CLASS 3 STATE TRACK & FIELD: Falcons reign supreme

The Falcons won the VHSL Class 3 state track and field girls team title Saturday on the campus of Liberty University as a group of versatile athletes led a balanced attack.

AHS finished with 66 points, outdistancing second-place finisher Charlottesville’s total of 49 1/3. Maggie Walker (37) placed third.

It marked the first outright state track and field state title for Abingdon’s girls as they were Group AA co-champs with Harrisonburg in 1994.

The Washington County school almost made it a clean sweep as the boys finished runner-up to Tabb by a mere 6 ½ points.

The female Falcons only had one individual state champ – senior Makaleigh Jessee in the 3,200 – but the overall depth provided by 13 state qualifiers helped AHS clinch the team title well before the meet was over.

“The score was looking close all day, but as we neared the end of the meet we realized that we had enough points to win regardless of the events that still remained,” Jessee said.

Jessee won the 3,200 in 10:56.67, dominating the race and blitzing the field. Skyline’s Ava Bordner was runner-up in 11:18.79.

Jessee was hoping to come home with three gold medals.

She was on Friday’s 4×800 team that placed second and finished fifth in the 1,600 in 5:09.74.

“Overall, I am slightly disappointed in my performance at the state meet,” Jessee said. “On the first day our 4×800 meter relay team faced a tough loss, giving us a rocky start to the weekend. Things looked up at the beginning of day two as I was able to win the 3,200 in the morning, however, the 1,600 didn’t go as I had planned. Before the 3,200 it was announced that a major schedule change would take place due to incoming weather later in the day, meaning I had a shorter turnaround between my two events. Because of this, I felt a bit tired going into the 1,600 and was unable to fulfill the goals I had set for that race.”

However, Abingdon still was strong enough to claim the team crown.

John Battle transfer Jada Samuel finished runner-up in the 300 hurdles (46.06 seconds) and was third in the 100 hurdles with a time of 11.23 seconds.

I had a rough start in the 100 hurdles running one of my slower times of the season,” Samuel said. “After that, I knew I had to make up for it in my 300 hurdles race. … It’s a great feeling to be a part of this team and something so special that it can be described as a dynasty. Even though I have only been a part of this team for a little over 4 months, they have made such a huge impact on my life and track and field career.”

Chloe Odum was second in the long jump with a top leap of 18-02 ½.

“I felt pretty happy about how I did,” Odum said. “My legs in both relays felt pretty solid, but the highlight for me personally was my long jump. I finally hit 18 feet again and moved up a couple of places in the rankings. Also, I ended up getting a new school record in that event, which I was super excited about. … I feel super lucky to be surrounded by so many talented athletes on one team. I feel like we all have different strengths, but we come together toward one goal, which is pretty incredible.”

The 4×400 relay team of Chloe Odum, Taylor Odum, Samuel and Josie Jackson (third, 4:10.23), Amanda Ferrante (third, 3,200, 11:28.19 & seventh, 800, 2:26.00), Josie Jackson (sixth, 800, 2:25.59) and the 4×100 relay team of Lenzie Blackman, Mya Hopson, Riley Cvetkofvksi and Chloe Odum (50.93 seconds) also had top-eight finishes on Saturday. That came after Ellie Ruble’s sixth-place showing in the discus and the 4×800 relay team’s second-place placing the day before.

“I think what put us over the top were the points that we weren’t expecting,” Jessee said. “Where some of us lost points, others were able to make them up. I’ve never seen a team as determined and dedicated as ours, even in the toughest circumstances. Although we have had many accomplished athletes come through our program, I believe that talent has played a small role in our success. What truly sets us apart is our hard work combined with our exceptional group of individuals. I couldn’t have asked for a better team to wrap up my final season.”

Meanwhile, Jack Bundy led the way for Abingdon’s boys as the Falcons came painstakingly close to a team crown.

AHS held a 1 ½ point lead over Tabb entering the final event, but a second-place finish in the 4×800 clinched the team title for the Tigers.

Bundy won the 800 in 1:57.50 as he beat Tabb’s Davin Tietz (1:58.85) to the finish line.

“My last race was the perfect ending to my high school career,” Bundy said. “Going into the race I knew I was going to leave it all out there to try and finally get an individual title. I planned to take the lead with 400 meters to go and hopefully hold on for the win. Four years ago I set a goal to win an individual state championship. I never could’ve imagine it would come down to my last high school race or be the 800-meter distance.”

“Going into the race, I was seeded as the favorite,” Bundy said. “However, when I crossed the line, I could hardly believe I had won. I have finished second place at the state meet a total of five times in my track career, so it’s safe to that I was relieved and overjoyed to finally finish first.”

Bundy was second in the 1,600 in 4:21.71.

Rives Boltwood (fourth, 3,200, 9:37.68 & fifth, 1,600, 4:34), Gregory Poisson (eighth, 3,200, 9:49.03) and Noah Gilliam (seventh, discus, 126-02) also had notable showings Saturday. On Friday, the 4×800 relay team from Abingdon comprised of Boltwood, Bundy, Teddy Pillion and Bramley Childress won it all.

Abingdon had lost some serious talent to graduation following the 2022 title, but still almost achieved the repeat.

“For me, it’s been awesome to watch our track program blossom into one of the best in the state,” Bundy said. “When I first joined the team as a freshman we were hardly competing for the district title. By my senior year, we were left feeling a little disappointed and sour after a second-place finish at the state meet. Our program has come a long way in a short time thanks to our wonderful coaches. … We’ve been able to build a deep program off of the foundations of doing the simple things right and working harder than everyone else.”

Abingdon’s boys achieved the rare Triple Crown during the 2021-22 school year by winning team titles in cross country, indoor track and outdoor track.

As for the 2022-23 school year, the Abingdon girls were the marquee squad. The Falcons won the girls cross country team title back in November, while finishing as runner-up in the team standings in indoor track and claiming the first-place trophy on Saturday.

The Tennessee Tech-bound Jessee finished her career with three individual state championships and was a centerpiece of two state team crowns.

“It was such an amazing experience to be a part of the Abingdon running program these past few years. Seeing the boys team win the triple crown last year gave everyone a lot of motivation to step out of the shadow that had been cast on the Abingdon girls for decades,” Jessee said. “Being able to watch our special group of athletes succeed has been more than exciting and I can’t wait to continue to support the program as I transition to my college career.”