 |
DyeStat Virginia
2000 Outdoor State Meet
AAA Finals Preview
Sheena Johnson goes for 5 golds
and Rickey Harris 3; can Webb lead South Lakes boys to title?
by Ben Ackerly, Richmond Times-Dispatch
BOYS
Event (with meet record)
Long jump (25-4) - 1. Dexter Faulk (Woodside) 24-9; 2. Alonzo Moore (Phoebus) 23-8; 3. Rico Lloyd (Potomac) 23-7�; 4. Chris Clifton (Deep Creek), Tim Campbell (Kellam) 23-5�; 6. Willie Smith (Deep Creek) 23-5�; 7. Derrick Freeman (Churchland) 23-3�; 8. Darryl Blackstock (Heritage) 23-3.
Faulk proved he's healthy with a 24-leap (tied for U.S. No. 3) to win the Eastern Region meet. His biggest challenge will be finding the range on an unfamiliar board.
Triple jump (50-9�) - 1. Godwin Mbagwu (Petersburg) 48-4�; 2. Jason Fludd (Brooke Point) 47-7�; 3. Michael Day (Dinwiddie) 47-3; 4. Khalif Smith (Booker T. Washington) 47-0; 5. Alonzo Moore (Phoebus) 46-5; 6. Derrick Freeman (Churchland) 46-1; 7. Rico Lloyd (Potomac) 45-6�; 8. Brandon Royster (Fairfax) 45-4�.
Fludd finished second indoors to Stonewall Jackson's Frank Tolen, who's injured. Mbagwu, injured indoors, proved last week that he's ready to add an outdoor state title to his indoor win in '99. Day, if he's on the board, could break 48.
High jump (7-1) - 1. Quentin Matthews (Deep Creek) 6-10; 2. John Hubbard (G.W. Danville) 6-9; 3. Keith Moffatt (Menchville), Marlin Manley (Bethel), Jerome Mathis (Petersburg) 6-8; (5 at 6-6).
Deep Creek will learn early if it has a shot at the team title. Keep an eye on Culpeper's Chris Smith (qualified at 6-6), who went 6-9 in March to win the indoor state meet. Oakton's Teddy Presley (6-6) won the event last year with a clearance of 6-8
Shot put (65-�) - 1. James Sapp (P.H. Roanoke) 57-4; 2. T.J. Stahl (Marshall) 57-3; 3. Eric Thompson (G.W. Danville) 55-7; 4. Jason Dixon (Maury) 53-6�; 5. Sean Gooden (Yorktown) 53-3; 6. Lionel Abrams (Hermitage) 53-0; 7. James Lewis (Lakeland) 52-11; 8. Preston Ailor (Douglas Freeman) 52-8.
Sapp got the better of Stahl and Thompson indoors, but the competition has narrowed the gap.
Discus (190-2) - 1. Jason Dixon (Maury) 153-8; 2. Nike Wanderer (Granby) 153-6; 3. James Sapp (P.H. Roanoke) 148-10; 4. Andrew Kennzy (Sherando) 145-6; 5. Andrae Davis (I.C. Norcom) 144-4; 6. Jim Tiller (Thomas Dale) 143-6; 7. Colby Hall (Hermitage) 141-11; 8. Glen Lloyd (Annandale) 141-8.
A double for Sapp seems unlikely, though the Sports Backers Stadium discus circle has yielded personal-bests all spring.
Pole vault (16-0) - 1. Val Osipenko (Atlee) 14-7; 2. Jimmy Tran (Great Bridge), Daniel Garret (Great Bridge) 14-3; 4. Billy Morris (E.C. Glass) 14-0; 5. Nick Arredondo (Douglas Freeman), Joseph Almand (North Stafford), David Sullivan (E.C. Glass) 13-6.
Tran will have to get higher than the 14-0 he cleared last spring and this winter to claim back-to-back state titles. Still, a Great Bridge pole vaulter has won the event three of the past four outdoor meets.
3,200-meter relay (7:46.83) - 1. South Lakes 7:55.44; 2. T.C. Williams 7:58.55; 3. West Potomac 7:59.78; 4. Lake Braddock 8:01.24; 5. Menchville 8:05.96; 6. Midlothian 8:08.03; 7. Kempsville 8:08.56; 8. L.C. Bird 8:10.11.
Alan Webb proved his mettle as a relay runner with a 3:59.9 at the Penn Relays. If he runs anchor for South Lakes, the race is for second place. T.C. Williams has won the event four of the 11 years its been held. Midlothian, if coach Stan Morgan loads the relay, could finish in the top three.
110 hurdles (13.67) - 1. Rickey Harris (Centreville) 13.54; 2. Trevor McPherson (Tallwood) 14.20; 3. Lamar Lane (Woodbridge) 14.24; 4. B.J. Hancock (E.C. Glass), Frank Barnes (Salem) 14.28; 6. Frank Tolen (Stonewall Jackson), Khalif Smith (Booker T. Washington) 14.34; 8. Brandon Royster (Fairfax) 14.35.
If Harris is on, say goodbye to a 16-year-old record. In last week's Northern Region meet, he cruised to an easy win with three straight races under 14 seconds. A U.S.-No. 2 ranking aside, no prep hurdler in the country is better.
100 (10.51) - 1. Rico Lloyd (Potomac) 10.55; 2. Byron Dunham (Brooke Point) 10.64; 3. Jason Boone (Woodrow Wilson) 10.75; 4. Jerome Mathis (Petersburg) 10.85; 5. Willie Smith (Deep Creek) 10.86; 6. Demetrius Jackson (G.W. Danville) 10.89; 7. Michael Johnson (Heritage) 10.92; 8. Dexter Faulk (Woodside) 10.93.
Some think a healthy Lloyd is the most exciting sprinter in the state. Lloyd's healthy, and he and Dunham have been battling all spring. Mathis, who stole the indoor 55 from out in lane 6, won't be overlooked this time.
1,600 (4:05.38) - 1. Alan Webb (South Lakes) 4:03.33; 2. Sean Washington (Denbigh) 4:20.24; 3. Ahmed Qureshi (James River) 4:21.87; 4. Jason Lewis (Potomac) 4:22.22; 5. Graham Kearney (Douglas Freeman) 4:22.80; 6. Bill Moador (Cave Spring) 4:23.52; 7. Andrew Dunnum (Robinson) 4:23.77; 8. Adam Otstot (Mills Godwin) 4:25.50.
If Webb goes for the meet record, he'll be all by himself. Lewis, who won the race indoors, might be the best of the rest, and he could make the difference in the team standings. Richard Smith of South Lakes comes in at No. 9.
400 relay (41.36) - 1. Brooke Point 51.54; 2. Deep Creek 41.97; 3. Bethel 42.24; 4. Heritage 42.27; 5. Petersburg 42.52; 6. L.C. Bird 42.63; 7. Annandale 42.65; 8. West Potomac 42.66.
Wide turns and a big stagger might help teams in the inside lanes. If Petersburg's first three runners can smooth out their exchanges, Mathis at the anchor has the speed to move up. They'll be in lane two of the fast section.
400 (46.25) - 1. Rickey Harris (Centreville) 47.06; 2. Anthony Pelham (Heritage) 47.58; 3. Domonick Richmond (Bethel) 47.73; 4. Cy Williams (Oscar Smith) 47.90; 5. Brian Ford (Atlee) 48.20; 6. Donte Lucas (Lake Taylor) 48.74; 7. Eric Sidney (Heritage) 48.77; 8. Jerry Harris (West Potomac) 48.78.
Finish-line antics got Harris, here ranked No. 7 in the country, disqualified in his region meet. He won't make the same mistake twice, and this should be his second win, a repeat of last year. Ford, coming off the best performance of his career, is looking to prove he can run well in big meets.
300 hurdles (36.50) - 1. Zack Drozda (Albemarle) 37.39; 2. Khalif Smith (Booker T. Washington) 38.18; 3. T.J. Snellings (L.C. Bird) 38.27; 4. Gemayel Hazard (Bethel) 38.45; 5. Victor Davis (Monacan) 38.63; 6. Nduweze Anyanwu (T.C. Williams) 38.67; 7. Allieu Siesay (Annandale) 38.77; 8. Frank Barnes (Salem) 38.80.
Drozda's time puts him among some elite company, but this remains a wide-open race. Snellings has improved nearly every week this spring.
800 (1:49.61) - 1. Alan Webb (South Lakes) 1:50.41; 2. Curtis Parker (Woodside) 1:53.84; 3. James Small (McLean) 1:54.72; 4. Harun Iman (Wakefield) 1:54.83; 5. Michael Byrd (William Fleming) 1:54.88; 6. Busayo Ojumu (T.C. Williams) 1:55.18; 7. Tim Oliver (Lake Braddock) 1:55.63; 8. Zach Davis (Midlothian) 1:55.78.
Whatever Webb has left, it likely will be enough. Small, the Northern Region winner, might be the best of the challengers, and look for Davis to move up.
200 (20.90) - 1. Rickey Harris (Centreville) 21.22; 2. Rico Lloyd (Potomac) 21.28; 3. Byron Dunham (Brooke Point) 21.44; 4. Dwayne Kindrick (Bethel) 21.71; 5. Jerome Mathis (Petersburg) 21.91; 6. Earl Thomas (Churchland) 21.94; 7. Willie Smith (Deep Creek) 21.97; 8. Omar McDaniel (Bayside) 21.98.
Harris will have to fly to get a possible third win. Lloyd, who could nail down the team title for Potomac, and Dunham, who could do the same for Brooke Point, will be right with him. Petersburg won't score again after Mathis. On the boys side, this may be the showcase race of the meet.
3,200 (9:01.40) - 1. Austin Smith (Midlothian) 9:19.66; 2. Matt Keally (Ocean Lakes) 9:23.14; 3. David Silver (T.J.-Science) 9:31.82; 4. Alan Chambers (West Springfield) 9:32.25; 5. Brian Dumm (Robinson) 9:35.49; 6. Matt Maline (Oakton) 9:36.24; 7. John Piersol (TJ/GS) 9:40.00; 8. Ryan Newhart (Denbigh) 9:40.24.
Smith has beaten Keally twice this season. Tomorrow<cm Saturday>, he'll be looking for number three.
1,600 relay (3:14.15) - 1. Heritage 3:13.70; 2. West Potomac 3:18.45; 3. Lake Braddock 3:18.82; 4. Bethel 3:18.85; 5. South Lakes 3:19.41; 6. Hayfield 3:21.21; 7. Atlee 3:22.90; 8. Brooke Point 3:23.05.
Heritage comes in with the No. 6 time in the country, but South Lakes is the team to watch. This race could decide the meet, and if Webb runs the 3,200 relay, the Seahawks will have to step up without him. Brooke Point enters at No. 8, and Potomac, No. 9, is the top seed in the slower section.
GIRLS
Long jump (20-6�) - 1. Caroline Harvey (Atlee) 19-4�; 2. Sheena Johnson (Gar-Field) 19-2�; 3. Tiffany McLaughin (Tallwood) 18-7�; 4. Keosha Sanders (Brooke Point) 18-6�; 5. Courage Otaighe (C.D. Hylton) 18-3; 6. Marie Giles (Bethel) 18-2�; 7. Kellie Wells (James River) 18-2�; 8. Nikki Nowlin (Fairfax) 18-2.
Johnson's toughest challenge may come in this, the first event of the meet. Four of the top five jumpers from last year's meet return in Giles, Harvey, McLaughlin and the Gar-Field senior, and Harvey, the National Scholastic Indoor champion, again ranks among the elite jumpers in the country.
Triple jump (42-9�) - 1. Sheena Johnson (Gar-Field) 39-9; 2. Danielle Woodhouse (T.J.-Science) 38-9�; 3. Niwa Wynn (E.C. Glass) 38-8; 4. Ayanna Alexander (McLean) 38-7�; 5. Sherina Hibbler (Booker T. Washington) 37-5�; 6. Stephanie Fields (TJ/GS) 37-2; 7. Caroline Harvey (Atlee) 36-10; 8. Kira Sims (Gar-Field) 36-9�.
Johnson went over 40 feet indoors and probably can do so again if she needs to. She'll be looking to end this competition early, but Woodhouse has been jumping well.
High jump (6-�) - 1. Love Brown (Booker T. Washington), Takeitha Jordan (Gar-Field) 5-10; 3. Jerri Jenkins (James Wood), Caty Ritenour (Sherando), Jessica Randolph (Cave Springs), Makena Hammond (Denbigh), Krystal Moss (TJ-Science), Bonnie Meekins (Oakton) 5-6.
Brown and Jordan must prove they can jump under big-meet pressure. Don't be surprised if Moss, the NSI champion at 5-8�, and Meekins re-stage their state indoor duel - a Moss win at 5-8 on fewer misses.
Shot put (49-9) - 1. India Odum (Hayfield) 45-8�; 2. Lindsay Neuberger (Frank W. Cox) 42-8; 3. Ayanna Jones (TJ/GS) 42-0; 4. Amanda Walker (Bethel) 41-�; 5. Latoya Porter (Manchester) 39-10�; 6. Donisha Freeman (Mount Vernon) 39-9�; 7. Paula Pietkova (Lake Braddock) 38-8�; 8. Ieshia Hurt (Manchester) 38-5.
Odum won handily indoors and there's no reason to think she won't repeat. Neuberger was the surprise winner of the Eastern Region meet, and Jones, the Central champion, has been over 40 feet all season.
Discus (159-0) - 1. Donisha Freeman (Mount Vernon) 133-2; 2. Jennifer Foster (Sherando) 128-1; 3. Ieshia Hurt (Manchester) 126-3; 4. Amber Chastain (Western Branch) 124-1; 5. India Odum (Hayfield) 120-11; 6. Nikki Arrington (Midlothian) 117-3; 7. Sarah Baker (Annadale) 115-6; 8. Ayanna Jones (TJ/GS) 112-01.
Odum will be in the hunt here as well, an event that is wide-open. Hurt improved her personal-best by more than seven feet last week. Can she do it again?
Pole vault (10-6) - 1. Kira Sims (Gar-Field) 11-6; 2. Charlotte LaRoche (Centreville), Alicia LaRoche (Centreville), April Banks (T.C. Williams) 11-0; 5. Kira Barcus (Atlee), Danielle Taylor (Frank W. Cox), Carrie Bennett (Hayfield) 10-6.
Sims and the LaRoche sisters are good bets to break Bennett's year-old meet record.
3,200-meter relay (9:10.29) - 1. T.J.-Science 9:27.72; 2. Oakton 9:30.14; 3. Hayfield 9:38.28; 4. C.D. Hylton 9:39.41; 5. Lake Braddock 9:40.54; 6. West Springfield 9:40.74; 7. TJ/GS 9:41.00; 8. Langley 9:41.66.
If Kelley Otstott anchors T.J.-Science, its foursome should repeat their '99 win. TJ/GS, if Kerin Lanyi and Jeannie Addison run, could place among the top five teams.
100 hurdles (13.81) - 1. Sheena Johnson (Gar-Field) 13.56; 2. Keosha Sanders (Brooke Point) 13.99; 3. Nicle Jann (Menchville) 14.44; 4. Sherina Hibbler (Booker T. Washington) 14.54; 5. Kellie Wells (James River) 14.63; 6. Sherita Hibbler (Booker T. Washington) 14.74; 7. Rachael McIntosh (Brooke Point) 14.84; 8. Beth Harma (Cave Springs) 14.94.
A clean race and Johnson shatters a 12-year-old record. Johnson, the defending champion, also is likely to become just the fourth athlete in state meet history to run under 14 seconds in the finals of this event.
100 (11.73) - 1. Sheena Johnson (Gar-Field) 11.74; 2. Ara Towns (Bethel) 11.77; 3. Asia Carroll (Bethel) 11.84; 4. Amy Conteh (Oakton) 12.08; 5. Alyssa Aiken (Chantilly) 12.12; 6. Keosha Sanders (Brooke Point) 12.13; 7. Happy Darcus (Albemarle) 12.16; 8. Rashawna Sellers (Oscar Smith) 12.17.
Towns won last year, and her experience and a 15-minute rest for Johnson after the hurdles make the Bethel junior a favorite. Still, it's hard to picture Johnson losing, though Carroll will be right in there as well. A meet record here would not be surprising.
1,600 (4:50.32) - 1. Nikeya Green (Hayfield) 4:59.19; 2. Blair Myers (Douglas Freeman) 5:11.42; 3. Dionne Evans (Gar-Field) 5:12.06; 4. Monica Schleier-Smith (T.J.-Science) 5:12.19; 5. Colleen Connell (Brooke Point) 5:12.24; 6. Sam Ferrence (Robinson) 5:12.26; 7. Amanda Boswell (Princess Anne) 5:14.21; 8. Lauren Goldsmith (Cave Spring) 5:15.27.
Green won't finish second this year, but Myers may have to run a personal-best for the third week in a row if she wants to hold off a tight pack. Freeman's Elizabeth Bugg, sixth last year and steadily improving this spring after taking the indoor season off, slipped into the fast section.
400 relay (45.79) - 1. Bethel 47.41; 2. Salem 47.70; 3. Menchville 47.80; 4. Denbigh 48.74; 5. Western Branch 48.80; 6. Oakton 48.84; 7. L.C. Bird 48.85; 8. Atlee 48.99.
Bethel is loaded with talented sprinters and is a clear favorite if they have clean exchanges. Since that's a big if, watch out for Menchville, chasing them down from the inside in lane three.
400 (53.45) - 1. Alyssa Aiken (Chantilly) 55.24; 2. Trenace Elliott (Western Branch) 55.40; 3. Vakara Forrest (Gloucester) 56.25; 4. Cheri Manning (J.R. Tucker) 56.62; 5. Meredith Brill (Lake Braddock) 57.48; 6. Avis Strobridge (Kecoughtan) 57.59; 7. Zakiya Ingraham (Thomas Dale) 57.89; 8. Heather Mullis (Frank W. Cox) 58.19.
A healthy Aiken, who set the meet record last year, is the class of the field. But her health remains a question, so this race could open up. Manning won't have a 400 relay to distract her this weekend, and she keeps getting faster.
300 hurdles (41.62) - 1. Sheena Johnson (Gar-Field) 40.74; 2. Janine Jones (Menchville) 42.56; 3. Keosha Sanders (Brooke Point) 43.44; 4. Ayanna Alexander (McLean) 44.24; 5. Kellie Wells (James River) 44.82; 6. Maurika Quarles (Osbourn Park) 45.04; 7. Yvette Lewis (Denbigh) 45.24; 8. Ife Imhotep (Henrico) 45.33.
Johnson takes aim at what could be a fifth title, and only Jones can make this one close. With a win here, Johnson becomes just the second girl in state meet history to win an outdoor event four years in row. Johnson has run three of the top five times all-time in the state finals of this race, and the meet record goes if she doesn't fall down.
800 (2:10.44) - 1. Nikeya Green (Hayfield) 2:10.62; 2. Nicole Cook (Petersburg) 2:13.84; 3. Kelley Otstott (T.J.-Science) 2:14.18; 4. Elizabeth Bayne (Kecoughtan) 2:15.24: 5. Lauren Goldsmith (Cave Springs) 2:16.63; 6. Carin Miller (Chantilly) 2:17.34; 7. Maureen Hagan (West Springfield) 2:18.19; 8. Lea Nikeita (G.W. Danville) 2:18.23.
Shaping up to be one of the best events of the meet. Green will try to repeat her double-win of a week ago (4:59.19/2:10.64). Cook, who also doubled last week (56.20/2:13.84), and Bayne, the indoor meet-record-holder in the 1000, both will run fresh. Otstott ran 2:11.64 indoors. It might take a meet-record performance to win.
200 (23.79) - 1. Alyssa Aiken (Chantilly) 24.19; 2. Takesha Long (Churchland) 24.59; 3. Ara Towns (Bethel) 24.77; 4. Trenace Elliot (Western Branch) 24.85; 5. Terri Davenport (C.D. Hylton) 25.04; 6. Arnissa Ward (Lakeland) 25.14; 7. Cheri Manning (J.R. Tucker) 25.22; 8. Stephanie Walker (Varina) 25.43.
How much Aiken has left from the 400 will decide how wide open the door is for Long and Towns.
3,200 (10:05.58) - 1. Erin Swain (Lake Braddock) 11:04.64; 2. Keira Carlstrom (Oakton) 11:14.74; 3. Jeannie Addison (TJ/GS) 11:15.38; 4. Colleen Connell (Brooke Point) 11:17.29; 5. Kristee Sherry (T.J.-Science) 11:18.85; 6. Kerin Lanyi (TJ/GS) 11:20.14; 7. Kelly Swain (Lake Braddock) 11:20.76; 8. Lauren Chaiken (Marshall) 11:22.64.
Swain ran 11:00.59 to win the indoor meet, and little sister Kelly, a freshman who enters with the No. 7 time, finished second (11:10.95). Lanyi, third indoors, might be the best of the opposition.
1,600 relay (3:43.46) - 1. Menchville 3:47.33; 2. Western Branch 3:50.24; 3. Bethel 3:50.54; 4. Gar-Field 3:54.54; 5. Kecoughtan 3:55.24; 6. T.C. Williams 3:55.54; 7. Lake Braddock 3:56.84; 8. Salem 3:57.34.
If Bethel has managed to stick close to Gar-Field in the team standing, this race won't be about who crosses the finish line first.
