The Bull Run District track meet was held last Wednesday at Strasburg High School. All eight teams in the District – from Manassas Park, Madison, Rappahannock County, Central, William Monroe, Clark County, Strasburg, and George Mason high schools – competed.

The George Mason High School boys and girls teams entered 44 athletes to run, jump or throw at the meet. Thursday, five boys and 14 girls move on to the Region B meet in East Rockingham.

More than 80 Mason track athletes traveled to Strasburg to cheer on their teammates, even though they were not competing. Parents and coaches filled the sidelines encouraging athletes to their best performances.

The Mason girls team placed second overall in the district, and second in a dramatically close finish in the 4×100 relay. The girls 4×100 relay broke the old meet record and set a new school record in the process with a time of 51.82 seconds, but Manassas Park won the race and now owns the new record. The Mason team’s time is an automatic state qualifying time.

Great depth in the girls distance team has seven girls automatically qualifying to go to state competition: Michelle DeMars (1600 and 3200), Julia Estrada (800 and 1600), Eva Estrada (3200), Emma Vieillescazes (3200), Lu Sevier (3200), Kaitlin Kutchma (3200) and Alicia Devereaux (3200).

The Mason boys team placed fourth in the District, tying with William Monroe. Juniors Will Nunley and Jesse Schaffer have automatically qualified for the state meet. Nunley, a lead sprinter on the Mason team, qualified to advance to states in the 100 and 400, and Schaffer, a distance runner, will move on in the 3200. With many underclassmen on the team, there is great promise for future meets and continued improved showings on both the boys and girls teams.

At the meet, many athletes qualified to advance to regionals, and several have already achieved the qualifying times for the state meet in Radford June 2. Thursday at regionals, athletes have a final chance to qualify for states, either by time or place.

Mason athletes competing at regionals are Sumner Askin, Preston Custer, Will Nunley, James Oden and Jesse Schaffer for the boys team, and Lauren Bowling, Claire Constance, Michelle DeMars, Alicia Devereaux, Eva Estrada, Julia Estrada, Alexandra Hairston, Tara Holman, Kaitlin Kutchma, Charlotte Lathrop, Emily Rueckert, Lu Sevier, Margarita Shevchenko and Emma Vieillescazes for the girls team.