The FVHS Bengals competed at the 4A East Regional meet at Willow Springs High School on Saturday, May 10. FVHS had multiple students place in their events, two of which will move on to compete in the state championship this Friday, May 16, at A&T University.
Junior Reagan Ziglar was named the 4A East Regional Champion in the triple jump and also earned a third place finish in the long jump. Senior Jack Owen placed third in the triple jump and came in fourth for the long jump. Ensuring both of them qualified for states.
“I expected to qualify for states. I practice for it every day and I’ll continue to do that and hopefully be named the state champion on Friday,” said Owen.
Other notable performances included sophomore Hannah Epp, who placed sixth in both the discus and shot put events and senior Ella Hess, who finished eighth in the 800-meter run.
“It honestly felt good to place in an event that only 16 people out of the whole region could qualify for,” said senior Ella Hess. “I wish I placed higher but knowing I was struggling to hit these standards last year and can now hit them easily this year is a big accomplishment.”
Track and field is a sport that demands both physical and mental preperation. Atheletes spend months training to build endurance, improve form and increase speed. For many, the journey to regionals and beyond is a reflection of consistent effort, team encouragement and personal growth.
Behind every strong performance is a community of teammates pushing each other forward, like how senior James Pedro consistently pushes everyone on the team to do better and be better, even if they don’t win first place.
“James Pedro inspires me a lot because he is a very hardworking person,” said Hess. “He is always willing to be better and improve as the season progresses. He tells me before my races that I ‘can do it’ and ‘to run your own race.’ Knowing that you have people by your side and willing to cheer you on is the best part of being on a track team.”
As the Bengals carry their momentum into the state championship meet, they won’t just carry their results, but they’ll carry the dedication and teamwork that has helped them get this far as well.
We’ll see how Ziglar and Owen represent FVHS against the best athletes in North Carolina this Saturday at A&T University, at 10:00 a.m. Show up and show your support to your fellow student athletes.
