 |
DyeStat Virginia
2000 Outdoor State Meet
AAA Finals Preview
Hot weather and hot performances expected�
at new All-Backers Stadium�
by Pearl Watts
The AAA state championships begin in Richmond tomorrow and continue through Saturday with the 2000 state indoor team champs Gar-Field girls and Potomac boys having as good a chance as anyone to add the outdoor crowns.�
The meet at Virginia Commonwealth University's Sports Backers track is just off US 95's Exit 78 (Boulevard Exit) and following signs to The Diamond for about a half mile will put you at the track which is situated just beyond the parking lot area for the Richmond Braves baseball complex. It should be noted that there is virtually no shade in or around the track area and only one food or drink establishment within walking distance of the track except for the track facility's concession stand. With hot and humid weather expected for the weekend; coaches, athletes and spectators should plan ahead. Friday's field events will begin at 12:45 p.m. with the girls discus throw and at 1:00 p.m. competiton will begin in the girls long jump, boys long jump and girls high jump. The boys discus will immediately follow the girls discus with the boys high jump following the girls high jump. Running event trials on Thursday begin at 3:30 p.m. and will include the 800 run, both hurdle events and the 100; 200 and 400 dashes for both girls and boys. Saturday's action starts at 9:30 a.m. with field event activity in the boys shot put, girls triple jump, girls pole vault and boys triple jump with the girls shot to follow the boys shot and the boys vault to immediately follow the girls vault. The running event finals for all boys and girls events will begin at 12:30 p.m. with scoring for all events through eight places on a 10-8-6-5-4-3-2-1 basis.�
BOYS
On the boys side, Potomac will be looking to senior Rico Lloyd as their top point producer if they are to defend their title. Lloyd is the defending champion in the 200 dash and also one of the top seeds in both the long jump and 100 dash. Potomac's other top perfomer is senior Jason Lewis, the indoor champion in the 1,600 run.�
The always tough Eastern Region has Deep Creek and Heritage among its contenders. Deep Creek has the top seed in the high jump with Quentin Matthews and a deep sprint group with plenty of relay power led by Omar McDaniels, Deandre Hyman and Anthony Riddick. Heritage is led by Anthony Pelham and Eric Sidney in the sprints and Darryl Blackstock along with Jasonius Tillery in the horizontal jumps and have a 4x400 relay that has been running under 3:15 all season long.�
Another team to watch is Central Region champ Petersburg with sprinter Jerome Mathis, the state indoor 55 dash winner and also with Godwin Mbagwu in the horizontal jumps.�
No Northern Region school looks to have a chance to exceed 40 points at the state level although it is certainly possible that less than 40 points could be needed to take home the first place team trophy.
Regional team champion West Potomac should get points from Jerry Harris in the long jump and with Jerry Harris not scheduled to run the 400 dash, the Wolverines should be strong in all three relays (4x100; 4x400; 4x800) with both Jerry and Jermie Harris running legs in each. Centreville should also score well at the state level with senior Rickey Harris back to defend his titles in both the 110 high hurdles and 400 dash with Harris also looking to improve on his second place finish in the 200 dash from last year. The Wildcats could also get points in the pole vault from region champ David Sullivan to push over the thirty point mark.�
South Lakes could also nudge over the thirty point barrier but that will depend on the status of Alan Webb. The Seahawks junior did not compete in the region meet last week but is scheduled to compete in the 800 run and 1,600 runs and possibly the 4x400 relay at states. If Webb does not line up for the 800 run trials on Friday he would therefore be scratched from all other subsequent events. If Webb is close to 100% and does line up in the 800 and 1,600 runs he will be favored to produce 20 points for South Lakes. That and expected strong showings in both the 4x800 and 4x400 relays should put the Seahawks in top five team territory.�
Top individuals to watch from the Northern Region include Brandon Royster of Fairfax in the long jump, triple jump and 110 high hurdles; Wakefield's Harun Iman, McLean's James Small and Busayo Ojumu of T.C. Williams in the 800 run; the Annandale 4x100 relay; T.J. Stahl of Marshall in the shot put and Oakton junior Teddy Presley, the defending outdoor champ in the high jump.
Other top athletes in the state include Stonewall Jackson's Frank Tolen in all three jumping events and both hurdle races; Brooke Point's Jason Fludd in the horizontal sprints; Oscar Smith long sprinter Cy Williams and Woodside'sCurtis Parker in the middle distances along with Parker's teammate Dexter Faulk in the long jump and 100 dash.
GIRLS
Bethel is the defending girls outdoor champion with Potomac the 1999 boys winner. On the girls side, Northwest Region champion Gar-Field looks to be capable of piling up the most points with Eastern Region champion Bethel probably the biggest roadblock to the Indians.�
Gar-Field could come close to clinching the title if standout senior Sheena Johnson continues performing in the state meet as she has all season long. Johnson will be one of the favorites to win both the long jump and triple jump, is the defending champion in the 100 hurdles and going for her fourth straigh title in the 300 hurdles. Add big points in the 100 for Johnson and she is fully capable of scoring over 40 points by herself. Gar-Field also has one of the top pole vaulters and triple jumpers in Kira Sims and one of the top high jumpers in Takeitha Jordan and could remove the team title suspense early if they are hitting on all cylinders.�
Bethel is always a force to be reckoned with come state meet time with a strong squad that has their strengths mainly in the sprints and jumps. The defending outdoor champions who were state runnersup to Gar-Field in the past indoor state meet, Bethel is led by junior Ara Towns, the defending champion in the 100 dash who was also third outdoors last year in the 200 dash; Marie Giles, the state indoor runnerup in both the long jump and 300 dash, sprinter Asia Carroll and in the field events by state indoor shot runnerup Amanda Walker.
�
Among local teams, Jefferson looks to be the best bet to score beyond the 30 to 40 point range and challenge for a top spot with Lake Braddock, Hayfield and Oakton also having a shot at a top five finish. Regional champ Jefferson should get field event points with junior Krystle Moss, who was the state indoor champ in the high jump and from senior Nikki Woodhouse, who is one of the top seeds in the triple jump and could also place in the long jump. The Colonials will also be one of the teams to beat in the 4x800 relay anchored by Kelley Otstott with Otstott also one of the top seeds in the 800 run. Jefferson could also get some important distance points from Monica Schleier-Smith and Kristee Sherry. Lake Braddock should also be very strong in the distance events with senior Erin Swain capable of repeating her eighteen point performance at the regional meet where she won the 3,200 run and finished second in the 1,600 run with Erin's freshman sister Kelly Swain one of the top seeds in the 3,200 run. The Bruins also have freshman Meredith Brill looking for points in the 400 dash and long jump and have regional 100 hurdle champ Alexandra VanHeuven. Regional runnerup�
Oakton is led by senior Amy Conteh, who should be a factor in the long jump and dash events and by sophomore Bonnie Meekins, the indoor state runnerup in the high jump with sophomore Keira Carlstrom the top hope in the distance events for the Cougars.�
Hayfield could get over the 30 point mark with two competitors. The Hawks have senior Nikeya Green as the top seed in both the 1,600 run and 800 run and also have state indoor shot put champ India Odum looking to add the outdoor title as well with Odum also having a good shot at points in the discus throw.�
Top individuals form the Northern Region back to defend their titles include Chantilly's Alyssa Aiken, who is the meet record holder in the 400 dash at 53.45 seconds with Aiken also expected to be a factor in the 100 and 200 dashes and Mount Vernon's Donisha Freeman also returns to defend her title in the discus throw with Freeman is also one of the top shot putters. Other locals to follow include McLean's Ayanna Alexander in the high jump, triple jump and 300 hurdles and Centreville sisters Alicia LaRoche and Charlotte LaRoche along with April Banks of T.C. Williams in the pole vault. Other top performers within the state include Keosha Sanders of Brooke Point in the hurdles and sprints, Caroline Harvey of Atlee in the long jump and 100 dash and versatile short and long race sprinters Terri Davenport of C.D. Hylton, Elizabeth Bayne of Kecoughtan, Menchville's Janine Jones and Nicole Cook of Petersburg.
