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FUMA Returns to Top of Invitational
FUMA track returned to a familiar spot on Saturday, the winner's circle of the Fork Union Invitational. The track team won the meet for the first time since 2002. The 2002 meet had been marred by bad weather and poor attendance. This year's meet did not have the same problem. Competing against 45 other schools from around the state, the Blue Devils took no prisoners scoring 79 points, a 38 point margin of victory. Matoacca of Chesterfield County was the runner-up with 41 points.
Leading the way for the Blue Devils was Brandon Caleb. Long a standout in outdoor track, Caleb, in his first FUMA Invite won three events and ran a leg on the 4x400 which placed 2nd. Caleb won the long and triple jumps and had a National top ten performance in the 55 High Hurdles. For his efforts, Caleb was named the Meet's MVP.
Also coming up big for FUMA was junior Axel Mostrag. Running from the front, Mostrag, was never seriously challenged in the 1600 and won in a time of 4:22. The lack of any challenge certainly cost Mostrag the meet record of 4:19. Countrymen Szymon Rola won the 1000 easily in 2:36; the nearest competitor was four seconds back.
Fork Union had great performances from the entire team as well. Seniors Carl Daniel and Jonathan Foote picked up second places in the shot put and high jump respectively. Two relay teams, 4x400 and 4x200, got into the scoring column as did Jamie Reichlen in the 500 and Jonathan Buckland in the 3200. FUMA also had numerous near misses from underclassmen, which will be the backbone of next year's team. Neal Dodson, Stephen Palmer, Frank Walker, James Keating and Jordan Brooks all made big contributions on Saturday and helped to make FUMA one of the state's most complete teams.
On the women's side, Matoacca edged Heritage High school of Newport News 51-49 to take the girls' team championship.
Saturday was also a grand showcase for one of Fork Union's most talented staff. Howard Nippert, director of maintenance and a nationally ranked distance runner, ran the finish line using a computerized photo timer. The device greatly reduced the workload at the meet and made the experience much more enjoyable for all involved. As always, the dedication of Fork Union's faculty and staff was a cornerstone of the success of this great meet.
Posted by Elizabeth Liles, Monday, January 16, 2006 03:05 PM
Athletics
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