Bison make Region B

NEW MARKET — Buffalo Gap cross country coach Mike Harmon was just about ready to slip quietly into retirement after Wednesday’s Shenandoah District Cross Country meet.

By the slimmest of margins, the Bison boys, primarily first-time runners, made sure that their coach would stay coaching at least one more week.

The Bison scored a team total of 100 points and tied for fourth place with Luray.

Since only four teams qualify for next week’s Region B meet at Panorama Farms near Charlottesville, a tiebreaker between the Bison and the Bulldogs had to be used.

The tiebreaker came down to the place of each team’s sixth place runner. The Gap’s Dillon Harner finished in 31st position, four spots ahead of Luray’s sixth place runner.

“It was a lot closer than it should have been,” Harmon said. “There were only 16 points between second place and fifth place.”

Finishing third ahead of the Bison was Riverheads, which finished with a team total of 86 points.

Leading the Gladiators was sophomore Kenneth Cash, who finished third with a time of 19:29 on the Battlefield course.

“I’m really satisfied with today,” Cash said. “I wanted to get into third position and hold it.”

Cash’s strong finish among a pack of Central runners allowed the Gladiators to also qualify as a team.

Cash was joined on the All-District team by teammate Alston Corbin, who took 12th place.

Also making the All-District team were Buffalo Gap’s Jeremy Sweeney and Hunter Michael, who finished 13th and 14th respectively.

In the girls’ race, Jill Jackson of Riverheads finished third with a time of 23:31. Jackson was joined on the All-District team by teammate Noelia Nunez, who took ninth place and by Buffalo Gap’s Kelly and Grace Sheridan, who finished 11th and 15th respectively. All four Augusta County girls qualified as individuals for the regional meet.

Central dominated the boys race with a team total of 23, while Page County easily won the girls competition. Central’s Cole Baker and Page’s Brittany Powell were the individual winners and each was named Runner of the Year in the district.