Lady Warriors storm to state title
Published 9:32 pm Wednesday, March 11, 2015
The Nansemond River High School Lady Warriors left nothing to doubt during the Virginia High School League Group 4A state indoor track and field championships on Monday and Tuesday in Lynchburg.
Last year, NR lost to E.C. Glass High School by 2.5 points, but this year, the Lady Warriors toppled the Lady Hilltoppers 122-78 to bring Nansemond River its first girls’ indoor track and field team state championship.
“When I did my calculations for best-case scenario, this was right around where I figured we would land,” NR coach Justin Byron said of the 44-point win. “So we definitely had a best-case scenario day.”
He noted the team was happy to avenge its 2014 loss. He said last year’s meet felt like “an away game for us,” with E.C. Glass competing in its home city and event officials that made official determinations even wearing E.C. Glass apparel.
But getting a definitive win this year in the wake of that “was pretty emotional for the team,” Byron said.
Nansemond River seniors Kara Lyles and Zakiya Rashid and junior Brandeé Johnson demonstrated earlier this week why Byron calls them “The Big Three.” Combined, they produced 82 points in individual, non-relay events, enough to win the state championship by themselves.
Leading the way was Lyles with 33 points.
“This one was all about Lyles,” Byron said of the state meet. “She was the MVP.”
She won state championships in the long jump, with a 19-foot-11.25-inch leap, the 500-meter dash, with a time of 1:15.46, and the 4×400-meter relay, contributing to a 4:00.61 time.
Lyles was in third in the long jump going into her final attempt, but then came through with what Byron said is the No. 2 jump in the nation.
Rounding out her five events, Lyles also jumped 5 feet, 4 inches to take second in the high jump and ran the 55-meter dash in 7.24 seconds to take fourth.
“She competed in four open events, and she had four personal records,” Byron said, later adding, “She had a dream meet.”
He compared her to Clark Kent, noting she is comparatively mild-mannered during the regular season, but he said she transforms into Superman for championship meets.
“It was my last indoor state meet, and I just went to war,” Lyles said.
Johnson, who earned 31 points, did not have her best day jumping, though she still finished second in the triple jump and sixth in the long jump. Nevertheless, she was characteristically superb on the track.
“Every time Brandeé stepped on the track, she won a state championship,” Byron said.
She won the 300-meter dash with a time of 39.27 seconds, was victorious in the 55-meter hurdles, finishing in 8.14 seconds, and she helped the 4×200-meter relay team take first by contributing to a time of 1:44.07.
This was the first state championship meet Johnson had ever competed in the 55 hurdles.
Rashid competed in two events and earned 18 points. She won the state title in the shot put, producing a throw of 44 feet, 11.50 inches, and she took second in the 55 hurdles, just behind Johnson, with a time of 8.55 seconds.
Joining Lyles on the 4×400-meter relay team was senior Courtney James, junior Amirah Jones and sophomore Syaira Richardson.
Johnson was joined on the 4×200-meter relay team by senior Candice James, junior Dajae’ Goulet and sophomore Karah Foster.
For Nansemond River’s boys, senior Kadeem Middleton won the state championship in the 500-meter dash (1:05.48), took second in the 300-meter dash (35.28 seconds) and took second in the long jump (22-feet-7.75-inches).
He finished second among all 4A boys’ scorers with 26 points.
Nansemond River’s indoor track and field athletes leave today for the New Balance Nationals Indoor 2015 meet in New York City.