BLACKSBURG, Va. – If you visit www.milestat.com, a tool used by runners and teams all over Virginia, you’ll find two familiar Blacksburg high school names.
Alistair Bushey and Audrey Link lead the state in the 2000 meter run.
“We do our 2K race, the Blacksburg Relays, every year. Not many other schools, even in the country, do that," Bushey said. “I just wanted to go out and beat everyone who was running it, everyone else who was at Blacksburg Relays. And I did so I was like, ‘Cool.’”
Though the 2000 meter race isn’t offered at most meets, the fast times add some motivation and prove how speedy the Bruins are.
“I think it was really good to help work our speed and the hills and take them fast, 'cause our course is really hilly,” Link said. “I think it was good to work with that in a shorter place where we wouldn’t have to worry as much about having the endurance to carry it on during a 5K.”
This weekend, Blacksburg will load the bus to head to the VHSL Class 4-6 State Meet. They hope to come home with a couple trophies.
“I’m hoping to have the chance to fight for the podium spot top two as a team,” head coach Brandon Bear said. “I don’t know if we will quite get there, but we’re going into the state meet with hope, grit, and see what we can do about it.”
“I think as a team it’s going to be pretty close coming into the season,” senior Kaitlynn Wolfe added. “We were a lot farther back but we’ve done a lot better this year than we were supposed to, because our girls have improved a lot. So it’s going to be exciting how we do at states.”