CHAPEL HILL, NC -- The state of Virginia was well represented at the Eastern Challenge held at the University of North Carolina\'s Eddie Smith Fieldhouse in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. While conceding the sprint and hurdle events to North Carolina athletes, Virginians swept the distance events with winners and many top finishers in the 1000, 1600, and 3200 meter races for both and girls as well as the 4x800 meter relay. In field events action, Virginia had several meet champions beating some strong competition.
Chantilly sophomore Lia DiValentin had the leading performances of the two day meet at UNC among the Virginia distance runners. DiValentin had her second weekend of breakthrough races after finishing second to Catherine White in the mile last Saturday at the MOntgomery County Invite in 5:03 as well as clocking a 2:20 800 meter and anchoring a 5:11 1600 meter DMR leg. At the Eastern Challenge on Friday night, DiValentin ran a 17 second personal best for 3200 meters of 10:49.11 to win by 29 seconds over fellow Northern Region runner Sarah Weber of Washington-Lee (11:18.06). DiValentin\'s time ranks her fifth in the country currently among 3200 meter and two mile (converted) performances to give Virginia three of the top five ranked runners in the country in the event after Aurora Scott\'s 10:29 and Courtlin LaReau\'s 10:45 at Liberty on Saturday. It is almost crazy to imagine that returning Nike Indoor Nationals two mile runner-up Catherine White has the fourth fastest 3200 meter time in the state at 10:52.86.
Much like her meet performance last weekend, DiValentin had more in the tank for follow up races as she came back on Saturday in the 1000 meter run to win her second race of the meet in a personal best time of 3:02.34.
Oakton senior Meredith Tighe completed a sweep for the Northern Region girls in taking the 1600 meter run with a time of 5:08.84. Tallwood\'s Octavia Rinehardt finished second in the race with a time of 5:17.73.
The top three finishing squads came from Virginia in the girls\' 4x800 meter relay with Ocean Lakes picking up a 14 second win in 9:50 over Herndon (2nd, 10:04) and Kellam (3rd, 10:24).
Meanwhile, Virginia had four of the top five in the boys\' 4x800 meter relay as the Thomas Jefferson boys earned an automatic state qualifier in the event with their 8:09.60 win.
The Northern Region boys ruled the distances just as impressively as their female counterparts did, but Cox\'s Eddie Judge spoiled them from winning every race as Judge won the 1600 meter run in a personal best time of 4:20.79. The race was very exciting as it featured Judge, defending Group A state champ Nathan Brame, and one of North Carolina\'s top middle distance runners in Dylan Ferris. Ferris ran 1:51 for 800 meters last spring, but Judge and Brame (2nd, 4:22.77) were able to pull away from the speedster Ferris to round out the top two places.
In the closest finish of the meet, familar competitors in Oakton\'s Alex Nissen and Thomas Jefferson\'s Richard Prevost went down to a photo finish with Nissen picking up the win in 9:41.74 by only one hundredth of a second over Prevost at 9:41.75 to both run state qualifier times in the 3200 meter run.
Virginia had even better performances in the field events with three wins, a meet record, and a major upset.
Oscar Smith\'s Frede Spellman improved upon his state best in the shot put, while also breaking the meet record with a personal best throw of 58\'10.25\" to win the event by over four feet. Spellman, an early favorite to win the AAA state crown in the shot put, now finds himself ranked eighth in the country with his best mark at UNC.
Meanwhile, Deep Creek senior Ashley Gatling is no stranger to the national stage after picking up All-American honors in the past in the high jump as well as a national runner-up finish in the event at last year\'s Nike Indoor Nationals. Last March in Landover for NIN, Gatling finished second to Patience Coleman from North Carolina, who cleared 5\'10.75\". At UNC this weekend, Gatling picked up a big confidence gaining victory over Coleman as two of the nation\'s top returning high jumpers battled it out. Both cleared 5\'8\", but earlier misses by Coleman gave Gatling the win. Expect the high jump to be hotly contested again when they meet at Nike Indoor Nationals along with other top athletes in the nation.
Highland Springs senior Rashad Cannon currently has the state\'s best mark in the long jump at 23\'3\" from a home polar bear meet. He showed at the Eastern Challenge that he can perform just as well indoors facing stiff competition as he won the competition just one inch off his season best at 23\'2\", which ranks as a US #8 performance.
Lakeland\'s Predist Walker, an earlier state leader in the event, finished second in the event with a leap of 22\'7\". Walker also finished fourth in the triple jump with a mark of 44\'11\" and posted a season best of 7.52 to take fourth as well in the 55 meter hurdles in which Johnny Dutch set a national record of 7.07 in the same race.
Deep Creek boys showed they still have same life and talent with their squad as shown with top five finishes by Curtis Campbell (4th, 1:06.38) and Keonte Coleman (5th, 1:06.48) in the 500 meter dash as well as finishing third in the 4x400 meter relay with a solid time of 3:28.66.
Thomas Speller found himself in a deep 300 meter dash field as his seed time was unable to get the Indian River senior in the fast section. Nonetheless, Speller posted a swift time of 35.35 to win his section to end up finishing fourth overall. His time at UNC is third fastest this season in Virginia.
Deep Creek junior Keshia Rudolph had a big day at the Eastern Challenge in running three seconds faster than her previous best in the 500 meter dash that was only ran last weekend at CNU with a 1:17.18 clocking to finish second overall at UNC in the sprint event. Rudolph\'s performance this weekend is the fastest recorded F.A.T. time in the event this season with current 400 meter state leader Bethany Hyter from Osbourn Park having a hand held time under 1:17 from a polar bear meet.