By Kathleen Coleman, STC Information Officer
Some meets bill themselves as “classics” and “elite” meets. Over the past decade the Southern Track Classic has filled those descriptions. The meet was founded in 1999 by then Dinwiddie Principal, Dan Ward and Dinwiddie Track Coach (now Colonial Heights Principal) John Keeler as an opportunity for central region schools to compete in a national class competition. During that time the STC has produced more top 15 U.S. performances than all other Virginia regular season meets combined. A thumbnail sketch of each meet follows:
1999
National Athlete of the Year, Casey Combest (Owensboro, KY), impressed everyone with the quickest start ever witnessed by most. In his 10.53 100 he shut down and coasted the last 20 meters. Current Princess Anne coach, Kevin Rhue had what is still the best distance double with a 4:14 mile and a 1:54 second in the 800. Junior National Champ, James Doaty (Louisville, Male H.S.), was as 1:53 winner. Combest was the featured prep athlete in the Track and Field News in the 1999 Prep Preview and Doaty in the 2000 Prep Preview.
2000
The Classis produced it’s first U.S. #1’s when Heritage (N.N.) smoked a 3:13.70 4x400 that stood up for a U.S. #2 by the end of the season. Keith Moffatt (Menchville) cleared 6’11 ¾”. Moffatt was the featured H.S. athlete in Track and Field News for 2001 marking the third straight year that the STC has an athlete so recognized. Dexter Faulk (Woodside) popped 24’5 ¼” in the long jump.
2001
Future Hampton great, Yvette Lewis (Denbigh), battled future Miami (FL) great, Amy Seward (Salem, VB), in and epic 40’8” to 39’7 ¾” triple jump. Cox’s Lindsey Newberger uncorked a 49’4 ½” shot. On the boy’s side, it was the Jerome Mathis show. The Petersburg star and future NFL player won the 100 and 200 and brought the crimson wave back on the anchor leg to a 4x400 victory. Petersburg coach, Remus James had Mathis with a 45.8 split and UVA Coach, Randy Bungard had 45.9.
2002
Handly’s Bobby Lockhart and Sayville, NY’s Brian Dalpiaz went head to head and finished U.S. #1 and 2 at 4:08.35 and 4:09.61 mile. Both stood up for U.S. top 15 times for the year. Willingboro, N.J. boys bested a very good Midlothian 4x800 at 7:52.53. Willingboro’s Okechi Ogbuokiri claimed the 400 record at 55.38. Fourteen hours later she set a meet record in the county meet back in New Jersey. For that tough double she was recognized in Sports Illustrated in “Faces in the Crowd”. Laura Stanley of Ashville, N.C. led a flood of six runners under 11:00 in the 2 mile at 10:32.84.
2003
The weather was the story as a line of severe thunderstorms deposited golf ball sized hail and tornadoes touched down on a twenty mile line from Amelia County to Brunswick County and barely missed the meet. Coaches and volunteers had to clear the track of the hail and it was piled up several inches deep on the inside of the track. The Boys Mile again produced a U.S. leader in Bobby Curtis (Louisville, St. Xavier) 4:08.34. That event was very deep as the next 4 places were 4:09, 4:10, 4:12 and 4:14. Future Tennessee superstar, Sarah Bowman, wowed the crowd by waking up from sleep in the stands; sprinting to the starting line and running a U.S. top 10 4:46.73 without warming up! Because of the storm the meet got started late. Chip Heuser of St. Xavier posted a U.S. top 10 vault at 17’. The impressive thing was that the runway had to be lighted by car lights when the event finished in the dark.
2004
No Meet
2005
The Classic moved to the University of Richmond after a year when no meet was held. The atmosphere was electric with a record number of entry applications. Coach Walter Spain’s Hermitage girls smoked a Texas like 46.54 in the 4X100 and Sarah Bowman of Fauquier put in a business as usual 2:07.38 800. Francena McCrory of Bethel held off Brunswick athlete, future VA Tech star and Golden West Invitational Champ, Patrice Potts, in a photo finish 100 meter dash and turned in a U.S. top 10 23.53 200. The legendary McCrory would go on to set two national records and qualify for the 2008 Olympic trials. Of all the Classics, the atmosphere was the most carnival like at First Market Stadium.
2006
The meet moves to Sports Backers Stadium when a conflict with Richmond’s Graduation closes First Market Stadium. The Richmond Sports Backers go out of their way to make the Classic welcome and to showcase the great facility. The Girls Triple Jump steals the show as 4 athletes scaled the 40’ barrier. All of the marks were top 10 on the U.S. list. Future Olympian, Queen Harrison of Hermitage won on her last jump with a meet record 40’8 ¾”. Brittni Finch of Centerville (Texas Relays Champ) and Shakia Forbes of Bethel (VA State Champ) slugged it out in the long jump with Finch winning in a wind aided 19’8”. The meet record went to Forbes with a wind legal 19’7” Mike Zajac of E.C. Glass set records in both throws. Daniel Roberts of Crested Butte, CO won another great mile 4:10.72, over Hermitage’s Alex Bowman, 4:12.29 and Rob Sorrell of Bolton, TN, 4:13.02.
2007
Natalie Baird (Park View, Sterling) smashed the record with a throw of 151’6” in the discus. The STC title was added to her Penn Relays crown. Shanica Claiborn of Matoaca posted a meet record and top U.S. top 20 time of 11.63 in her 100 meter win. Adams Abdulrazaaq was a double record setter in the hurdles and Sean Holston of R.E. Lee (Springfield) posted a top 5 U.S. 46.47 in the 400.
2008
Green Run’s Charisse Bryant hurdled to a U.S. top 15 14.04 and Damian Thigpen of Stonwall (Manassas) posted a top 15 time of 37.78 in the 300 meter hurdles. They were the only meet records as the records continue to go out of sight. A very windy night produced fast hurdles, sprints and jumps and slow round races.
2009???
With less than a week to go prior to deadline registration the meet is shaping up as potentially the best yet. Benjamin Cardoza of N.Y. is bringing a contingent via Amtrak to Richmond. They had nationally ranked runners in every event from 60HH to 1000 meters and produced a 3:45 4X400 indoors. The Boys Mile is loaded as is the 2 mile. The girls 4X400, 800 and mile are all going to cook. Hopefully this will be a meet that all of Virginia will be proud of.