor Track & Field Championships brought together more than 100 teams and over 1,000 athletes from across the state.

The meet featured separate school and club divisions for team scoring, while individual medals and All-State honors were awarded based on combined overall finishes. The top six athletes overall in each event earned All-State recognition before team champions were crowned separately in the school and club divisions.

Blacksburg Girls Capture State Championship

The Blacksburg Middle School girls team rose above the competition to capture the state championship with 52.2 points. Glenvar Track Club also earned a podium finish, placing third overall with 38 points.

Auburn Middle School turned in a strong performance to finish tied for 15th with 16 points, while Dalton Intermediate scored 15 points and Christiansburg Middle School finished tied for 19th with 13 points. Pulaski County Middle School and Giles County each added a point to the team standings.

On the boys’ side, Blacksburg narrowly missed the podium but still secured an impressive fourth place finish with 44 points. Floyd County followed with a strong sixth place finish and 34.5 points. Glenvar Track Club added 16 points, Christiansburg scored 12, and Auburn finished with 8 points.

Blacksburg Packs the Top Ten

Blacksburg showcased its depth throughout the meet with strong performances across the track and field events.

For the boys, Evan Weng led the way with two top-three finishes, placing second in the 300 meter hurdles in 43.94 seconds and third in the 100 meter hurdles in 15.68 seconds. Cameron Edwards powered the field events with a runner-up finish in the discus at 136′ 9½”. He also placed seventh in the shot put at 42′ 2″ and 10th in the triple jump at 34′ 3¼”. Jayden Spencer added a seventh place finish in the triple jump at 35′ 9¾”.

The Blacksburg boys relay teams also delivered strong performances, placing fifth in the 4×400 meter relay in 3:58.09 and sixth in the 4x800nmeter relay in 9:38.23.

The Blacksburg girls matched that success during their championship run. Lydia Buttemere led the scoring effort with a fourth place finish in the 300 meter hurdles in 51.56 seconds, fifth place in the 100 meter hurdles in 17.49 seconds, and seventh in the triple jump at 32′ 4½”.

Sophie Sequeira added a fifth place finish in the 300-meter hurdles in 52.97 seconds. Soomin Kim placed seventh in the 100 meter hurdles in 17.72 seconds and 10th in the 300 meter hurdles in 54.20 seconds, while Cora Knupp finished eighth in the 300 meter hurdles in 54.13 seconds.

In the field events, Gabrielle Reese placed ninth in the discus at 78′ 9½”, and Mary Hendricks cleared 4′ 4″ to finish 10th in the high jump.

The girls relay squads also contributed valuable points, placing seventh in both the 4×100 meter relay in 54.78 seconds and the 4×400 meter relay in 4:33.83.

Glenvar Track Club Powered by Poindexter

Ava Poindexter delivered one of the most impressive performances of the meet for Glenvar Track Club, capturing two individual state championships.

Poindexter won the 100 meter hurdles in 16.53 seconds before claiming another gold medal in the high jump by clearing 5′ 0″. She later added a runner-up finish in the 300 meter hurdles in 50.53 seconds and placed fourth in the triple jump at 32′ 8½”.

On the boys’ side, distance standout Jaxson Kuzmich earned a fourth-place state medal in the 3200 meter run with a time of 10:30.54. Zachary Smith narrowly missed the podium but finished ninth in the shot put with a throw of 41′ 6″.

Glenvar’s boys 4×800 meter relay team also earned a top-five finish, placing fifth overall in 9:35.08.

Floyd County Dominates the Jumps

Floyd County field athletes controlled the jumping events, recording five top 10 finishes to help secure a sixth place team finish.

Waeman Slaughter led the charge with a runner-up finish in the triple jump at 37′ 3″. He also placed fifth in the long jump at 17′ 10¾” and sixth in the high jump at 5′ 4″.

Josiah Underwood joined his teammate on the podium with a third place finish in the long jump at 18′ 2½”. He later added an eighth-place finish in the triple jump at 35′ 5″.

Rylan Lackey rounded out Floyd’s strong showing by clearing 5′ 2″ to place seventh in the high jump and finishing 10th in the long jump at 17′ 0¼”.

On the track, Grayson Harris earned a bronze medal in the boys’ 3200 meter run, finishing third in 10:29.75.

Dalton Intermediate Secures State Medal

Emma Hodge secured a runner-up finish for Dalton Intermediate in the girls’ discus with a throw of 93′ 5¼”. She later added an eighth place finish in the shot put at 32′ 0″.

Dalton’s girls 4×800 meter relay team also competed well against a talented field, placing 10th overall in 11:41.26.

Auburn Excels in Throws and Distance

Eva Gates led Auburn’s throwing squad with a third place finish in the girls’ discus at 90′ 7″ and a fifth place finish in the shot put at 34′ 11″.

Harper Scaggs earned All-State honors in the girls’ 1600 meter run by placing seventh in 5:36.23.

Joseph Oley finished eighth in the boys’ 100 meter hurdles in 18.92 seconds, while Rylan Laci placed seventh in the discus with a throw of 120′ 4″. Brayden Santiago rounded out Auburn’s top performances with a 10th place finish in the boys’ 300 meter hurdles in 50.94 seconds.

Christiansburg Delivers in Distance Events

Christiansburg made its presence felt with strong relay performances and distance results.

The boys’ 4×800 meter relay team placed fourth overall in 9:32.84, while the girls’ 4×800 meter relay squad finished fifth in 10:43.95.

Charles Phillips added a fifth place finish in the boys’ 3200 meter run in 10:37.17.

In the field events, Meya Haley cleared 4′ 6″ to earn a sixth place finish in the high jump before later placing 10th in the triple jump at 30′ 6½”.

Giles Earns State Medal

Giles distance runner Reese Bunker earned a state medal in the girls’ 1600 meter run, placing eighth overall in 5:41.11.

A Historic Day for Local Track and Field

With championship trophies, All-State honors, and dozens of top finishes returning to the New River Valley, the future of local high school track and field programs looks brighter than ever.

Congratulations to all the athletes and coaches on an unforgettable state championship performance.