Helsel, Armstrong make strides for FHS distance corps

Sports
By Jeff Malmgren
Source: Fauquier Times-Democrat
TUESDAY, JUNE 2 2009

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*Warrenton angler Susan Coleman places third in the Team Awards at 2009 Tropic Star Challenge

*Athletes of the Week: Fauquier Mustangs

*Sports Briefs

The 2009 Fauquier High track and field team was Loba-less for the first time in years and distance runner Emma Helsel suffered the worst withdraw.

Long a staple in the stable of Fauquier girls distance runners, Grace Loba graduated after last season, leaving her protégé, Helsel, to run alone at the head of the pack this season.

The Fauquier boys distance runners may soon empathize with Helsel, now that senior Talbot Armstrong is set to graduate.

A sophomore, Helsel struggled to adjust after Loba left, but still qualified for the 2009 AAA state meet in both the 1,600- and 3,200-meter runs for the second consecutive season.

She even finished an impressive 15th in both events at Todd Stadium in Newport News on Saturday. But that wasn’t easily accomplished after losing Loba.

“It’s affecting me a lot,” Helsel said. “My paces are really off right now because all I had to do was keep up with Grace. She was my pacer, and I don’t have that anymore. It’s a lot more of a challenge to get used to, especially in practices.”

Armstrong doesn’t have quite the resume Loba left with, but he owns Fauquier’s school record in the boys 3,200 with a time of 9 minutes, 42.44 seconds, and he finished 19th at state Saturday in 9:53.70.

“I’m very proud of what he’s done and what he’s set up for the school in the distance group,” Fauquier coach Quentin Jones said. “You just wish for your seniors for it to be the best run ever. It wasn’t for him, but he made it here, and came out of a tough region to get here, too.”

Armstrong ran the state 3,200 while wearing a heat pad strapped around his lower back to keep it from tightening up after he aggravated an injury during the Northwest Region meet last weekend. Armstrong moved as high as sixth in the slow heat of the state race, but he finished that heat eighth.

“I tried to get with the top group. I knew if I was going to win all-state (top eight) I’d have to win this heat,” Armstrong said. “I tried to get with them, I couldn’t stay, and that was pretty much the story.

“I’m happy. I tried hard, but I ran out of energy with 600 left...”

See the Wednesday print edition of the Fauquier Times-Democrat for the complete story.

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