BRIDGEWATER - Cole Sligh got off to a slow start in the 100-meter sprint Wednesday night, but so did his competition.
"I knew if I just kicked it ... he got out slow, everyone got out slow, so if I just kicked it I could get up into the lead," Fort Defiance's Sligh said.
Eventually Sligh caught and passed Turner Ashby's Grant Swinehart, although he has no idea where that happened. After all, it all transpired in less than 12 seconds.
"Everything blurs," he said. "You just go."
Sligh finished in 11.31 to edge Swinehart, who was second at 11:45. It was one of two first-place finishes on the day for the Fort junior, who also won the 200 in 22.85.
His individual performances helped Fort Defiance take third overall in the team competition at Wednesday's Valley District track and field championships hosted by Turner Ashby High School.
The Fort girls also finished third with 77 points, a point behind second-place Broadway. Turner Ashby's 174 points easily won the girls event Wednesday.
In addition to Sligh, Fort had two other first-place finishers in the boys meet. Traevon Winston took first in the discus with a throw of 127-8.10, while Jacob Jones won the 1,600 in 4:29.65
"Every time I go into the mile my main strategy is just don't lead, just stay back and wait," said Jones, who also finished third in the 400. "At about 200, that's when you have to kick it. That's always my goal."
Jones beat out teammates Ben Harlow (third, 4:31.50) and Ben Smoker (fifth, 4:45.01) in the 1,600.
Harlow said he was very satisfied with the results.
"I really didn't have much of an expectation," the Fort junior said. "I've been running some pretty crappy miles since last year when I ran a good race. In indoor I didn't even break 4:50."
After the first two laps Harlow thought he was too slow, but he also didn't want to pick up the pace too much and burn out before the finish. With 600 left, he was feeling good. With 400 left, he picked it up. That's when he pulled close to Jones.
"That's what my goal was," Harlow said. "I was trying to get him to kick because I knew if he kicked he'd pull me along."
Harlow also finished second in the 800 and was part of the second-place 4 x 400 relay team.
Waynesboro's Jacob Robeck won the 3,200, crossing the finish line in 10:32.03. Considering his seed time was 9:55, Robeck wasn't happy with his time, although he'll take the win.
"It's a mixture of things," he said of his performance. "It's the humidity. It's high temperature, it's hot out. And I kind of dozed off while I was going."
The next closest seed time to him was more than 30 seconds slower, so Robeck didn't feel he was pushed very hard. That will change next week in the regional meet when his competition gets significantly better.
Fort teammates Brandon Barker and Nathan Shifflett finished second and third, respectively, in the 3,200.
Fort's Matt Wonderly was third in the 300-meter hurdles, and fifth in the 110-meter hurdles. Corbin Rose was fourth in the 110-hurdles and fifth in the high jump. Trevor Bartley was third in the discus.
Waynesboro's Michael Smith was second in the discus, while teammate Jameris Hoffman was fifth in the long jump. Little Giant Patrick Maneval was sixth in the 800.
Fort's 4 x 800 relay team (Barker, Seth Spire, Joshua Plonsky and Drew Shreckhise) was third and the 4 x 100 (Bartley, Aaron Wright, Dalton Ream and Michael Coffman) was fourth.
Fort Defiance had two first-place finishers in the girls meet. The 4 x 800 relay team won with a time of 10:26.76. Carrie Wright, Delaney Stogdale, Sarah Moffett and Samantha Turner made up the team.
Meanwhile, Fort freshman Sophia Chiles won the 400 and finished fifth in the 200. Her winning time in the 400 was 1:01.24, less than a second off her best time before Wednesday.
"Half of the race I just really coasted and found a good speed," Chiles said. "And then I just pushed it."
Chiles was also part of the second-place 4 x 400 relay team, joining Brittany Taylor, Carrie Wright and Hunter Lawson.
Fort's Kayla Royer was second in the 100-meter hurdles with a time of 17.798. Teammate Makayla Kershner was third. Kershner also got fourth in the 300 hurdles. Fort's Ashley Jack was fifth in both hurdle events. Jack was sixth in the triple. Taylor got sixth in the 300 hurdles.
Jessi Hull got third in the discus and fourth in the shot put for the Indians. Fort's Ashlyn Fogleman was fifth in the shot, while Cortlyn Koontz was sixth. Koontz was also fifth in the discus.
Lawson was fourth in the 800, while Samantha Turner was fifth. Carrie Wright was fifth in the 1,600 for Fort.
Waynesboro's Sophie Harman took fourth in the 3,200.