Buffaloes claim back-to-back state XC titles
In a dramatic finish on Nov. 8, the Buffaloes mounted a late charge in the final kilometer to overtake Clarke County and secure a seven-point victory.
Floyd County High School celebrated a historic day at the 2025 VHSL Class 2 Cross Country Championships, as the girls’ team surged to its second consecutive state title, which marked the third in school history. In a dramatic finish on Nov. 8, the Buffaloes mounted a late charge in the final kilometer to overtake Clarke County and secure a seven-point victory.
Coaches praised the athletes’ unity and determination, noting that the group had “come together as a family” in the final weeks of the season to pursue their championship goal.
The Floyd County boys’ team also delivered an impressive performance, steadily advancing through the field to finish fifth overall. With this year’s appearance, both the boys’ and girls’ squads have now qualified for the state meet five years in a row.
Several athletes earned All-State honors for their standout performances. For the girls, Reagan Lynch placed third, Annika Beegle took fifth, and Natalie Dalton finished 10th. On the boys’ side, Trace Lewis earned All-State recognition with a 14th-place finish.
"The strong showing from both programs marks another milestone in what has become a remarkable era for Floyd County Cross Country," coaches said last week.
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Season roundup
The Buffs’ regular season started on Aug. 30 in Blacksburg with a middle school meet against the home team, Auburn, Christiansburg, Giles, Alleghany, James River (Buchanan), and others.
Grayson Harris finished the 2,000-meter boys’ run in first place with a time of 7:04.5, and Angel Carillo claimed 18th place about a minute later (8:05.2). Paxton Turner finished in 29th (8:16.4), followed by Silas Teasuro (39th, 8:24.6), and Luke Morris (44th, 8:34.1).
In the girls’ 2,000-meter race, seventh-graders Dannan Webster and Audrey Rakestraw finished fifth and ninth, respectively, with times of 8:30.3 and 8:51.9.
During the Knights Crossing Invitational in September, Grayson Harris finished in sixth place (15:31) in the 4,000-meter run, and Dannan Webster and Audrey Rakestraw took ninth and 25th. Graham Weaver placed ninth among the high school boy Buffaloes with a time of 18:32. In the varisty girls’ division, Reagan Lynch place 64th and Annika Beegle took 66th.
Brayden Hylton on the JV team placed second in the Alleghany Invitational on Sept. 20, and Lilly Hawkins took ninth for the JV girls. Dannan Webster took first among middle school girls with a time of 11:25.
Annika Beegle finished sixth (19:5) during the varsity girls’ race, and Regan Lynch took 11th (20:12).
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In Shawsville for the East Montgomery Invitational, Grayson Harris took second place (11:58) during the middle school boys’ race; Dannan Webster claimed second (13.4) in the middle school girls’ race, and Audrey Rakestraw took ninth (14:4). On the varsity girls’ team, Annika Beegle and Reagan Lynch finished 15th and 16th.
Annika Beegle also claimed fourth place during the Fast Times ECE – Wildcat Invitational on Oct. 4. She was the only Buffalo that finished in the top 10 during the event.
At The Virginia XC Showcase in Mechanicsville on Oct. 18, Reagan Lynch placed 12th (12:13) and Annika Beegle finished in 15th (20:25) in the 5,000-meter race. Natalie Dalton, Illiana Walker, Alice Happy, Mary Ann Wriston, Miley Hopper, Ava Cockram, Lilly Hawkins, and Alyssa Boothe also ran for the varsity girls’ team during the showcase.
Trace Lewis placed 27th (17:25) for the boys’ varsity, followed by Graham Weaver, William Moeckel, Drew Keith, Brayden Hylton, Robert Disharoon, Braden Dalton, Bryce Schumann, Joshua Biesterveld, and Cedar Heartway.
During the state middle school meet on Oct. 25, Grayson Harris placed 13th (13:38).