Photos by Ryan Kelly, Jacqueline Justice, Scott Reid
After her performance this past weekend at the 2013 Virginia High School League Group AAA State Indoor Track & Field Championships in Hampton, South County senior Felecia Majors may have cemented herself as the greatest of all-time in Virginia high school track history. Majors scored the most points ever in the history of the state meet as her 49 points among 6 individual events propelled the South County team by herself to the state team title. Another three points were chipped in by Majors and three other Lady Stallions in their sixth-place 4x400 meter relay which received a 56 second anchor split from Majors.
Majors was a repeat state champion in two events between the pole vault and long jump as she achieved her first 20 foot mark in the long jump and improved upon her US #1 ranking with a 20'0" final attempt. The long jump was the last of four field events which Majors competed as the first three came on Friday with the high jump, triple jump, and pole vault. In her first event of the meet in the high jump, Majors cleared several heights on the last attempt including a good clearance at 5'5" before being unable ot match her personal best height of 5'6" and settling for fourth. The University of Tennessee bound senior finished no worse than second place in her remaining five individual events. She settled for runner-up honors in the triple jump behind US #4 performer Anna Williams (40'4.50") of Thomas Edison with a mark of 38'4.25" and then battled with Patrick Henry's Caroline Brailsford in the pole vault as both athletes cleared 12 feet, but Majors cleared on her first attempt, while Brailsford cleared on her final attempt to give the tiebreaker and state title to Majors.
She kicked off Saturday by getting a big mark of 19'4" on her first leap in the preliminary flight of the long jump. She passed on her third attempt to save her injury as she had a lead of 1 foot entering the finals. In the finals, she decided to go after it and attack the runway and board in hopes of her first 20 footer. She was close with a mark over 19'10", but then finally got the benchmark which she was reaching to get on her final jump at 20 feet even to be the first in the nation this indoor season to get over 20 feet.
Her first race on the track would come mid-way through Saturday's running events schedule in the 500 meter dash. She was heavily favored as the top seed by nearly three seconds and the US leader from her US #7 all-time performance of 1:12.57 on the banked track at Virginia Tech in early February. However, Douglas Freeman sophomore Mackenzie Kerr spoiled the plans of Majors to win her third state title of the meet. Majors made her move to take the lead for good with over 200 meters to go, but Kerr then was able to reel her in from the outside coming off the final turn and catch her in the final strides for a US #2 victory of 1:13.50. The 1:13.62 runner-up time by Majors would win the state title virtually ever year, but nonetheless added another 8 points to increasing large tally of points accrued. A little dejected from the upset in the 500 meter dash, Majors rallied back to run a personal best in the 300 meter dash with a 39.46 clocking to finish runner-up to a fresher Indian River's Andrea Wright, who posted the nation's fifth fastest time at 38.85 and one of the faster times ever on a flat track. Majors was seeded fourth in the event coming in, so she beat expectations with her race.
MileStat.com interviewed Majors following their historic septuple (meaning 7 events) at the Boo Williams Sportsplex in Hampton, Virginia this past weekend for the Virginia high school 3A indoor state meet, which puts her strongly in the discussion as the greatest all-around and overall female track & field athlete in the state's history.
Interview with South County High School (Lorton, VA) senior Felecia Majors
First off how is your body feeling after 7 events that you competed in this past weekend?
My legs were a little sore but I was extremely tired all day and didn't feel like doing anything active.
How did you mentally and physically try to prepare yourself for the grueling challenge of competing in 7 events at the state meet?
I think of every possible way to try to conserve energy for my other events. And it's usually my plan for the day but sometimes it doesn't work out because I get carried away in some events and do more then what I was suppose to. Physically I am trained to be able to do it all because it's just the way practice is for me, but ten times harder. That way I'm already prepared.
In a two day state meet which you competed in many events on both days, what did you do after the first day of events were completed before you went to sleep and then waking up to make sure your body was ready to perform for second day of events?
Before I went to sleep I made sure I had a very light and not to heavy meal for dinner. I drink lots of water and ice. After icing, I must have a good night's rest of at least 8 hours.
What event performance of them all this weekend are you most proud of and why?
I'm most proud of the long jump because I've been wanting to jump 20 feet all season after being so close at PG, which was in the beginning of the season and then I finally did it.
In all of the jumps, you took most of your attempts. Do you feel that affected you at all for Saturday's running events or would you do the same approach if in the same situation (got a 20 footer long jump in final time)?
It definitely had an affect on me (in the running events) but jumping 20 feet was worth it and I wouldn't change it for anything.
Now that you have joined the 20 foot club in the long jump. What's the next club that you would like to join? The 40 foot club in the triple jump?
Oh I would really like to join the 13 foot club (in the pole vault). That would be amazing. But 40 (feet in the triple jump) is nice to and I am determined to get it in outdoors for sure.
While you had one of the best state meets ever in history with your 49 points, were you at all disappointed with any of your events in particular the ones that you did not win and finished second in?
I was really hurt when I lost the 500 and still am. But everyone loses and I had to lose at least once this year (at 500 meters) I guess.
Your times in both the 500 and 300 would have won the state title most years and the 300 was a new personal best for, so do you walk away feeling good about your performances and effort in both even if you didn't get first?
I was proud of my performance in the 300, but not so much the 500. Running the 300 made up for it because I was ranked fourth and got second.
What did you end up on splitting on that 4x400 meter anchor leg? After competing by yourself in the 6 events prior, how did it feel to be working together with teammates in an event finally at meet's end?
I split a 56. Running with them felt so good because at that point I felt all the pressure was off. And I really wanted my girls to contribute some points for the win.
Not only did South County win its first state title, but the Northern Region made a clean sweep of the top 3 trophies. How cool of a moment was that for the region to be so well represented with the top 3 teams at the state meet, which is usually dominated by the Eastern Region?
It was pretty cool for us to be able to pull that off. Now the Northern Region can be known for a tough region as well.
What kind of reaction has the school and your classmates and friends given you and the rest of the track team on your state title from this past weekend?
They are all so very proud of me and just can't wait and see what I'm going to do next.
You got a chance to speak with and enjoy a photo opportunity with Michael Cherry at the state meet. What do you think of his performances and overall view him as a track athlete from this past weekend in light of your own impressive weekend?
What Michael did this weekend is so amazing and he is such a nice person in general. He is one of the the greatest athletes in the United States and I always tell him that but then he makes it about me and we just go back and forth. He is so awesome though.
What events will be you competing at the indoor nationals? What are your goals in those events?
At Nationals, I will be competing in the pentathlon, long jump and pole vault. My goals are to compete to my fullest and hopefully PR.
Do you for see yourself doing the multis in college or do you plan to narrow your focus and specialize in certain events at the University of Tennessee? Have you had those types of conversations with your future college coaches?
I plan to still be a multi in college. I love what I do and don't really want to change anything even though I probably will. I have mentioned it to them and they are aware of it. So for now, I am just gonna have to wait and see what happens there.
What did you learn about yourself or from the meet this past weekend that you can use going forward?
I learned that there are limits but if you are determined to do it then it is possible. I also learned I was a lot stronger then what I thought. And I'm now going to be smarter on how many jumps I take next time around.
Your 49 points individually are the most scored ever by an athlete in Virginia state meet history and points alone puts you in the discussion as arguably the best Virginia high school track athlete ever (especially all-around). What does having that potential legacy associated with your name forever in Virginia high school track history as a greatest of all-time athlete going forward mean to you?
It would mean a great deal to me. If I was to become the greatest athlete of VA history, I would have no words to describe my appreciation for it.
Felecia Major's Personal Bests
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1,000 Meter Run3:18.03
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100 Meter Dash11.97
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200 Meter Dash24.14
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300 Meter Dash39.46
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Three Mile Run20:04.00
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400 Meter Dash55.17
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5,000 Meter Run21:06.00
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500 Meter Dash1:12.57
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55 Meter Hurdles9.24
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55 Meter Dash7.17
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High Jump5-6
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Long Jump20-0
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Pole Vault12-7
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Shot Put29-7
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Triple Jump39-2.25
