CNU Winter Frolic Coverage


Photo by Jesse Hutcheson

The season is young, but many Virginians are positioning themselves well high up on the national indoor track and field rankings including a US #1 5'8" clearance by Deshana Briggs of Booker T. Washington (pictured above by Jesse Hutcheson) at the CNU Winter Frolic in Newport News. Others had exceptional starts as well including Norfolk Collegiate freshmen Nefertiti Smith emerging as a new jumping events star to fill the void of the great class of 2007 female jumpers in Virginia now graduated with a US #1 39'3.50" triple jump mark at CNU on Saturday.

MileStat.com was on-site with coverage at this past weekend's CNU Winter Frolic with video coverage from Brandon Miles and photo coverage from Jesse Hutcheson. Complete results are now posted and expect plenty of photos and race videos to come over the next few days.

CNU Winter Frolic Complete Results

CNU Winter Frolic Photo Gallery by Jesse Hutcheson 

CNU Winter Frolic Videos by Brandon Miles - All of Friday's videos posted. Saturday's event videos will all be posted on Tuesday.

Saturday (Day 2 Highlights) Continued... 

Briggs also won the 500 meter dash on day two at the CNU Winter Frolic as she held off a strong challenge from Manchester's Kacen Delphin down the stretch for a 1:18.94 victory. Booker T. Washington girls appear to be one of the state's top teams for this season with Briggs as well as a top tier sprinter in Raven Wilson. Wilson took first in the 300 meter dash at the Freeman Center with a 41.25 state best clocking. Booker T. Washington coach Yolanda Penn also had victorious relays in the 4x200 on Friday (1:46.35) and 4x400 (4:02.93) on Saturday to close out the meet.


Photo by Jesse Hutcheson

It may be the Bethel boys turn to shine this year after being overshadowed by the Bethel girls for so many years. Virtually all of their top sprinters from last year are back and they had a strong debut this weekend at CNU. Bethel had individual winners in both the 500 and 300 meter dashes with Sherrard Marrow in the 500 (1:07.33) and Javell Bullard in the 300 (35.69). Bullard edged out defending 500 meter state champion Javanti Sparrow (35.70) in a photo finish in the fast section of the 300, while also teamed up with Marrow on Bethel's 4x400 meter relay as Bullard overtook Western Branch's anchor on the final stretch for a 3:24.20 win. 

Nansemond River's Kelvin Griffin nearly swept the horizontal jumps at the meet, but came two inches short of following up his long jump win on Friday with a top mark in the triple jump on Saturday as former Western Branch teammate Jeffrey Artis bested him with a winning jump of 47 feet.

Frede Spellman of Oscar Smith continued his dominantion from last year in the shot put into his senior year as he looks to match his two state titles from last year in indoor and outdoor track. Spellman opened at CNU with a throw of 56'3.75". Three others were over 50 feet including Spellman's closest competitor in David Butler of Salem with a mark of 54'0.25".

A pack of four separated from the rest in the boys 3200 meter run with all in contention for the win at the bell in Tabb's Will Mulherin, Cosby's Mark Merritt, Western Branch's Blake Theroux, and Deep Creek's Aaron Dudley. Mulherin had the best kick for a 9:45.9 victory and Merritt as a close second at 9:46.4.


Photo by Jesse Hutcheson

Three girls qualified for state competition in the 3200 meter run at the Winter Frolic as Elizabeth Heath of West Potomac led the charge by pulling away from Maggie Walker's Susannah Piersol (2nd, 11:16.99) and Natalie Wynn (3rd, 11:17.74) to finish just off a personal best time at 11:12.35.

Heath's teammate Kelsey Rosenberg won the 1000 meter run earlier in the meet in 3:08.59 as the West Potomac sophomore kept Gloucester's Hannah Varnell (2nd, 3:08.90) from picking up two first place finishes in the distance events Varnell clocked in first in the 1600 meter run earlier at 5:23.78.


Friday (Day 1 Highlights) 


Photo by Jesse Hutcheson

Western Branch nearly swept all of the sprint and hurdle finals with Kevin Newsome in the boys 55 meter hurdles (7.44), Torry Womack in the boys 55 meter dash (6.37), and Amber Mitchell in the girls 55 meter dash (7.29). Meanwhile, Jessie Gaines finished second in the girls 55 meter hurdles (8.27) for Western Branch behind Green Run's Charisse Bryant (8.23).

Former Western Branch star Kelvin Griffin had a strong invite debut with his new team at Nansemond River putting their 4x200 meter relay out into the lead on opening leg as they went on to post the meet's fastest in 1:32.01. Griffin also bested defending AAA outdoor state champion Wesley Smith of Oscar Smith in the long jump with a first place mark of 22'9".

Atlee had a pair of girls vaulters over 11 feet in Emma Dejarnette (11'4") and Rachael Hawks (11'0"), which could be a first in state history for a school to have two female vaulters over 11 feet in the same meet.

On her final attempt, Manchester sophomore Nikki Nunn leaped to a personal best mark of 17'7" to outdo West Potomac's Kat Lee (2nd, 17'6.25") and Deep Run's Ashley Orr (17'5.50") to win the girls long jump.

The fast section of the girls 4x200 meter relay went down to the wire in an exciting finish between Booker T. Washington (1:46.35) and Western Branch (1:46.68) as both teams came away with swift early season times. 

Out of a slower section, the Western Branch and Maggie Walker boys pushed each other to the top two 4x800 times of the meet with All-State cross country runner Blake Theroux anchoring Western Branch to a 8:28.76 win. The West Potomac girls were the only 4x800 meter relay squad to dip under 10 minutes as they pulled away on a strong third leg by Elizabeth Heath for a nine second win in 9:56.58.