After starting off slow in Bull Run District dual meets, the George Mason High School varsity girls track team looks poised to make a run down the stretch and, if last Saturday’s Caroline High School Invitational is any indication, the revamped Mustangs are on a steady path of improvement.

After forgoing some of the team's previous meets at head coach Bianca White's suggestion, senior Susanna Sullivan returned to the track and exerted her dominance instantly, winning the 3200m run by nearly 40 seconds. Joining Sullivan atop the Mason leader board was fellow senior Karina Robarge, who finished in a tie for second in the 100m hurdles and fifth in the 300m hurdles.

Sophomore Chantal Thomas narrowly edged Robarge in the 300m, taking fourth by .17 seconds. Thomas also finished fifth in the high jump and 13th in the 100m hurdles. Senior Amelia Nystrom rounded out the strong depth of the Mustang hurdlers, taking ninth in the 100m and 18th in the 300m.

Chantel Bailey finished third in the 400m dash and 11th in the 100m dash, a feat for the sophomore competing against some of the top AAA and AA runners in the region. Senior Lydia Fairfax rounded out the meet by taking 14th in the 1600m run and 17th in the 800m run. In a solid all-around team effort, the 4x400m relay team placed third out of nine teams.

On the boys' side, Sam Parker finished 18th in the 1600m run, while senior Will Douthitt placed 13th in the 3200m. Senior Yusof Becker, back after his state-qualifying season last year, took 13th in the 110m hurdles and 17th in the 300m hurdles. Matt Geurtsen hurled his way to an eighth-place finish in the discus and a 14th-place finish in the shot put.

The Mustangs returned to district action on Wednesday against Rappahannock High School in Rappahannock, Va. Results were not available at press time. This weekend, Sullivan will compete in the prestigious Southern Track Classic, a meet featuring many of the top runners from across the entire southern United States.

Clarification: Last week's article on the Mason High track team suggested that Susanna Sullivan may miss time due to injury. While she was held out of several meets as a precaution by Mason Head Coach Bianca White, she has returned to competition and is expected to participate in the remainder of Mason's meets.