Highlights by Elliot Denman

DISCUS THROW – A sixth-place finish at Raleigh in 2002 wasn’t up to Lindsay Grigoriev’s lofty standards. So the Kansas State-bound Laurel, Md. senior more than made amends with a 153-4 triumph this time around.
“It wasn’t my best, but it won and that’s the big thing,” said Grigoriev, who had just a seven-inch margin on second-place Elizabeth Podominick of Lakeville, Minnesota.
“It was a pretty average throw for me but I definitely can’t compain,” Grigoriev said.
“My goal this year was to come out and surpass what I did last year.
“Last year, I got sixth place here and threw like a 142 and was crying the whole meet. So my goal was to come out here and do better than I did last year, and I did that so I’m satisfied.”
Warming up for a crack at an improvement in her National shot put record, Red Oak (Texas) High’s Michelle Carter whirled a 143-10 for third.
But Krista Keir’s 1997 meet record of 175-9 for South High of Westerville, Ohio was never in danger.

1-MILE RACEWALK – As the rest of the nation continues to shun racewalking as an interscholastic event for girls, Maine and New York State continue to embrace it.
And so the eight-athlete starting field for the four-lap-plus race was equally divided between the two. Just one other state – South Carolina – was represented on the 12-athlete start list and she was a no-show.
As it boiled down to a Maine-New York dual meet, Mainer Jasmine Brooks of Dirigo edged New Yorker Kristin Landau of Port Jefferson Station for the gold, 7:45.34 to 7:49.68. Neither was a threat to New Yorker Maria Michta’s meet record of 7:23.88 set last year.
“It was really hot,” said Brooks. “I expected heat but not this much. I’m not used to it all. I’m from Maine, nice cool weather is what I’m used to.”
She’d won the 2002 Nike indoor National walk, but placed second in ’03.
“I didn’t know who I was racing against. But it was good. My time was kind of slow.” Yes, it was that heat that slowed them all in this 5 pm start that kicked off the entire meet.
New Yorkers Rosalind Adams and Nadine Navarro went 3-4, in front of Maine’s Renee Fortin and Madelyn O’Brien in 5-6.
100-METER DASH TRIALS – Texans took three of the four prelim sections, Huntsville’s Cleo Tyson and Houston’s Gloria Asumnu (both 11.69) and Dallas’s Krystin Lacy (11.79) in the winners-only-qualifies-automatically format. But it was Floridian Tiaerra McLaurin of Jacksonville who was speediest of all in the 27-runner field with her 11.63 triumph in section four.
Philadelphia’s Juanita Broaddus, in fact, was second speediest qualifier with her 11.65, hard on McLaurin’s heels. As events soon proved, however, things were quite different in the final some two hours later.
“I had a problem with my ankle and foot so I was a little scared,” admitted McLaurin. “My goal was (just) to get through and make it to the finals and I did.”
100-METER DASH FINAL – They couldn’t match their times in the trials, but the nation’s finest girl dashpersons still put on one heck of a race.
Just 0.18 seconds separated places one through seven as Juanita Broaddus won it all in 11.68 as one more present for Tim Hickey, her esteemed and retiring-this-year coach at Philadelphia’s William Penn High.
And swooping over the line inches behind were Houston’s Gloria Asumnu (11.71), Jacksonville’s Tiaerra McLaurin (11.75) and Huntsville, Texas’s Cleo Tyson (11.79.)
Right on their heels were sisters Judith (11.83) and Jessica (11.84) Onyepenuka of Peoria (not Illinois), Arizona. A hair-breath back in seventh spot was Macon, Ga.’s Stephanie Smith (11.86.)

Broaddus wasn’t one of the spotlighted 100 runners, but the Barton County College (Texas)-bound speedster impressed all.
“I barely run the 100, not a lot or whatever,” said Broaddus. “It wasn’t shocking to me, but my coach (Hickey) said I could.
“Coach Hickey…we’ve been through so much together since my freshman year. We argued, we fight, but still – to see him go is sad. But I’m still going to be in the track world, so I’m going to always see him. But that’s my heart, he’s like a father.”
HIGH JUMP – All spring long, neighborhood rivals Debra Vento and Maura Burk have been duking it out over crossbars throughout New Jersey and the Northeast.

Representing the Garden State’s Freehold Borough High (Vento) and Freehold Township High (Burk), these two have been regulars at the 5-10 level but stymied at anything higher.

This time, Vento, a Duke-bound senior, finally added something to her PR with a 5-10 ½ victory, before missing three shots at 6 feet. Burk, a basketball-playing junior, wasn’t at her best and settled for fourth at 5-7.
Separating Vento and Burk were Benson, S.C’s Anna Raynor (5-8 ¾) and Tilden, Texas’s Ashley Robbins (5-8 ¾, too, but a third-jump clearer at 5-8 ¾, to Raynor’s first-time success.)
Just 8 of 14 entries cleared opening height of 5-5.
Amy Acuff’s 6-2 meet record of 1993 made it a full decade in the books.

JAVELIN THROW - It’s rare-rare-rare for a single school to place 1-2 in a single event at Nationals but that’s exactly what teammates and best buddies Kelly Robinson and Amanda Harmata of the Raritan High (Hazlet, NJ) did here.
Robinson’s winning 149-4 came in the very first round, forcing the rest of the pack to play catch-up (no easy feat with a flying spear.) Robinson, also a top-ranked basketballer, also hit 146-11 in round six to wrap up a huge day.
Teammate Harmata snared second (146-5), as Williamsport, Pa.’s Ruby Rodocaj (142-7), Winnacunnet, NH’s Heidi Nadeau (140-4) and Salina, Kansas’s Ashleigh Keats (139-0) led the rest of the nation.

LONG JUMP – The Nationals standard of 20-3 ¾ by Kim Jones of Greensboro, NC had endured since 1999, but now it’s gone.
Tiffany Madison, a senior at Ohio’s Elyria High, put her name in the books with her great span of 20-7 ¼ in round five.
Nearly 14 inches arear in second spot was Gayle Hunter of JW North, California, High (19-5 1/2) with Erica McLain of Plano, Texas in third (19-0 ½.)
Good as Jones is, she’s got a ways to go to move up the all-time charts. The USA all-timer of 22-3, set by Olympic medalist Kathy McMillan of Hoke City, Y High, has been around since 1976.

HAMMER THROW- With no less a personage than Harold Connolly, the 1956 Olympic champion and most recent American ball-and-chainer to stand on the top rung at the Games, on hand for the awards ceremony, a native New Englander – like Connolly, a Boston College grad – won it all.
Again, a Rhode Islander led the way – this “poor little” state has been long been alone in keeping the hammer an official event on its program – with Danielle Dufresne of Warwick High first with a 175-10 whirl.
Monroe, NY’s Kristen Callen (170-6) and Atlanta’s Marie Stringer (162-7) were Dufresne’s only major threats in the 15-thrower field.
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100-METER HURDLES TRIALS – It took a 14.51 to reach the Saturday final and Krystal Barringer of Charlotte got the final spot by all of 0.05.
The medals picks, though, remain Arizonan Tiffany McDonald of Peoria and Porscha Dobson of South Orange, NJ, who attends the Kent Place School.
It was McDonald taking section one of the prelims in 13.73 and Dobson followed with a section-three 13.80.
Open territory separates them from the other top advancers, Californian Ashlee Brown (14.03), Miamian Pavi’elle James (14.04) and the Houston duo of Alandra Sherman and Jessica Ohanaja (both 14.05.)
“It felt good, I mean I PR’d – I ran the fastest I’ve ever run so I’m happy I made it to the finals,” McDonald said.
“It was a breeze,” declared Sherman. “I kind of pulled that one out. I’m ready for tomorrow, to try to break the national record, I can do it, I feel confident.”

1600-METER SPRINT MEDLEY RELAY – West Catholic of Philadelphia won it in a breeze, and its 3:57.27 made it the only club to break four.
Latavia Thomas, a freshman, anchored WC’s victory for a team featuring another frosh, Erika Fergurson.
“I’m pretty sure she (the Willingboro anchor) was right behind me,” said Thomas.
She brought WC home easily in front of a rival from the nearby Delaware Valley of the greater Philly area. That’s storied Willingboro, taking the silver in 4:01.84. Sophomore Nicole Leach and yet another frosh, Nia Ali, handled the 2-3 legs.
Leach broke this one open with her 54.6 lap.
“I’m happy but I know I could have run faster,” said Leach. “I know that I’ve been splitting 53 seconds, but I’m (just) happy that we won.”
Willngboro came in with the second best time in the USA was the team to beat.
“I know that I had to open a lead and give my teammate a lead because in our last race they were about even (with us) and I didn’t want it to come down to another race like that.”
Leach now shifts focus to the 400 hurdles, where she’s a top entry. “I really would like to break 59,” she said.
The 3-4 spots went to other fourth-section clubs, both New Jersey clubs, Southern Regional (4:04.25) and Hunterdon Central (4:04.82) giving the Garden State the lion’s s share of the honors in this event actually run in few NJ meets.
Other sectional wins went to NJ’s Trenton Central (4:10.11), Massachusetts’s Lincoln-Sudbury (4:07.26) and New York’s Shenendehowa (4:14.26.)

TWO-MILE RUN – Floridian Jennifer Barringer (10:50.37), an Orlando sophomore, and Caitlin Chrisman, a Carbondale, Ill. junior (10:52.66) impressed in the first section but the pace really picked up some two hours later.
Sunni Olding, a Minster, Ohio junior, fought off Katie Harrington of Carmel, Ind. to win it all, 10:25.82 to 10:26.41.
Twins Katie and Amanda Trotter of Red Bank Regional of Little Silver, NJ ran 3-6 (10:30.47 and 10:40.48) in a warmup for Saturday’s DMR.
“It went out a little faster than at Arcadia (in April) but I need to learn how to put the hammer down early on and not wait to the last 800,” said Harrington.
Olding put it this way: “Katie had a tough job leading through all those (early) laps. I just figured I would regret it if I didn’t go when I did. I really didn’t want to let it come down to the kicks. I wanted to increase the pace gradually.
“If you would have told me 2 hours ago that I was going to be national champion, I would have said ‘you’re kidding.’ ”

4x800-METER RELAY- Sophomore Mary McCurdy anchored Bay Shore of Long Island, NY to the third-swiftest clocking in USA annals with a rousing 8:53.26 verdict over Rockford, Michigan (8:58.40), Bronxville, NY (9:04.37) and the rest of the national elite.
Senior Kellie Castro, soph Laura Cummings and senior Danica Dupuy set the stage for McCurdy.
Canyon of California took the opening section in 9:16.11, over Elk County, Pa. Catholic (9:25.40) and Brighton, Michigan (9:26.17.)

4X200-METER RELAY – It took a 23-hour van ride for the Skyline girls to make it here from Texas, but the long journey – interrupted only be some eating and limbering-up breals – sure was worth it.
Syline won the third of the three-section event and its 1:35.65 set a meet record, nudging the 2001 1:35.89 by North of Riverside, California from the books.
A Texas arch-rival, Alief Elsik, was a tight second in 1:36.26 with NJ’s Franklin third in 1:37.77.
Skyline did it with three sophomores, Krystin Lacy, Sha’Tara Taylor and Chanelle Curry, plus a freshman, anchor Jasmin Greer.
“We lost to them twice before but I still knew we could win here,” said Lacy.
“They beat us at states but we knew we had to come and beat them here. We knew it was going to be close, because of what happened before.
“I knew their last leg was going to be strong.”
True. But Skyline still was too quick.

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