Seven Cougars Running, Throwing for State Titles

PULASKI, VA—In just a few short days, seven Cougars on the indoor track squad will make appearances at the VHSL State Indoor Track meet at the Tolsma Center on Saturday.

For four of those Cougars—Matt Songer, Chuck Stone, Ethan Barker, and Grace England—it will be their first times competing at the meet. Songer and Stone throw shot put, England will be running the 3200 meters, and Barker competes in the 55 meter hurdles. Some are a bit nervous, but for the most part, they are looking forward to the experience.

“Regionals was the big meet because that qualified me for states,” England said. “I am usually not going to qualify for nationals. I am happy to go to state. I am sure I will get nervous before my race, but I am not worried about it now. I was more nervous at regionals.”

Both Songer and Stone, who are competing with the shot put, are both throwing for the first time this year at states. With limited experience though, both are looking forward to the opportunity.

“This is my first year throwing,” Stone said. “I just started three to four months ago. It’s pretty exciting that this is my first time going to states. I want to have a good time, but do the best that I can do.”

“I just started throwing last year.” Songer said. “It is pretty exciting that I could make it to states in just two years of throwing. Last year was my first year ever touching the shot put. I’m ranked around tenth going into states. It’s pretty exciting. We get to stay the night and leave the day before.”

Barker doesn’t expect there to be a change in the type of competition they will face because many of the runners will be familiar faces.

“Pretty much this is our district,” Barker said. “Our district is solid. We have a lot of the state leaders and top All-State guys and girls in our district too.”

Senior Amber Church is competing in six events, the most of any Cougar, including the 55 meter dash, 55 meter hurdles, high jump, long jump, triple jump, and 300 meter dash. She was unable to compete last year due to injures, but is expecting to be able to compete at full strength this year, which should translate into a lot of success at the meet.

“I got injured, so I had to drop out of most of the events,” Church said. “I did get third in the hurdles. I am stronger and faster this year, so I am excited. I haven’t had an injury, which is a first. Every year I have competed besides this one, I have had an injury.”

Another Cougar looking to impress is Robert Cobbs. The senior set the region record for the 55 meter hurdles with a time of 6.76 seconds on his way to his first ever region title. He also set his personal best time in the 300 meter dash and finished third.

“It has been a great season," Cobbs said. "It’s good when you can see all your hard work pay off. Now it’s just about going out and running as hard as I can. I just have to go for it and see what happens.”



The team has participated four times at the Tolsma Center at Liberty this season. Many of these athletes have a different opinion on competing at Tolsma compared to the Rector Fieldhouse at Virginia Tech. Both Stone and Songer prefer Tolsma over Rector.

“For me, I like Liberty better than I like the track that we used at districts and regionals,” Songer said. “I’m not sure for Chuck [Stone], but I like the atmosphere at Liberty and where the ring is for shot put. It is secluded, so you don’t get distracted when you are trying to throw.”

Barker thinks that the throwers may like the facility at Liberty better because of how good the shot put facilities are.

“I think the shot put area is better for them at Liberty, but the track in general is worse,” Barker said. “At Rector, the track is banked and at Tolsma Center, it isn’t. Tech has a better surface and you can breathe better too. That is one thing about Tolsma. The air is always dry in there. If you run a lot, you get real dizzy and a dry throat. You feel like someone is going to stick their arm out and trip you.”

“Just in general in the room, it feels really cramped at Liberty,” England said. “At Rector Fieldhouse, it has more room. I had to get used to that track the way it was banked and raised. Now I actually kind of like the sound of everything because I can hear the people behind me. I can’t at Liberty.”

Coach Jamie McCarty has been working hard with the group the last few weeks to try to get them prepared for the competition they will face.

“Basically, we have just stayed on the same track we’ve been on and doing a lot of the same work,” McCarty said. “We’ve been beating around in the gym a little bit and bouncing around in the field house doing some stuff. We are doing whatever running we can get in wherever we can right now. We still have a foot of snow on the track, so we haven’t been able to get out there yet. They have been working hard at what we are doing.

Despite the snow outside that has changed the Cougars routine to get ready for the event, McCarty doesn’t believe that the conditions will have a big effect on how the runners and throwers will do on Saturday.

“I don’t think it is going to be too bad,” McCarty said. “Most of them have been around it long enough now. Amber and Ethan are seniors. Ethan is a junior. They have been doing it a while. They have understood what we have had to do to make the necessary changes. We have still gotten some good work in. I don’t really think anyone is at a disadvantage because the whole state got pounded with snow. It’s not like we got snow and no one else did. I don’t think the snow will play a big part into preparation for state. Everyone is in the same boat with that.”