Holman & Custer Bring State Track Gold Home to Mason

FCNP.com

2014-06-09in

Mason runner Truman Custer takes the baton to the finish, with a PR for his split, and a new school record – 8:24.37 – in the 4x800 relay for second place at the Virginia High School League state meet last weekend. Custer placed first in the boys 800-meter run and set a new school record –1:56.81. (Photo: Courtesy Carol Sly) — Mason runner Truman Custer takes the baton to the finish, with a PR for his split, and a new school record – 8:24.37 – in the 4×800 relay for second place at the Virginia High School League state meet last weekend. Custer placed first in the boys 800-meter run and set a new school record –1:56.81. (Photo: Courtesy Carol Sly)

George Mason High School was represented by 21 athletes who competed at the Virginia High School League state meet in Radford last Friday and Saturday. On their strong performances, the Mason varsity girls track team finished third and the boys finished eighth at the meet. The Mason competitors also earned 14 medals, including gold for two first-place finishes, and set five new school records.

Truman Custer earned gold in the boys 800-meter run and set a new school record, finishing in 1:56.81. Tara Holman earned gold in the girls 100-meter dash (12.57). Holman also medaled in the girls 200-meter dash, finishing in 26.57 for fifth place. She qualified for the race with a 26.08 performance that set a new school record. She also medaled in the girls 400-meter dash, finishing in 1:02.87 and earning seventh place.

Truman Custer also anchored the boys 4×800 relay for second place. The 4×800 relay team of Preston Custer, Truman Custer, John Marshall, and James Schneider finished the race in 8:24.37 for a new school record. The boys 4×400 relay team of Preston Custer, Truman Custer, Jacob Plata, and James Schneider placed third in 3:32.34, their season’s best time. Preston Custer, Truman’s brother, also medaled by placing fifth in the boys 800-meter run, finishing the race in 2:01.07.

The girls 4×800 relay team of Isabelle Kessler, Kaitlin Kutchma, Sarah Macris, and Blaise Sevier also broke a school record, finishing in 10:11.32 for third place. Blaise Sevier also placed third in the girls 800-meter run, finishing the race in 2:21.55. The girls 4x400m relay team of Isabelle Kessler, Sarah Macris, Mia Sawyer, and Blaise Sevier placed fifth in their season’s best time, 4:14.04. Also placing fifth in their events were Isabelle Kessler in the girls 800-meter run (2:28.43) and Elizabeth Ward in the girls 1,600-meter run (5:37.08). Vicky Addo-Ashong’s performance in the girls 100-meter hurdles for fifth place (16.11) broke a school record. Sarah Macris placed sixth in the girls 800-meter run (2:30.92).

The Mason girls team placed third behind Brunswick and Maggie Walker high schools, as it had at regionals. The Mason boys team improved on its regional finish (11th) with an eighth-place finish at states behind Maggie Walker, Brunswick, Marion, Battle, Prince Edward, Amelia, and Dan River high schools.