Cougar track continues on end of season surge

The Pulaski County Track & Field team continued its strong end of season surge Wednesday night at the Blacksburg Quad, highlighted by a historic performance from junior standout Anius Slaughter.

 

Anius Slaughter
Anius Slaughter

Slaughter delivered one of the biggest moments in recent program history, launching the discus 162-8.5 to break the Pulaski County school record previously held by Diego Turner at 157-9. The massive throw earned Slaughter first place and moved him to the top of the Region rankings while climbing to No. 2 overall in Virginia Class 3A.

 

The historic mark represented a major breakthrough for the Cougar thrower. Entering the meet with a season best of 146-4, Slaughter exploded for more than a 16 foot improvement in one evening, cementing himself as one of the state’s premier championship contenders heading into the postseason.

 

Pulaski County also saw impressive performances across the track and field events.

 

Jackson Squires led the Cougar sprinters with a third-place finish in the 100 meter dash in 11.10! Squires later teamed up with the Pulaski County 4×100 relay squad to capture first place in 44.26. Silas Sweet also added a strong 11.43 effort in the 100 meter dash.

 

In the middle distance events, Alex Flores claimed the 800 meter title with an impressive 2:01.40, while Carson Richardson placed fourth in the same event. Cecil Black added a fifth place finish in the 1600 meter run with a time of 4:54.94.

 

Jayden Aviles continued his strong season in the hurdles, placing fourth in the 300 meter hurdles in 44.42, while Braxton Merchant cleared 6-2 for third place in the high jump.

 

The Cougar throwers delivered another strong overall performance behind Slaughter. Kingston McKinnon earned sixth place in the discus with a throw of 124-5, while Colin Wright placed fifth in the shot put with a mark of 41-11.

 

On the girls side, Nina Bucey-Card led the Lady Cougars with a third-place finish in the 800 meter run in 2:39.79 and a seventh-place finish in the 400 meter dash. Olivia King contributed in multiple events, placing fourth in the high jump while also scoring in the hurdles and jumps.

 

Saige Hutton added another top finish for Pulaski County with a fourth place performance in the discus at 97-11.

 

The regular season is officially over, and the stage is set for history to be made. Don’t miss the Region 3D Championship on Thursday, May 28!