(WHSV) – The Shenandoah Valley has had some memorable sports seasons in 2024.
Before we look ahead to 2025, here’s a look back at the top sports stories that happened in the region in 2024.
5. National Warriors
High schools and their athletes continued to impress in the Shenandoah Valley in 2024. In the winter, Strasburg’s Emily Davis won the VHSL Class 2 Girls 100 Fly. The first freshman to win a state swimming title in school history. Also, the Rams wrestling team won their third VHSL Class 2 State Championship.
During the spring, several athletes captured state titles in track and field. Mountain View’s (since renamed Stonewall Jackson) Stuart Pirtle won first place in the 110 meter hurdles, 300 meter hurdles, triple jump, and long jump. His time of 14.13 seconds in the 110-meter hurdles set a new VHSL Class 2 state record.
Other notable Class 2 results included Abby Lane of Fort Defiance winning the girls 1600 meters, Claire Keefe of Strasburg winning the girls 800 meters, Davey Johnson of Luray winning the first in the boys 800-meter run, with Stuarts Draft’s Anna Callo taking first place in the. a pile of sticks.
In addition, East Rockingham’s boys 4×800 team took first in Class 3.
In the fall, Broadway’s Tristan Yoder won the Group 3 Cross Country Championship.
Finally, Turner Ashby’s Micah Matthews signed his letter of intent to play football and baseball at Virginia Tech. A four-star recruit, Matthews is already enrolled in college and will definitely be an athlete to keep an eye on moving into 2025. A number of other athletes have committed to colleges and this page will continue to be updated throughout the year. what’s new.
4. Joey Logano visits the Shenandoah Valley
It’s not every day a NASCAR Cup Series Champion visits the Shenandoah Valley. That’s what happened when Joey Logano came to Winchester back in June to take pictures with the players and sign autographs.
Until that visit, Logano still had to visit Victory Lane in 2024. However, a visit to The Valley might be just what Logano needed to start his season. In the first race after his trip to Winchester, Logano took the checkered flag at Nashville Superspeedway. Driver No. 22 would go on to win three more wins, including a championship run at Phoenix to win his third NASCAR Cup Series Championship.
Did the visit to The Valley play a role in turning his season around? We’ll let you be the judge of that.
3. Road to places
The James Madison baseball program put together its best season in more than a decade en route to an NCAA Regional berth. Picked to finish 10th in the Sun Belt Conference, the Dukes picked up their first win of the season against No. 3 Arkansas and Virginia Tech that set the tone for the rest of the season. Despite playing a tough non-conference schedule, in addition to parodying the Sun Belt Conference, JMU heard their name called on the NCAA Baseball Selection Show, reaching the NCAA regional for the first time in seasons 11.
Although the Dukes fell to South Carolina and North Carolina State in Raleigh to end their season, JMU saw three players selected in the MLB Draft at the end of the season: Fenwick Trimble, pitcher Jason Schiavone, and reliever Joe Vogatsky. With the district appearance, head coach Marlin Ikenberry received a two-year extension to his contract that keeps him in Harrisonburg through 2028.
2. New Age
After Jeff Bourne announced in September 2023 that the 2023-24 academic year would be his last as James Madison’s Director of Athletics, the search was on for Bourne’s successor. In April, JMU announced Kentucky Athletics Director Matt Roan is coming to Harrisonburg to lead JMU Athletics.
Roan is a native of Virginia and even played college football at Virginia Tech. Praised for his work in fundraising and improving facilities, Roan has been tasked with leading JMU into a new era in college athletics.
1. Let’s Sing
The James Madison men’s basketball team put together its best season in program history in 2023-24, winning its first Sun Belt Conference Championship and earning the No. 5 Wisconsin in the NCAA Tournament. Finishing the season 32-4, the wins were the most by a Dukes team in program history. They made their first NCAA Tournament appearance in nearly a decade.
However, success comes with consequences. Immediately after JMU’s exit from the NCAA Tournament, head coach Mark Byington left to become the head coach at Vanderbilt. Days later, Preston Spradlin was hired away from Morehead State to become the head coach. Spradlin and Dukes will be a program to watch entering 2025.
Other key issues
- The Mary Baldwin men’s basketball team reaches the NCAA Division III Championship for the first time in program history.
- Macy Smith of Strasburg has been named the Charlie Obaugh Auto Group Student Athlete of the Year. After becoming the school’s all-time leading scorer during his senior season, Smith is playing college basketball at Saint Bonaventure.
- The Clover Hill Bucks won the Rockingham County Baseball League Championship
- Lee High grad and Staunton native Tyler Zombro has announced his retirement from baseball. Zombro returned to pro baseball after a life-threatening incident in 2021 when he was hit in the head by a line drive for Triple-A Durham.
- Rocktown High School opens, adding another high school to the Valley District
- Turner Ashby High student Brenan Hanifee started the postseason, pitching for the Detroit Tigers.
- The James Madison football program wins its first bowl game in program history. The Dukes finished Bob Chesney’s first season with a 9-4 record, which included a 70-50 upset of North Carolina in September.
In memory
Shenandoah Valley lost head coach Rich Lyons over the summer. Lyons, 82, is credited with mentoring top coaches from The Valley, including Chad Edwards and Spotswood’s Joe Lucas. During their time at Luray and Albemarle High School, Lyons coached Jimmy Arrington, Stevie Allen, Greg Maynard, Darren Maynard, and Reggie Steppe.
Lyons led Luray to a runner-up finish in his two stints as head coach. Lyons also had training facilities at Averett College and Shepherd College.
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