LEBANON — After winning the VHSL Class 1 boys state cross country championship in 2022, the Lebanon Pioneers are off to a great start in 2023 after moving up to Class 2 due to reclassification. On Wednesday (8/30/23), Lebanon standout Derek Mitchell led the way for the Pioneers.
Mitchell, the defending VHSL Class 1 state champion, claimed the individual title at the 13th annual Through the Pines Invitational and helped the Lebanon boys secure the team trophy on their home turf at the Lebanon Primary School course.
“This is good, I’m enjoying it,” remarked Mitchell. “I’ve practiced here a good bit to get to this point.”
Mitchell raced around the 5-kilometer course at 16:18.0, outdistancing Grundy sophomore Keyston Hartford, who garnered second place.
“I was just trying not to die mostly,” Mitchell jokingly said. “My plan was to run my first mile, like a mile PR, and afterward try to kill it and see what I had.
“I felt good the whole way, I have to thank my teammates. They were cheering for me along the sideline, and one of my friends was in the gator, hollering for me to keep me going. That helped me a lot.”
It was a near-record finish for Mitchell.
“Derek was nine seconds off from Brad Swiney (of John Battle, a record that has stood since 2014), an NCAA Division 1 runner I watched many days in high school,” Lebanon coach Travis Hooker said. “Derek puts his time in, and he has a lot of grit. You saw it today, Derek was out there by himself. He’s tough, and we have a lot of other kids up there too.
“We’re rocking, I like it. These boys are seniors, and they’ve been working since they were in seventh grade. I can’t ask for much more out of them. We showed up and had a great team effort.
The Pioneers placed five in the top 12 scorers, with all coming in under 18:40. Also giving tremendous effort for Lebanon were Eli Taylor (fourth; 17:36.2), Alec Deckard (sixth; 17:41.4), Carter Dillon (10th; 18:32.9) and Blake Chafin (12th; 18:38.9).
“This is great to do this in August, just off the preseason,” Taylor said. “We were all better than we were here last October. We feel positive about today and looking forward to the rest of the season. We were expecting success but had to come out here and do it. I’m happy with that.”
Castlewood also had a great day, grabbing fourth place as a team. Sam Gibson (14th; 18:47.3) and Parker King (15th; 18:54.3) led the Blue Devils.
Most teams are only two races into the season, so it’s just getting underway. The defending champion Pioneers have big aspirations for 2023.
“We’re just getting started,” Coach Hooker said. “We have to be humble and focused. We have a long way to go. There are a lot of good teams here today and in the state. Today, I’m proud of my boys.”
The Pioneers will next run in the Knights Crossing XC Invitational on Saturday, September 9, 2023, at Green Hill Park in Salem, Virginia. It will also be the home of the 2023 VHSL State Championships.