Blacksburg boys cross country: Continuing the legacy
BLACKSBURG, Va. — The Fall of 2022 marked a monumental milestone for the men of the Blacksburg High School Cross Country team. Few in the state of Virginia could predict what would happen, but the Bruins of Blacksburg felt sure of their future the moment their season started on June 6th. For six days a week during the summer and fall, this group worked tirelessly with two communal goals in mind. First, they had their sights set on a state championship victory, a feat that had not been accomplished since 2016. While Blacksburg won the state championship in 2016, it was accomplished in VHSL Class 3. Since then Blacksburg has moved to the more difficult classification of VHSL Class 4. Their state victory would have to be achieved in this now more difficult classification. Second, the team wanted to be more than Class 4 champions – they wanted to be the best team across all classifications in the entire State of Virginia. Lofty goals set by realistic hard workers.
Throughout the 2022 season, the men won meet after meet including the Knights Crossing Invitational, the Oatlands Invitational which set the record for the largest Cross Country race ever run on Virginia soil, and the MileStat Invitational that hosted over 100 teams. After these regular season meets, the predictions around the state began to change. Maybe there was something to this Blacksburg team after all. Regular season meets and invitational meets are all well and good, but did the men of Blacksburg have what it took to win a state championship? The answer was given on November 12, 2022. The Bruins won with a team score of 64 points, and team average of 16:49 on the infamously hilly 5k course, leaving no doubt in the minds of many that Blacksburg was a force to be reckoned with. Alongside the men, the women of Blacksburg were also crowned state champions in 2022, stunning the loaded field.
Just a few weeks later, MileStat.com, Virginia鈥檚 cross country ranking website, published their annual Cross Country awards and rankings. The winner of the best team in the state of Virginia across both genders and all classifications, and the cherry on top for their season: the Bruin Men of Blacksburg.
The team built upon this success through the following Indoor and Outdoor Track seasons. Athletes ran impressive times, and races were won, but at the end of the 22-23 school year the team experienced their fiercest challenge yet – graduation. Though Blacksburg was the best team in the state of Virginia in 2022, they graduated 4 of their top 7 runners (a typical cross country race is limited to 7 athletes). Among these 4 athletes were three all-state runners including the reigning individual state champion. To some, this would seem a nearly insurmountable loss, but not to the Blacksburg Cross Country men.
Despite losing the majority of their fastest varsity athletes, the Bruins of Blacksburg were determined to accomplish two new goals. First, they wanted to be repeat State Champions. Second, they wanted to be even better than their team last year. The team saw vast improvements throughout their rigorous summer and fall training. Perhaps surprising to some, but not to the Bruins, the team once again won the Knights Crossing and Oatlands Invitational regular season meets. However, an impressive performance by Charlottesville High School at the MileStat Invitational caused Blacksburg to see their first loss to any Virginia team in two years. There was a new number one team in the state, and they hailed from Charlottesville. Better even still, this team was in the same Virginia Classification as Blacksburg which meant one thing – the two teams would see each other again. Shortly after this loss, Blacksburg and Charlottesville battled at their Region Championship. In truly epic fashion, Charlottesville edged out Blacksburg once again by the closest margin possible, a one point victory.
While the Bruins were disappointed, their disappointment did not outweigh their determination to see their goals through to the very end. Nothing had changed. There was still a mission to accomplish, and nothing would stop the Bruins from finishing what they started.
November 11th, 2023. State meet day. The number one team in the state, Charlottesville, toes the line with the defending champions, Blacksburg. The shotgun fires and two teams rush to the front of the field. A sea of 7 bright orange singlets of Charlottesville lead the pack in front of the entirety of the Blacksburg squad. The group disappears into the woods, and coaches and fans of both teams are left waiting for a mile and a half of the race to see who would emerge first. The runners appear, and the orange has been replaced by the inconspicuous black, blue and gold of Blacksburg as the Bruins have taken over. With a half mile to go in the race, it was evident to all that Blacksburg was back on top.
The men of the Blacksburg High School Cross Country team were crowned as the State Champions 2023 with a team score of 52 points and a team average of 16:32, both better marks than their 2022 victory. Several weeks later, they were deemed the best team in the state of Virginia across both genders and all classifications. Simply put, the Blacksburg High School Cross Country men are the best runners in Virginia for two years in a row. The team returns 6 of their top 7 runners next year, and they are more determined than ever to continue their established legacy.
*Along with men’s and women’s cross country winning the state title in November 2022, Coach Stephen Howard was awarded Virginia Coach of the Year.
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