Mathews High School cross country runner Cameron Stearns placed first in the Virginia High School League Class 1 State meet this past Saturday at Green Hill Park in Salem. Stearns, a senior, finished the meet with a time of 16:40, winning by a margin of 0.3 of a second.

“He’s a great runner, but he’s an even better role model, and I really appreciate the positive impact he’s made on the team for the past five years” said MHS cross country coach Andrew Greve. “He truly has the heart of a champion.”

MHS runner Seth James also had a great race, finishing as the fastest freshman in the state with a time of 18:00.

Also finishing in the top 40 in the boys’ division were Carson Brown (19:00) and Dylan White (19:03). Andrew Greve finished the meet with a time of 19:29, followed by Gavin Dustin (20:17) and Jaxon McDonald (20:46).

The boys’ team placed fourth overall, finishing the race with a team score of 116.

For the girls, Adelle Hudgins finished first for Mathews and 19th ov...