Suffolk stars emerge
Published 9:45 pm Tuesday, May 21, 2013
King’s Fork High School had winners in three events, and Nansemond River High School had a winner in two during the 2013 Southeastern District outdoor track and field championships that concluded on Saturday at Lakeland High School.
King’s Fork senior Davon Grayson ran the final leg of the 4×100-meter relay with a team that featured senior Charles Clark and juniors Andrew Gould and Darrell Johnson; they combined for a winning mark of 43.09 seconds, a regional qualifying time.
Grayson also won the long jump with the state-qualifying leap of 23’11”. Junior Gabrielle Snipes produced King’s Fork’s final win with a 24.65-second state-qualifying finish in the 200-meter dash.
Nansemond River sophomore Zakiya Rashid will head to states after winning the discus throw with a 121’7” mark and in the shot put with a 37’10.25” distance.
King’s Fork had several notable second-place finishes from athletes who had been gunning for first, but head coach Kisha Ricks was positive about the day overall.
“I feel like they did well,” she said. “There were a couple of injuries here and there, and they’re not feeling 100 percent some times, but I think they did the best that they could for that day.”
Grayson saw areas where he could improve, but he was pleased with his win and with the way track has helped him keep in prime physical shape for his first college football season at East Carolina University in the fall.
On Saturday, he finished second in the high jump.
Snipes finished second in the 100-meter dash, the long jump and the 4×100-meter relay, so she said she was thrilled to redeem herself with the 200 win.
Nansemond River coach Justin Byron shared his team’s self-evaluation.
“They gave themselves a B-minus,” he said. “I agreed with them.”
“With the weather being so bad throughout the year, between the wind and the rain, we hadn’t run many races, and so we really had to use this as a prep or a practice for the state meet,” he said.
He reserved special praise for Rashid.
“She really stood out. She won the discus on her last throw; she did very well in the shot put, as far as winning,” he said. “I’m just hoping that she can take some of that momentum into the next two meets.”
Byron was happy with the girls’ 4×400-meter relay team, which improved on its fastest time all year by nine seconds, with a 3:59.22 state-qualifying time, finishing second. Senior Kieaira Middleton, junior Mia McClain and sophomores Candice James and Kara Lyles formed the team.
Byron also highlighted freshman Terrence Lambert, who qualified for the final in the 200-meter dash. Though he finished last, he said that “if you’re getting dead last in the Southeastern District as a freshman in the finals, I think that that is an accomplishment in itself.”
Lakeland head coach Kevin Knight saw glimpses of a bright future at the meet for the Cavaliers.
“We’re such a young team, mostly freshmen and sophomores are running,” he said. “My athletes came out and did a great job. All of them performed at the highest level they can, and we’ll be back next year.”
He pointed to freshman Kiera Rountree and junior Antonio Boone as highlights, with both athletes moving on to regionals in the triple jump. Rountree finished fifth with a 33’5” mark in the women’s competition, and Boone finished sixth with a distance of 38’5.50” in the men’s competition.
Knight was proud of junior Alexus Copeland, who missed regionals in the 800-meter run by just one slot, coming in seventh (2:33.13).
Copeland was also part of the 4×800-meter relay team, which was hampered by injury but finished fourth with a time of 10:36.47.
“Unfortunately, Alexis Albright couldn’t run it,” Knight said of her foot injury. “But we had Chaunsa Saunders come in and step in for us, and she did a great job. She’s just a freshman.”
Juniors Jamee Albright and Kristen Vick formed the rest of the team.
The Eastern Region championships will take place on Friday and Saturday at Todd Stadium in Newport News.
Results from the 2013 Southeastern District outdoor track and field championships are as follows:
Boys’ team rankings (17 events scored)
1) Western Branch High School 202.50
2) Grassfield High School 121.50
3) Hickory High School 75
4) Great Bridge High School 69
5) Nansemond River High School 64
6) King’s Fork High School 55
7) Indian River High School 25
8) Deep Creek High School 22
9) Lakeland High School 20
10) Oscar Smith High School 8
Girls’ team rankings (17 events scored)
1) Western Branch High School 183
2) Grassfield High School 180
3) Oscar Smith High School 82
4) King’s Fork High School 70
5) Hickory High School 63
6) Deep Creek High School 43
7) Great Bridge High School 15
8) Nansemond River High School 14
9) Indian River High School 5
10) Lakeland High School 5
Individual results and top Suffolk finishers:
- Girls’ high jump: 1st-Fisher, Tamadj GHS 5-06.00
- Boys’ high jump: 1st-Holloway, Grant GHS 6-08.00; 2nd-Grayson, Davon KF 6-06.00
- Girls’ pole vault: 1st-Garnand, Shelby HHS 10-09.00; 4th-Myles, Te’Shaibrah KF 8-00.00
- Boys’ pole vault: 1st-Harrell, Joshua GHS 12-06.00; 7th-Kelly, Robert KF 9-00.00
- Girls’ long jump: 1st-Parks, Milan WB 19-04.75; 2nd-Snipes, Gabrielle KF 18-05.25
- Boys’ long jump: 1st-Grayson, Davon KF 23-11.00; 10th-Boone, Patrick KF 20-04.00
- Girls’ triple jump: 1st-Oluwole, Funlayo WB 37-06.75; 5th-Rountree, Kiera LHS 33-05.00
- Boys’ triple jump: 1st-Harper, Isaiah GHS 43-10.50; 5th-Boone, Patrick KF 39-02.00
- Girls’ discus throw: 1st-Rashid, Zakiya NR 121-07; 6th-Hinson, Hannah KF 93-03
- Boys’ discus throw: 1st-Sweat, Josh OS 145-09; 5th-Holloway, Alexander KF 133-08
- Girls’ shot put: 1st-Rashid, Zakiya NR 37-10.25; 8th-Hinson, Hannah KF 29-07.50
- Boys’ shot put: 1st-Hines, Andrew GHS 55-04.25; 3rd-Holloway, Alexander KF 47-06.75
- Girls’ 4×800-meter relay: 1st-WB ‘A’ 9:29.29; 4th-LHS ‘A’ 10:36.47
- Boys’ 4×800-meter relay: 1st-GHS ‘A’ 7:56.04; 6th-NR ‘A’ 8:34.42
- Girls’ 100-meter hurdles: 1st-Smith, Heather GB 14.41
- Boys’ 110-meter hurdles: 1st-Holloway, Grant GHS 14.49; 7th-Bynum, Marquel NR 16.97
- Girls’ 100-meter dash: 1st-Brown, Kiera GB 11.92; 2nd-Snipes, Gabrielle KF 12.13
- Boys’ 100-meter dash: 1st-Harper, Isaiah GHS 10.76; 4th-Grayson, Davon KF 11.07
- Girls’ 1600-meter run: 1st-Cunniffe, Carolyn GHS 5:24.19
- Boys’ 1600-meter run: 1st-Eason, Andrew HHS 4:27.45; 6th-Ramos, Miguel KF 4:46.90
- Girls’ 4×100-meter relay: 1st-GB ‘A’ 47.84; 2nd-KF ‘A’ 48.23
- Boys’ 4×100-meter relay: 1st-KF ‘A’ 43.09; 2nd-GB ‘A’ 43.10
- Girls’ 400-meter dash: 1st-Wright, Andrea IR 57.23; 2nd-Johnson, Brandee NR 58.09
- Boys’ 400-meter dash: 1st-Cherry, Michael OS 46.64; 5th-Gould, Andrew KF 50.91
- Girls’ 300-meter hurdles: 1st-Smith, Heather GB 44.24
- Boys’ 300-meter hurdles: 1st-Holloway, Grant GHS 38.52; 8th-Bynum, Marquel NR 43.48
- Girls’ 800-meter run: 1st-Ross, Faith WB 2:19.85; 7th-Copeland, Alexus LHS 2:33.13
- Boys’ 800-meter run: 1st-Midkiff, Alex GHS 1:54.92; 9th-Gipson, Brandon KF 2:04.20
- Girls’ 200-meter dash: 1st-Snipes, Gabrielle KF 24.65; 5th-Johnson, Brandee NR 25.52
- Boys’ 200-meter dash: 1st-Harper, Isaiah GHS 21.63; 3rd-Grayson, Davon KF 22.17
- Girls’ 3200-meter run: 1st-Cunniffe, Carolyn GHS 12:08.53
- Boys’ 3200-meter run: 1st-Ellington, Micah HHS 10:01.70; 12th-Tohak, Kevin NR 11:28.28
- Girls’ 4×400-meter relay: 1st-GHS ‘A’ 3:57.78; 2nd-NR ‘A’ 3:59.22
- Boys’ 4×400-meter relay: 1st-OS ‘A’ 3:18.37; 6th-NR ‘A’ 3:36.22