Complete results are posted and all performances are entered from the 2008 VHSL Group AA State Championships held at Harrisonburg High School on Friday, May 30th and Saturday, May 31st. Photos, videos, and articles will added over the next few days from the meet in our complete coverage of the AA State Meet.
- VHSL Group AA State Championships - Complete Results
- VHSL Group AA State Championships Photo Gallery by Tom Hoerner - Photos to be posted soon.
Natalie Baird broke not only her own state meet record in the discus, but shatters the 27 year old Virginia high school state record of 159'9" held by Lafayette's Jackie Wallace (1981) in her final attempt in Friday night's discus competition with a US #4 mark of 161'7". Her teammates did pretty well also with Julia Anyaugo as state runner-up at 129'11" and Lauren Tomlinson in fourth at 129'5", which helped give Park View a day one lead in the team scoring. With her win, Baird became a four-time state champion in the discus. She came back in Saturday's shot put competition to win her third title in the shot and seventh overall with a mark of 43'9".
Photo by Joe Showker
The Park View girls got all they possibly could have out of the two throwing events in their bid to try and defend their Group AA state title with 39 points contributed to their total team score of 42 points by their throwers, but the lack of point scorers in the running events caught up to them at the end as the Brentsville girls were able to move past them in points and take the Group AA state title with 45 points. Danyelle Kent-Robinson was the top individual performer for the Brentsville girls as she won the 100 meter hurdles state title in a 15.12 clocking, while finishing as a state runner-up in the 300 meter hurdles (45.96) and high jump (5'3"). The team also picked up points in the distance races with their 4x800 meter relay placing fourth and Maggie Gentry scoring in both the 3200 and 1600 meter races.
The odds were stacked against him last year, but he stil pulled it off. Blacksburg senior Peter Dorrell almost did it once again despite having an even tougher road in his pursuit of the triple crown in the distance races. He did his part in the first two races with a two second win over Western's Tyler Stutzman in the 3200 at 9:19.73 and a much closer race in the 1600 with Turner Ashby's Alex Ott (2nd, 4:18.85) in a 4:18.28 win. Logan Collins of Orange County though was determined not to be Dorrell's third victim or repeat the outcome of the 1000 meter race from the indoor state meet between the two as he finished half a second ahead of Dorrell to win the 800 meter state title in 1:55.55. Outstanding effort by Dorrell though with a 1:55.96 runner-up performance in his third race of the weekend, which saw oppressively hot weather on day two.
Photo by Joe Showker
Western Albemarle boys (54 pts) added an outdoor state title to their indoor state title in 2008, but not before a challenge from the Brookville boys (45 1/3 pts) and Ethan Nixon. Nixon was a state champion in the triple jump (45'5.00") and 110 meter hurdles (14.78), while finishing in a tie for second in the high jump to keep Brookville within striking distance of the Warriors. Western Albemarle finished the meet in first place, but did not have a single first place finisher throughout the meet. Their 4x800 meter relay at 8:02.38 placed second to William Byrd (8:00.63) on Friday night and their top distance runner Tyler Stuzman was a state runner-up to Peter Dorrell in the 3200 meter run (9:22.38). Stutzman scored in three distance races for Western Albemarle as he came back on Saturday to place third in the 1600 (4:21.25) and sixth in the 800 (1:59.16). Points in the pole vault also gave them a boost with Ben Cherniawski as a state runner-up to Jamestown's Nick Durante and Tyler Lewandowski also placing in the event.
More VHSL Group AA State Championships Highlights:
- Andre Wanzer of Brentsville had a break out meet as the junior won state championships in the 400 (50.00) and 200 (22.88) meter dash as well as anchoring the Brentsville 4x400 meter relay to a state title in 3:23.38.
- Krystal Parrish, a junior from Park View of South Hill, had a weekend of big marks in the jumps as she leaped to state titles in the long jump (18'10.25" wind-aided) and triple jump (38'2.25" wind-aided).
- The girls sprints were highly competitive as expected between York's Sherelle White, Grafton's Michelle Speede, and Dominion's Michelle Weatherly. White won the 100 in 12.61 (4.2 headwind), Speede won the 400 in 56.37, and Weatherly won the 200 in 26.00.
- After being unable to pick up wins in the 3200 on Friday and 1600 on Saturday, Laura Rapp somehow found the energy to win the 800 meter state title in her third race of the meet in 2:17.15.
- Only a freshmen, Hidden Valley's Annie LeHardy won her first state title in a very close 1600 meter race with Marion senior Maggie Graham with a final time of 5:06.13.
- The Heritage of Leesburg girls came close to the state meet record in the 4x400 meter relay with their sub 4 minute performance of 3:59.72.
More to come from the VHSL Group AA State Championships...