Blacksburg High School

Blacksburg High School is a high school in the Montgomery County public school division. The school serves the town of Blacksburg, Virginia and surrounding areas of the county.

History

Blacksburg High School was founded in 1952 and was located at its location on South Main Street in Blacksburg, VA until a new school building was built in 1974. After moving out, the old building housed Blacksburg Middle School, but Blacksburg High School still returned to use the football stadium behind their original building until a new stadium was constructed in October 2008 behind the new Blacksburg Middle School. The original Blacksburg High School building was demolished in the Summer of 2011, 7 years after the middle school moved out.

In 2002 the mascot of Blacksburg High School was changed from the Indian to the Bruin after extensive debate and controversy. The corresponding middle school mascot, the Brave, was changed to the Titan.

On February 13, 2010 following a snowstorm which dropped two feet of snow on the area, the gymnasium roof on the previously occupied Blacksburg High School suffered a catastrophic structural failure and collapsed, causing structural damage to other areas of the school. The school building was condemned and students attended night school on a split schedule with the Blacksburg Middle School students at their school for the remainder of the year. It was determined that repair costs would exceed $18 million and would not be feasible given the age of the school; it was decided not to repair the building. Before the school year of 2013-14 Blacksburg High School was operating on a normal schedule out of the Blacksburg Middle School building on 3109 Prices Fork Road, and the middle schoolers were going to school in the old Christiansburg Middle School.

A new school building is located at 3401 Bruin Lane, behind the current Blacksburg Middle School and Bill Brown Football Stadium and it opened in the 2013 fall semester.

Administrative staff

• Brian Kitts, Principal
• Meggan Marshall, Assistant Principal
• Todd Lewis, Assistant Principal
• Chris Stewart, Assistant Principal
• Peter Lyell, Athletic Director

Academic recognition

The Newsweek list of "America's Top Public High Schools" lists Blacksburg High School at 617 for 2012, which was down from 2011 where the school ranked 384. Blacksburg High School was ranked at 422 for 2009 while the highest ranking for 2008 was 227. Blacksburg High School was ranked 164 in 2003.[1] This status is based partially upon how many Blacksburg High School students elect to take the Advanced Placement Exams.

Athletics and extracurriculars

Blacksburg High School is a member of the Virginia High School League and competes in the AAA River Ridge District, a district in Region IV of Group AA. Blacksburg formerly competed in the Group AA Blue Ridge District, which it had joined when the AA New River Valley District dissolved. Blacksburg has also captured the Wachovia Cup, the VHSL's award for overall excellence in athletics for the academic years 1989-90, 1990–91, 1992–93, 2002–03, 2006–07, 2008–09, 2009–10, and 2011-12.^[2] Blacksburg boys' soccer team has won twelve state championships (a Virginia state record) and was ranked #3 in the USA in 2013.

Soccer

Blacksburg won state championships in boys' soccer in the following years: 1989, 1993, 1995, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2002, 2005, 2007, 2009, 2010, 2013^[2] That is by far more state championships than any other high school in Virginia. The boys soccer team were also state runners-up in 1990, 1992, 2001, 2003, 2006, 2011, 2014, 2015 and 2016.

The 2002 and 2007 seasons resulted with 23 wins which is the record for second-most wins in a season in Virginia. Blacksburg is currently second for most consecutive wins with 64 from 1998 to 2001.^[2]

Additionally, Blacksburg holds the record for the longest unbeaten streak with 87 wins from 1998–2001. The 1999 season has the second-highest goal differential of any season with 103. The 2015 team holds the record for most shutouts in a season with 19, while the 1999 teams holds the record for the lowest average goals scored against with 0.18 goals per game.^[2]

Blacksburg Boys Soccer has had 3 All-Americans from their program. Alistair Moore (2009), Michael Mecham (2012), and Geinda Smith (2013.)

The Blacksburg Girls Soccer program has a state record 63 straight games unbeaten including the state championship in 2014, 2015, and 2016.

Football

Blacksburg High School football was Coached by David Crist until November 2014 when he retired from coaching. Blacksburg won state championships in 1977 and 1989.

Basketball

Blacksburg High School won state championships in boys' basketball in class IB for 1965 and 1968. The girls won state championships for girls' basketball in 1978, 1982, 1992, 1993, and 2002.^[2]

Cross Country

The cross country program has won 25 state championships and 11 runner-up state finishes. The Bruin boys won state championships for cross country in 1984, 1985, 1986, 1988, 1998, 2009, 2010, 2011 and 2012. The Blacksburg boys have the state record with the most state championships. The boys were also state runners-up in 1963, 1971, 1973, 2008, 2014 and 2015. Additionally, the girls won state championships in cross country in 1982, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1989, 1990, 1992, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015 (these wins also give Blacksburg the record for most state championships for girls cross-country with 16). The girls were state runners-up in 1980, 81, 2005, 2009 and 2010. In 2009, 2013, 2014 the Blacksburg girls xc team was invited to the Nike Cross Nationals in Portland, OR. The girls were 6th nationally in 2009, 31st in 2013, 7th in 2014. The girls also won the Nike Southeast Championships in North Carolina in 2014. The girls highest national ranking at the end of the season was in 2009 by ESPN Rise that year (6th in the USA). Peter Dorrell was the Roanoke Times (Timesland) Athlete of the Year for all sports in 2007. Kathleen Stevens was awarded the 2009 Virginia Gatorade Athlete of the Year and also the Roanoke Times Timesland Athlete of the Year for all sports. She is also the Virginia State record holder at Great Meadows (the site of the state meet). In 2012 the Blacksburg Boys finished 10th at nationals. Ten athletes have won the state individual title: Karen Wierwille (1983), Beth Fleming (1985), Lee Cross (1989), Dana Price (1992), Peter Dorrell (2007), Kathleen Stevens (2009), Nick Link (2012), Bonnie Angermeier (2013, 2014), Sophia Link (2015). The Roanoke Times has awarded Blacksburg athletes with the Cross Country Athlete of the Year several times.^[2]

Track

State championships for boys' outdoor track were won in 1949, 1981, and 1982. The boys were second in 2013, 2014. State championships for girls' outdoor track were won in 1982, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1990, 1991, 1993, 2009, 2010, and 2014. Blacksburg is ranked #1 for team records for most championships in girls' outdoor track & field for Virginia with ten. Blacksburg also holds state championships in boys' indoor track 1972 (tie with Radford High School) and in 2013. They were second in 2010, 2014 and 2015. Girls' indoor track in 2006, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2014, 2015.^[2] Peter Dorrell won nine state championship titles and was awarded the Gatorade Athlete of the Year for Virginia boys high school Track and Field in 2007 and 2008. Blacksburg has five indoor state meet records in the boys 4x800, boys 1600 and 1000 meter runs and in the girls 1600 and 3200 meter runs. The Blacksburg Boys won the Nike Indoor Nationals 4xmile in 2010. In 2014 the Blacksburg Boys 4x800 ran the US #5 time in US history in the 4x800 (7:41) and ran 7:37 in the outdoor season for the #2 time in the nation that year. Kathleen Stevens was awarded the 2010 school year Virginia Gatorade Athlete of the Year for track and field. The Blacksburg girls Distance Medley Relay (DMR) team broke the national high school record at the New Balance Nationals winning in 11:31. Those records have since been broken. Blacksburg has both Virginia AA state meet records in the 4x800 and the girls 3200 meter run. The girls 4xmile team in 2014 Indoor season won the national title in New York.

Golf

Blacksburg also has state championships in golf in 1969, 2006, 2007, and 2008.^[2]

Wrestling

On February 21, 2009, Neal Kennedy, as a junior 103 pounder, became the first Blacksburg wrestler to win an individual state title in almost 30 years. The following year he was ranked high in the state at 119 pounds, but broke his ankle in practice in early January. He healed enough to compete in the District, Regional, and State tournaments, making it to the state championship finals, where he placed second in the state.

Notable coaches

• Football – David Crist ^[2]
• Boys soccer – Shelley Blumenthal - Inducted into VHSL hall of fame in 2008^[2]
• Track and Cross Country - James DeMarco - 23 Team State Championships and one as an assistant ^[2]

Marching Band

The Blacksburg High School Marching band, is highly rated for their advanced musical abilities, often causing them to score highly at statewide band competitions in music categories. The band competes in a AAA Level; they were under the direction of Dr. Diana Love, who consistently led the band to Honor Band status, until 2007, when her retirement led to the new band Director Darell Pearman. Darell Pearman has since continued the tradition leading the band to achieving Honor Band Status afters receiving a I, the highest score, at the 2009 VBODAs. The band is notorious for being a VA honor band.

Choir

Blacksburg High School has offered a variety of vocal musical experiences to its students and alumni. The choral department is under the direction of Mr. Tim Woolwine. The select vocal ensemble, "Madrigals" recently earned a superior rating at VCDA District Performance Assessment earning Blacksburg High School a Blue Ribbon Award for Excellence in Music Education.

Forensics and debate

In the early 1980s, Blacksburg was coached by Frank Moseley and led by academic advisor Michael Cronin, a former national champion in college debate at Georgetown. The team won a string of district and regional championships between 1981-1985 that included state championships every year between 1981-1985. In 1981, the switch side team of Curtis Mo and Robert Johnson started the run by winning the state AA championship in policy debate, followed by a championship in 1982 by the switch side team of Ray Allen and Jim Baker. These were followed by state championships in policy debate in 1983(Hugh Stubblefield and John Ryan), 1984(Nathan Simmons and Dean Lacy) and 1985(Beth Kelsey and Susan Jortner)^[3] During this period, students from Blacksburg garnered individual speaker awards in 1982(Ray Allen), 1983(John Ryan), 1984(Andrea Pierce and Dean Lacy) and 1985(Susan Jortner). From 1988 to 2002, under Coach Karen Finch, and in 2003, under Coach Dennis Price, the school won 15 consecutive Group AA state titles in forensics, "the longest unbroken chain of championships in VHSL history". In 1999 the combined speech and debate teams were named one of the top five teams in the country at the National Catholic League Tournament in Chicago. The school has students qualifying to national level competition annually, and has had several national champions, specifically Lucas Kline (twice) and Michael Shumsky (twice)in the extemporaneous speaking category. Dennis Price won the National Championship in Prose Interpretation in 1994. Jeff Emerson won the National Championship in Humorous Interpretation in 1991. Jonathan Tze was a national champion in Student Congress in 1992. The debate team currently consists of 4 divisions: Lincoln-Douglas Debate, Policy Debate, Public Forum Debate, and Student Congress. The debate team won the 2007 VHSL Group AA state title, against opponents including Potomac Falls^[2] and Charlottesville. The debate team also won the 2010 VHSL Group AA state title, winning AA Student Congress and AA Contemporary Policy Debate and semifinaling in Classic Policy Debate. The debate team is currently under the direction of Bradley Kraft.

Academic competition

MACC

Mountain Academic Competition Conference (MACC) is a high school quiz bowl league of the Academic Competition for Excellence.

The math and all-around teams finished first for the season in the eastern division. The science and social studies teams finished 2nd for the season, and the English team finished 4th.

The math team finished 2nd in the tournament, and because they were the season winners, they will participate in Super MACC (tournament) on March 26, 2007. The science team finished 1st in the tournament, making them also eligible to participate in Super MACC. The all-around team will also go to the Super MACC (tournament) because they finished first in the season.

The 2007 MACC season was officially over on March 26, 2007 after the Super MACC (tournament). The Blacksburg Math and Science MACC teams took the gold trophy home with very close matches. The all-around team finished second in the tournament.

VHSL Scholastic Bowl

Blacksburg won the state championship in the scholastic bowl in 1999 and again in 2010.^[2]

Science

Susanne Dana won the Teacher of the Year award in 2008. Dana is a Chemistry teacher at BHS. She attended a ceremonial conference where she was presented with a plaque to honor her creative and enthusiastic approach to teaching students.

Notable alumni

• Peter Gwazdauskas - focus of Academy Award-winning documentary Educating Peter and its sequel, Graduating Peter
• Josh Kaufman - Season 6 winner of NBC's vocal competition show The Voice^[4]

References

External links

• Blacksburg High School Website
• Blacksburg High School PTSO Website
• Virginia Department of Education Report Card