The Recorder on April 23, 2026
HARRISONBURG — Four Highland girls assured themselves a spot in June’s state track meet on Saturday at Rocktown High School.
Brooke Williams broke her own school record in the 400-meters and set the HHS record in the long jump — both secondplace state-qualifying performances — and joined teammates Adelaide Baxter, Amelia Good and Colleen Adams for a sixth-place state-qualifying finish in the 4×100-meter relay at the Rocktown Raptor Invitational.
The girls placed ninth among 21 schools in the team standings, scoring 18 points.
“Today was a great day for us,” said Rams coach Colby Jackson. “Today was the first day during my tenure coaching where we qualified for state without competing at regional for it.
“They competed at a level that’s showing all of the work they’ve put in,” he added. “We have a lot of first-time kids and they competed at a level that makes or breaks you today, and they showed out. Two school records broken and a girls’ top 10 finish with only four kids competing.”
Williams, who scored 16.25 points, finished just over a second behind Strasburg’s Piper Himelright in the 400 meters, and 11 inches back of East Rockingham’s Hayden Paulette in the long jump.
“Brooke will end up being a legend in the sport around here,” Jackson said of his freshman phenom.
Baxter added a sixth-place finish in the long jump for the Ram girls, just a half-inch off the state qualifying standard.
Luke Baxter placed fifth in the 800 and sixth in the 1,600 to score points for the Highland boys.
Charlottesville won the boys’ team title, while James Wood was the girls’ winner in the event which featured schools from all classifications.
The Rams are scheduled to go to East Hardy, W.Va. on Thursday, May 7, will run in the Pioneer District meet on Monday, May 18, at Narrows, and in the Class 1, Region C meet on Tuesday, May 26, at Giles.
The Class 1 state championship meet will be hosted by James Madison University on Friday, June 5, and Saturday, June 6.
Saturday’s results at Rocktown
Boys’ top 10 team scores: 1. Charlottesville, 75; 2. Spotswood, 70; 3. Harrisonburg, 56; 4. James Wood, 36; T5. Page County, 35; T5. Rocktown, 35; 7. Skyline, 33; 8. Blue Ridge School, 29; 9. Strasburg, 24; 10. Luray, 18; 21. Highland, 3
HHS boys’ results:
• 100-meter dash: 43. Owen Honaker, 13.50
• 200-meter dash: 44. Owen Honaker, 28.29
• 400-meter dash: 8. Zach Armstrong, 54.85
• 800-meter run: 5. Luke Baxter, 2:12.54
• 1,600-meter run: 6. Luke Baxter, 4:57.04
• HHS individual points: Luke Baxter, 3
Girls’ top 10 team scores: 1. James Wood, 74; 2. Fort Defiance, 69; 3. Charlottesville, 67; 4. Strasburg, 62; 5. Spotswood, 55; 6. East Rockingham, 44; T7. Harrisonburg, 29; T7. Stuarts Draft, 29; 9. Highland, 18; 10. William Monroe, 16
HHS girls’ results:
• 100-meter dash: 9. Brooke Williams, 13.41; 24. Colleen Adams, 14.43; 27. Amelia Good, 14.72
• 200-meter dash: 13. Adelaide Baxter, 29.38; 24. Amelia Good, 31.25
• 400-meter dash: 2. Brooke Williams, 1:00.85
• 100-meter hurdles: 19. Adelaide Baxter, 21.10
• 4×100-meter relay: 6. HHS (Adelaide Baxter, Brooke Williams, Amelia Good, Colleen Adams), 52.85
• Long jump: 2. Brooke Williams, 16-7; 6. Adelaide Baxter, 16-1
• Shot put: 25. Colleen Adams, 23-8
• HHS individual points: Brooke Williams, 16¼, Adelaide Baxter, 1¼; Amelia Good, ¼; Colleen Adams, ¼