Senior Davon Grayson and the girls’ 4×100-meter relay team were the high points for King’s Fork High School at the 2013 Virginia High School League Group AAA state outdoor track and field championships this past weekend at Todd Stadium in Newport News.

Grayson finished second in the boys’ high jump and long jump based on judge’s decisions in both cases, with personal records of 6’9” and 24’, respectively. The 4×100-meter relay team of juniors Roneka Spady and Gabrielle Snipes and sophomores Courtney Ricks and Brittany Dickens came in third, posting a time of 47.45 seconds.

King’s Fork coach Ruchelle Ricks explained that the expectations were for Grayson and the school’s 4×100-meter relay to win. While this did not end up happening, there was still much to praise.

Grayson was the runner up, but “just the fact that he ended the season with an awesome PR, and this is his last track season, we were satisfied with the outcome for him,” Ricks said.

“I’m just happy I got a chance to compete against those top-notch guys,” Grayson said.

In the high jump, he and first place-finisher Steven Dunbar of Tallwood High School both finished with jumps of 6’9”, so the winner was judged by the quality of the other high jumps they executed during the meet.

“The other guy had less misses from previous jumps from previous heights, so that’s why Davon ended up getting second,” Ricks said. “So, it was a pretty good battle all the way to the end.”

Part of the complication for Grayson came through the long jump competition happening almost simultaneously with the high jump.

His last long jump was an impressive 24’6” leap, which would have given him the championship, but the judges ruled that he had left the ground just a toe past the required mark.

Various colleges showed interest in Grayson at the meet, not knowing he was already committed to East Carolina University for football. This proved to be a welcome surprise to the ECU track coach.

“He was just super happy, so I guess I will continue to run track in school after this year,” Grayson said.

The girls’ 4×100-meter team managed to top its state-best time of 47.46 by one one-hundredth of a second, but it was not enough.

“We came in with the number one time all year, and our expectation was to win, of course, but overall, they worked hard, and they gave it all they could,” Ricks said.

As the younger runners on the team, Courtney Ricks and Dickens, continue to develop, Coach Ricks expects the team to become even more competitive.

She gave her impression on the season, as a whole, and the future.

“I think, all in all, we had an awesome season, some highs and lows, but for the most part, I think next year is going to be awesome because pretty much everyone is coming back on that relay,” she said. “So, we’re looking to not only contend for the state championship again, but hopefully our times will drop much more next year.”