The Patrick County High School outdoor track team wrapped up its season with some incredible performances at the Virginia 3A State meet in Harrisonburg last weekend.
Lexy Carico, Juan Cisneros and Armonte Carter represented Patrick County with class and tenacity. “Our vision for this program has always been to compete at the highest level. We believe wholeheartedly that success is a choice, and that passion and consistent hard effort will always land you at the top,” said Coaches Kali and Danel Slaydon. “Lexy, Juan and Armonte were the epitome of our vision this weekend,” they added.
Lexy had a storybook ending to her junior year. In her first year throwing with the Cougars, she made it known that she wanted to break Rachel Pendleton’s school record. After accomplishing that midway through this season with a monster throw of 134-4, she thought she would cross another goal off her list: a state championship.
“I don’t think she has ever truly believed that she was capable of beating Alexis Clark (who is the best discus thrower in the state, regardless of classification), but after her third throw, her attitude started to change. In the finals, she threw with an incredible amount of confidence, aggression and conviction,” the coaches said.
“It was really amazing to see her step into the circle believing in herself and in her ability to compete with the best. She kept inching closer to Clark’s leading mark with every throw, and on her sixth and final attempt, launched a 133-2 effort. It was a hard fought and very well deserved win,” said Coaches Slaydon. “We are extremely proud of Lexy, and even more excited to watch her continue to improve,” they said.
Lexy is going to add to the excitement of an already amazing season by competing at the prestigious New Balance National meet in two weeks.
Carico also finished thirteenth in the shot put at the state meet.
Juan Cisneros toed the line Saturday morning knowing that he was going to have to produce a near super-human effort to get on the podium. He did that and then some, shaving another eight seconds off his personal record to finish fifth in the 3200 in a time of 9:41.
“We could tell from the first 100 meters that he was going to do something special. He immediately went out with the lead pack and had a definite spark in his step. The pace got hotter as the race progressed, and with 500 meters to go, Juan made a big move, responding to a kick from Blacksburg’s Ben Flemming. He was running all out in the final lap and was rewarded with his highest-ever finish at the state meet and his first All-State performance on the outdoor oval,” the coaches said.
He followed that up with a 10th place performance in the mile, a mere 90 minutes after his first race. “We refer to Juan as the hardest working man in Virginia. It has been incredibly rewarding to watch him progress since we first started working with him in eighth grade,” the Slaydons said. “This year alone, he improved his 2-mile time by 38 seconds. He works extremely hard and reaps the benefits of his efforts. He is going to be such an asset to Radford University this fall. We will certainly miss his work ethic and demeanor, but he has definitely left a lasting impact on our program and our athletes,” they added.
Armonte Carter had to run back-to-back PRs in the 400 to even make it to the state meet this year. She has made three previous trips to states, but always as a part of a relay team.
This season, she did it all on her own. Coming into the meet, she was seeded 17th but was determined to claw her way up the rankings. After an extremely gritty performance, she came away with a victory in her heat, and wound up 12th overall. “Armonte has put in a tremendous amount of work both on the track and in the weight room this year,” the Slaydons said.
“We are so proud of her and so encouraged by her effort and attitude at states. She is a fantastic example of what consistent hard work will get you, and she is going to be a valuable leader of both our track and cross country programs moving forward,” the Slaydons added.
Armonte Carter placed 12th in the 400-meter race in state competition.
