By Titus Mohler
Correspondent

The local field was narrowed down to the brightest stars from Nansemond River, Lakeland, and King’s Fork in the 2012 Virginia AAA State Indoor Track Championships this weekend at the Boo Williams Sportsplex.

Shakeela Saunders of Nansemond River and Anaquan Peterson of Lakeland brought home state championships to Suffolk, both in the triple jump.

Saunders won with a leap of 40’3.5”. Each athlete gets three jumps in the preliminary heats and three jumps if they qualify for the final. Behind in the competition, Saunders claimed victory on her sixth and final jump and the distance turned out to be a personal record (PR).

“I didn’t think that you could pull all of it off of one jump at the end,” she said. “So I had to really regain my mind, just remember all the training we got to get here, and put it together in the end and my power got me through that one.”

Peterson won the triple jump with a distance of 47’5.5”.

“Yesterday was a good day, but I didn’t PR, so it was [an] ‘OK’ day,” Peterson explained. “I would like to PR, but still got one meet left.”

The meet he referred to is a national competition in New York where he will be competing.

Both Saunders and Peterson came in as the favorites to win the long jump, but neither were able to win it this time.

Lakeland coach Gregory Rountree had special praise for his high jumper, Jordan Hardiman.

“Jordan, first year running indoor track, finishing eighth in the state, with the field that they had … great job,” Rountree said.

Hardiman and Nansemond River’s Brandon Roberts finished tied for eighth with a 6’3” high jump.

King’s Fork provided the only representation from Suffolk schools in the pole vault. The Bulldogs’ Te’Shaibrah Myles placed eighth with a score of 9 feet.

In the shot put, the Warriors’ Zakiya Rashid had a throw of 36’9.25” to finish eighth and Aurielle Smenda of King’s Fork finished 21st with a 32’0.5” throw.

It was a rough day for the Nansemond River boys, but coach Franco Britt described Kyle Green as a lone bright spot. Green came in fourth in the 300 meter dash, setting yet another PR with a time of 35.42 seconds.

 

Friday’s and Saturday’s Results:

 

Women’s Team Rankings (15 events scored)

1) Cosby, 54

2) Western Branch, 50

3) Nansemond River, 40

4) Landstown, 37

5) South County, 31

6) Phoebus, 28

6) Lake Braddock, 28

8 ) Bethel, 22

9) Ocean Lakes, 21

10) Mountain View, 20

11) James W. Robinson, 16

11) Herndon, 16

11) Midlothian, 16

14) Indian River, 13

15) West Potomac, 12

16) Oakton, 11

17) Osbourn Park, 10

17) Grassfield, 10

17) Matoaca High School, 10

20) John Marshall, 9

21) Stafford, 8

21) Tallwood, 8

21) Cox High School, 8

24) T.C. Williams, 7

24) Thomas Edison, 7

24) Highland Springs, 7

27) West Springfield, 6

27) Hampton, 6

27) Patrick Henry (Ashland), 6

27) Atlee, 6

27) First Colonial, 6

32) Gloucester, 5

32) Patrick Henry (Roanoke), 5

32) Clover Hill, 5

32) South Lakes, 5

32) Great Bridge, 5

32) Douglas Freeman, 5

38) Heritage (Newport News), 4

39) Princess Anne, 3

39) J.R. Tucker High School, 3

41) Robert E. Lee, 2

41) Albemarle, 2

41) William Fleming, 2

41) C.D. Hylton, 2

41) Colonial Forge, 2

46) Thomas Dale, 1

46) Forest Park, 1

46) Washington-Lee, 1

46) Kings Fork, 1

46) North Stafford, 1

46) Battlefield, 1

 

Men’s Team Rankings (15 events scored)

1) Western Branch, 48

2) Grassfield, 34

3) Westfield, 27

4) Annandale, 22

5) Oakton, 21

6) Oscar Smith, 20

6) First Colonial, 20

8 ) Bethel, 19

9) J.R. Tucker High School, 18

10) Colonial Forge, 17

11) Douglas Freeman, 16

11) Atlee, 16

13) Lakeland, 14.33

14) Albemarle, 14

15) Chantilly, 13

16) Stafford, 12

16) T.C. Williams, 12

16) South Lakes, 12

19) Norview, 11

20) Forest Park, 10

20) Landstown, 10

20) Matoaca High School, 10

20) Kempsville, 10

20) Kellam, 10

20) Lake Braddock, 10

26) Mountain View, 9

26) Ocean Lakes, 9

26) Churchland, 9

26) Tallwood, 9

26) Green Run, 9

31) Princess Anne, 8

31) George Washington, 8

31) Langley, 8

34) I.C. Norcom, 7

35) Granby, 6

36) Nansemond River, 5.33

37) Hampton, 5

37) Thomas Edison, 5

37) James W. Robinson, 5

37) Manchester, 5

37) Mount Vernon, 5

37) Patrick Henry (Ashland), 5

43) Cosby, 4

43) Hickory, 4

43) Stonewall Jackson (Manassas), 4

43) Herndon, 4

47) Deep Run, 3

47) John Marshall, 3

47) West Potomac, 3

47) Mills Godwin, 3

47) Freedom, 3

52) W.T. Woodson, 2

52) Patrick Henry (Roanoke), 2

52) Centreville, 2

52) Highland Springs, 2

56) Dinwiddie, 1

56) Franklin County, 1

58) Warwick, 0.33

 

TOP FINISHERS

 

Girls High Jump: 1st-Hayes*, Brianna, Matoaca High School 5-08.00, 11th-Saunders, Shakeela, NR J5-02.00

 

Boys High Jump: 1st-Simmons *, Nick, J.R. Tucker 6-10.00, 8th-Roberts, Brandon, NR J6-03.00, 8th-Hardiman, Jordan, L J6-03.00

 

Girls Pole Vault: 1st-Majors, Felecia, South County 12-00.00, 8th-Myles, Te’Shaibrah, KF 9-00.00

 

Boys Pole Vault: 1st-Johnson, Brad, Kellam 15-03.00

 

Girls Shot Put 4 KG: 1st-Howell, Kiara, Grassfield 46-01.25, 8th-Rashid, Zakiya, NR 36-09.25, 21st-Smenda, Aurielle, KF 32-00.50

 

Boys Shot Put 12 LB: 1st-Frenia, Taylor, Kempsville 59-07.50

 

Girls Triple Jump: 1st-Saunders, Shakeela, NR 40-03.50

 

Boys Triple Jump: 1st-Peterson, Anaquan, L 47-05.50

 

Girls Long Jump: 1st-Majors, Felecia, South County 19-01.50, 2nd-Saunders, Shakeela, NR 18-11.50

 

Boys Long Jump: 1st-Bates*, Jamarian, Matoaca High School 23-11.25, 5th-Peterson, Anaquan, L 22-01.50

 

Girls 55 Meter Hurdles: 1st-Taylor, Taranisha, Western Branch 7.95

 

Boys 55 Meter Hurdles: 1st-Holloway, Trey, Grassfield 7.32, 10th-Garrett, Quantelius, NR 7.80

 

Girls 55 Meter Dash: 1st-Brown, Carolyn, Phoebus 6.96, 3rd-Saunders, Shakeela, NR 7.07, 6th-McClain, Mia, NR 7.18

 

Boys 55 Meter Dash: 1st-Williams, Mustaqeem, Forest Park 6.37

 

Girls 4×200 Meter Relay: 1st-Western Branch ‘A’ 1:42.31, 6th-Nansemond River ‘A’ 1:44.34

 

Boys 4×200 Meter Relay: 1st-Western Branch ‘A’ 1:30.16, 15th-Nansemond River ‘A’ 1:33.16

 

Girls 1600 Meter Run: 1st-Moye *, Megan, Cosby 4:53.42

 

Boys 1600 Meter Run: 1st-Miller, Logan, Chantilly 4:15.48

 

Girls 500 Meter Dash: 1st-Moore, Maya, Bethel 1:15.76, 9th-Middleton, Kieaira, NR 1:17.37

 

Boys 500 Meter Dash: 1st-Cherry, Michael, Oscar Smith 1:04.20

 

Girls 1000 Meter Run: 1st-Ficenec, Kimberley, Mountain View 2:51.46

 

Boys 1000 Meter Run: 1st-Bile, Ahmed, Annandale 2:26.44

 

Girls 300 Meter Dash: 1st-Greene, Tanisha, Landstown 38.98, 6th-Saunders, Shakeela, NR 40.55

 

Boys 300 Meter Dash: 1st-Cherry, Michael, Oscar Smith 34.08, 4th-Green, Kyle, NR 35.42

 

Girls 3200 Meter Run: 1st-Moye *, Megan, Cosby 10:25.06

 

Boys 3200 Meter Run: 1st-Visokay, Adam, Albemarle 9:15.37

 

Girls 4×400 Meter Relay: 1st-Cosby ‘A’ 3:53.36, 3rd-Nansemond River ‘A’ 3:57.43

 

Boys 4×400 Meter Relay: 1st-Westfield ‘A’ 3:23.76