Runners blaze new records

Injury struck one of the biggest stars on Nansemond River High School’s outdoor track and field team on June 20 during the recent New Balance Nationals Outdoor meet in Greensboro, N.C.

With major events still to come the following day, it seemed like these nationals would simply be defined by the death of a vision for the Lady Warriors. But this wasn’t so.

Instead, “Sunday definitely was one of my top five best days as a coach,” Nansemond River’s Justin Byron said, later upgrading it to his top three.

The training for Nansemond River’s team had been on point going into the national event.

“We were prepared to go after a national record, we were prepared to win a national championship, but with (Kara) Lyles,” not without her, Byron said.

The Lady Warriors had to press on without her, though, when she hyperextended her knee on a handoff during the prelims of the championship division 4×100-meter relay.

Tears were shed on what was a decidedly difficult Saturday for the team.

On the same day, Nansemond River junior Brandeé Johnson was also disappointed in her showing in the championship division 100-meter hurdles, placing 14th in the preliminary heats.

But Byron prepared his team for what would be a remarkable turnaround.

On Sunday, Johnson competed in the championship division 400-meter hurdles, delivering what Byron termed a monumental performance by finishing with a time of 57.63 seconds, good for second.

Going on seven years as a coach, Byron said, “When I first started coaching, I was praying for girls to run 57 on a RELAY.” Johnson was jumping over hurdles and still made that time.

In the finals for the girls’ 4×100, Nansemond River finished in 46.25 seconds for second place, emerging in the event as the third-fastest Virginia school ever, according to records on MileStat.com that extend back to 2000.

The time was also the fastest in the girls’ 4×100 by a Virginia school since 2011.

The team’s new makeup and running order was anything but orthodox, but Byron had a plan.

He chose freshman Asia Crocker to replace Lyles, a senior. Crocker ended up running the second leg, where coaches tend to put their fastest runner.

“I kind of saw something that I figured would work,” Byron said. “Asia stepped up, ran a magnificent leg.”

Sophomore Syaira Richardson led off, Johnson took the third leg and junior Dajae’ Goulet ran the fourth.

Byron said that those girls being able to adjust so quickly to all the changes showed their track IQ.

The crowning achievement of the day for the Lady Warriors came in the championship division 4×400-meter relay.

Without Lyles, who normally runs the relay team’s fastest leg, the team still produced the second-fastest time in Virginia history, 3:39.01, according to MileStat.com. Western Branch High School produced the fastest Virginia time in the same race, 3:38.53.

“There’s a lot of colleges that do not break 3:40,” Byron said. “For us to break 3:40 without Lyles — that is amazing.”

The race also illustrated just how high the Nansemond River program has risen in the national rankings.

National track powerhouses include Union Catholic Regional High School and Columbia High School, both out of New Jersey; Oak Park High School out of Michigan; Miami Northwestern Senior High School out of Florida; and Western Branch.

Forming the top five in the 4×400, from first to fifth, was Union Catholic, Oak Park, Western Branch, Nansemond River and Miami Northwestern.

“I think that’s special for our entire community,” Byron said.

The girls who helped make it happen in the 4×400 included senior Candice James, who ran a second and a half faster than her personal record; Richardson, who went two seconds faster than her PR; Johnson, going two and a half seconds faster than her PR; and then Goulet, the substitute for Lyles.

Prior to this race, Goulet’s personal record 400 time had been 1:04.75, but Byron said he saw something in her during training recently that made him think she could contribute to the relay team.

In the 4×400, she cut eight seconds off of her PR.

“Dajae’s run was amazing,” he said. “I was proud of her. It was a great job, great effort.”

Other highlights for Nansemond River included a fourth-place finish in the championship division girls’ 1000-meter sprint medley relay on Saturday. The relay team featured senior Zakiya Rashid running the 100, Richardson running the 200, Lyles running a blazing 37.2 seconds in the 300-meter leg and Candice James running the 400.