Photo by Ryan Kelly

 

A busy weekend of meets in Virginia which included a very hot Saturday with temperatures rising over 90 degrees, but the performances went up another few degrees as well including a 7'3" high jump clearance plus 3 additional wins by Justin Hunter of Ocean Lakes at the Landstown Invite, a swift 11.74 100 and 24.04 200 double by Keilah Tyson of Western Branch as was pressed by Nike Nationals champion Christal Peterson in the 100 and All-American Monica Williams in the 200 at the Suffolk Invite, and 1:51.18 open 800 and thrilling 47 sec 4x400 anchor split by Anthony Kostelac of Albemarle at VMI. Many more great performances to be highlighted on Sunday as well as photos, videos, and interviews to come.

 

Results:

VMI High School Classic - 38 MileSplit US National Elites

Suffolk Invitational - 38 MileSplit US National Elites

Landstown Invitational - 37 MileSplit US National Elites

Nike Spring Invitational - 30 MileSplit US National Elites

Five Forks Track Classic - 13 MileSplit US National Elites

Joe Curcio Track Classic - 9 MileSplit US National Elites

Caroline Invitational - 6 MileSplit US National Elites

On The Run Sports – Falcon Track Classic - 6 MileSplit US National Elites

T.C. Williams Invitational - 8 MileSplit US National Elites

Gar-Field Invitational - 2 MileSplit US National Elites

Draper Invitational

 

 

VMI High School Classic

May 01, 2010 @ Read Stadium in Lexington, VA

Hosted by Virginia Military Institute     Official Meet Web Site

 

Albemarle senior Anthony Kostelac rebounded nicely from his disappointing showing in the Penn Relays mile to clock a US #3 time of 1:51.18 in the 800 meter run and lead two others to fast times of 1:55 each in runner-up George Carter of Blacksburg and third place Wojciech Czernek of Fork Union. Kostelac later competed on the 4x400 meter relay and split a personal best 47.5 on anchor to bring Albemarle from behind over Blacksburg (2nd, 3:21.43) for a state leading time of 3:19.62 to establish two new meet records.

 

Kostelac's Jordan Hill had arguably his best meet yet this year as Hill won three events and placed second in the high jump. Hill broke his own meet record in the 200 meter dash with a 22.03 clocking and almost had his first 24 footer in the long jump of the season with a new meet record mark of 23'6".

 

The Blacksburg girls were coming off their high still from the Penn Relays which they set the meet record and destroyed their own state record with a time of 11:38. Their squad easily won the team title for another year at VMI with their distance girls led by the Stevens twins routing the field in all of their events. Kathleen Stevens was a double winner with two meet record performances of 10:24 in the 3200 meter run and 2:15.55 in the 800 meter run. Blacksburg went one through four in the 1600 meter run behind Joanna Stevens, who broke her twin sister's meet record with a time of 4:53.25. Joanna, a runner-up to her sister Kathleen in the 800 at 2:15 as well, anchored Blacksburg to another DMR victory to close out their team title.

 

 

Group AA boys indoor team champion Christiansburg's top athletes were missing in the later events with their high school prom being held on Saturday night, but it did not stop their best from performing well in the earlier events. Group AA state champion high jumper Travis Hudson eclipsed his outdoor best in the event with a new meet record height of 6'8.25", while taking second to teammate Chris Dobbins in the 110 meter hurdles who took first in a 14.75 clocking. Christiansburg distance runner Andy Eddleton ran a lifetime best in the 1600 meter run at 4:21 behind a big race from Fork Union's Josh Morris dipping under 4:20 for the first time as a 4:18.27 winner.

 

The River Ridge District dominated many of the events at VMI's Read Stadium including two of their female state champions in Amber Church of Pulaski County and Edy Ndem of Cave Spring. Church nearly pulled off a sweep of the hurdles as she set a new meet record of 14.85 in the 100 meter hurdles, while posting a season best time of 46.36 in the 300 meter hurdles behind Patrick Henry's Alicia Terry (45.06). Ndem, a state champion indoors in the triple jump, now has a long jump mark to match-up with their top performances in the triple after her meet record breaking and final attempting winning leap of 18'10.50". Ndem also scored a victory in the triple jump with a mark of 36'11.75".

 

Loudoun Valley sophomore Audrey Houghton continued her stellar spring in the mid-distance events as she ran a personal best in the 400 meter dash and won the event for a second year in a row at VMI with her 57.65 performance. Houghton doubled back on short rest to run another PR in the 800 meter run for fourth place at 2:18 behind Blacksburg's top three.

 

The Collegiate boys broke their school record in the 4x800 meter relay with three straight 2 minutes flat legs and a 1:57 anchor split from their top runner Cabell Willis to give them the state's second fastest time at 7:57.53.

 

• Boys Results
• Complete Results
• Girls Results
• National Elites (38)

 

Video Interviews:

Kathleen Stevens (Blacksburg)

Amber Church (Pulaski County)

Chris Dobbins (Christiansburg)

Travis Hudson (Christiansburg)

Eddy Ndem (Cave Spring)

Race Videos by Brandon Miles

 

Photo Galleries:

Photo Gallery by Brandon Miles

Photo Gallery by Richard Shumaker

Photo Gallery by David Bradshaw

 

Below are the performances entered for the meet that met the national silver standard.

38 National Elites.

 

Suffolk Invitational

May 01, 2010 @ Lakeland HS Track in Suffolk, VA

Hosted by Lakeland    

 

Keilah Tyson led the charge for the Western Branch girls on Saturday at the Suffolk Invitational and got some individual redememption against two athletes who stole a bit of the spotlight away from her in the indoor season in the sprints with Christal Peterson of Phoebus and Monica Williams of Green Run. In particular Peterson, who unseated Tyson as the Group AAA state indoor 55 meter dash champion and also went onto win the Nike Indoor Nationals 60 dash title. With two of the state's best short sprinters facing off produced the state's two fastest times in the 100 meter dash with Tyson as the winner at 11.74 and Peterson running an all-time best in second at 11.77.

 

Tyson was not finished with her 100 meter dash performance as she put together a dominant race against state indoor 500 meter champion Monica Williams in a US #15 24.04 clocking in the 200 meter dash. Tyson dropped her personal best significantly by several tenths of a second with her performance on Saturday at Lakeland High School.

 

Also winning events for the Western Branch girls were indoor state runner-up Desmone Gray in the 110 meter hurdles in a personal best 14.65 clocking and indoor state champion Sydni Cobb in the shot put. Gray led three others under 15 seconds in a competitive fast section at the Suffolk Invite.

 

Justin Burke of First Colonial is an emerging force to be reckoned with among the Virginia boys' sprinters s as shown by becoming a state leader in a second event with a 21.50 clocking in the 200 meter dash. Burke had already held the top spot in the 400 meter dash with his 48.32 run at Norfolk State. Burke, a fourth place finisher in the state indoor meet at 300 meters, also posted another PR in the 100 meter dash with a 10.85 victory this weekend.

 

Lakeland's Jaquan Demiel won two close competitions on his home track with a a big leap of 23'5.50" in the long jump over First Colonial's Dsean Brown at 23'3.50", while only one hundredth of a second separated Demiel and 300 meter hurdles runner-up Cameron Cipcic of Western Branch (39.07) in his first place effort of 39.06.

 

Salem boys have consistently proven themselves this outdoor season to posses one of the state's top 4x400 meter relays, which should contend for a state title later this season. Walter Mitchell, a runner-up to Burke in the 200 meter dash at 21.79., helped his 4x400 to a solid time of 3:21.97 which was just off their 3:20.06 performance at the Penn Relays last week.

 

First Colonial's Teiara Denmark swept the jumping events at the Suffolk Invite including two new season best marks of 17'8" in the long jump and 38'9" in the triple jump for the National School Indoor Championships All-American.

 

Nansemond River's Ricky Blake was a US triple jump leader earlier in the indoor season, but had put together another big mark since his 48'2" mark in the early stages of the indoor season. Blake had his best mark since then with a winning leap of 47'2", which is the third best performance in Virginia this outdoor season.

 

Churchland's Cydney Robinson remained undefeated this year in the 800 meter run to set herself to be one of the favorites to win the Group AAA state title later this spring with a three second victory at Lakeland in a time of 2:15.56. Joining her under 2:20 for the first time were Heritage's Alexis Vaughn and Indian River's Shannon Morton with identical times of 2:18.92.

 

• Complete Results
• National Elites (38)

 

Below are the performances entered for the meet that met the national silver standard.

38 National Elites.

 

Landstown Invitational

May 01, 2010 @ Landstown HS Track in Virginia Beach, VA

Hosted by Landstown    

 

• Complete Results
• National Elites (37)

 

Photo Gallery by Ryan Kelly

 

Justin Hunter of Ocean Lakes nearly made history in his attempt at 7'5" in the high jump at the Landstown Invitational. If cleared, Hunter would have set a new state record as the current record stands at 7'4" by Jason Woodard of Norview set in 1992. Hunter successfully cleared 7'3", which ties him for #2 all-time in Virginia high school history with state meet record holder Keith Moffatt of Menchville (2000) and Jamel Green of First Colonial (1993).

 

Hunter enjoyed a great day at the Landstown Invitational with a total of four wins and three meet records in the high jump, long jump (24'10.50"), and triple jump (47'8"). A more surprise win came for Hunter in the 200 meter dash in a near dead heat victory over Booker T. Washington's Deshawn Wilson as both runners clocked two of the state's faster times at 21.62.

 

Wilson was denied by Hunter from pulling off an incredible triple in the sprints with a personal best 10.87 clocking to win the 100 meter dash and posting the state's second fastest in the 400 meter dash at 48.51 earlier in the meet.

 

A total of seven state best performances were recorded at the Landstown Invitational. Hunter had a pair of those state bests in the high jump and triple jump, while Landstown hurdler Breana Norman clocked the state's fastest times in both the 100 (14.45) and 300 (44.14) meter hurdles. Last year Norman was able to run alongside state champion hurdler Taylor Wheaton and appears to be stepping up to fill her shoes midway through the outdoor season with her significant drops in time. Norman also won a third event in the high jump with an all-time best clearance of 5'6".

 

Tyreak Murray of Calvary Christian won a hot race in the boys 110 meter hurdles which produced a top three all under the previous state leading time with Murray as the new state leader in his 14.21 victory followed by the Ocean Lakes duo of Rachad Davis (14.40) and Elliott Hall (14.46).

 

Landstown's top athlete in national and state champion sprinter Darrell Wesh was not featured in any individual events on his home track, but did anchor the Landstown boys to a new state leading time of 42.17 in the 4x100 meter relay. Wesh had helped Landstown in relay action at the Penn Relays as the top finishing team from Virginia in both the 4x100 and 4x400 meter relays.

 

Renay Ransaw of Hampton achieved a new personal best mark of 19'9" in the long jump, which is the best mark in Virginia this spring and ranks her #5 in the United States currently.

 

Granby's Cassandra Jones was one of the few double winners on the track as she followed up her convincing 56.14 victory in the 400 meter dash with a narrow photo finish win over John Marshall sophomore Mary Allen (24.81) in the 200 meter dash at 24.80. Great Bridge's multi-event star Shakeela Saunders kept a light competition schedule this weekend as she breezed through the 100 meter dash in a personal best of 11.85.

 

Two of the Eastern Region's best athletes in the boys' distance races scored easy wins at Landstown High School with Brandon Burton of Woodside clocking a time of 1:55 in the 800 meter run, while Drew Paisley of Ocean Lakes ran solo in his 9:27 3200 victory.

 

There has been a lack of great throwers in the Eastern Region among the boys, but Oscar Smith's Brandon Ruffin seems to have answered that call and stepped up with two strong marks in the shot put at 54'2.50" and discus at 153'5".

 

John Marshall has one of the Central Region's best group of sprinters, so they seeked greater competition coming down to Virginia Beach and facing some of the Eastern Region's fastest. John Marshall did not leave Landstown empty handed with Tyler Jones winning the 300 meter hurdles in a 39.34 performance, while running a leg on their first place 4x400 meter relay which posted a very impressive time of 3:21.

 

Below are the performances entered for the meet that met the national silver standard.

37 National Elites.

 

 

Nike Spring Invitational

May 01, 2010 @ South Lakes HS Track in Reston, VA

Hosted by South Lakes     

 

• Complete Results
• National Elites (30)

 

Below are the performances entered for the meet that met the national silver standard.

30 National Elites.

 

Five Forks Track Classic

May 01, 2010 @ Prince George HS Track in Prince George, VA

Hosted by Dinwiddie    

 

• Complete Results
• National Elites (13)

 

Below are the performances entered for the meet that met the national silver standard.

13

National Elites

.

 

Joe Curcio Track Classic

May 01, 2010 @ Lynchburg College Outdoor Track in Lynchburg, VA

Hosted by Heritage (Lynchburg)    

 

• Complete Results
• National Elites (9)

 

Below are the performances entered for the meet that met the national silver standard.

9 National Elites.

 

Caroline Invitational

May 01, 2010 @ Caroline HS Track in Milford, VA

Hosted by Caroline     Timing/Results: Mantronix Sports Agency    

 

• Complete Results
• National Elites (6)

 

Below are the performances entered for the meet that met the national silver standard.

6 National Elites.

 

T.C. Williams Invitational

May 01, 2010 @ T.C. Williams HS Track in Alexandria, VA

Hosted by T.C. Williams    

 

• Complete Results
• National Elites (8)

 

Below are the performances entered for the meet that met the national silver standard.

8 National Elites.

 

Draper Invitational

April 30, 2010 - May 01, 2010 @ St. Stephen's and St. Agnes School in Alexandria, VA

Hosted by St. Stephen's & St. Agnes School    

 

• Complete Results
• Day 1 Results
• Day 2 Results
• National Elites (40)

 

Below are the performances entered for the meet that met the national silver standard.

40 National Elites.