First Flight runners lead the state
Published 12:23 pm Wednesday, April 11, 2018
Knowing when to speak up can make all the difference in the world.
After clocking a personal best time of 9:43.75 to win the 3200 meter run in the H.S. Captain’s Classic track and field meet at Christopher Newport University in Newport News, Va., First Flight distance runner Zach Hughes was listed as the second place finisher.
In a previous article, we reported that just prior to spring break Hughes and teammate Skylar Stultz participated in the meet with a news source providing meet coverage listing Hughes in three races where he finished second in the 3200 meter run, second in the 400 meter dash and third in the 800 meter run finals.
Speaking up about the incorrect finish results, Hughes had to talk to several different officials during the two-day meet before meet officials determined the 3200 meter results were incorrect and that Hughes had won that event.
Helping make the case was more than one video showing Hughes clearly winning the 3200, with Colin Henry Stevens of Galileo High School in Danville, Va., taking second place with a time of 9:45.50.
It took about a week for officials to update the internet posting.
The updated results now show that Hughes is undefeated in three starts at that distance in outdoor competition this year and won three of his five indoor races at that distance.
The correction update also moves Hughes to the number one ranking for 3200 meter 2A distance runners in North Carolina.
Also turning heads is teammate Stultz who ran a personal best 1.57.11 at the Captain’s Classic which ranks him as the number one 2A North Carolina 800 meter runner. His previous best 800 time was 1:58.71 at the New Balance Nationals Indoor meet earlier in March.
Hughes and Stultz will be back in action at 4 p.m. on Wednesday, April 11, when the entire First Flight track team heads for a 2-A Northeastern Coastal Conference meet at Currituck County High School in Barco.