MileStat.com was on-site for the first meet of the 2009-2010 indoor season this past weekend at Boo Williams Sportsplex in Hampton. Look for many race videos and photos to be posted within the next day including from the thrilling conclusion in the boys 4x400 meter relay between Bethel and Western Branch. It was a very strong opener for the Atlee boys and Western Branch girls as both teams had more than their share of event winners.
Girls Summary
Western Branch girls did not show its full cards on the opening weekend of the indoor season, but certainly showed a glimpse of what to expect from them this season. Oscar Smith transfer Keilah Tyson did not compete in any individual sprinting events, but the defending Group AAA state champion at 55 meters ran a leg on the first place 4x400 meter relay in a state auto time of 4:01.28. She did compete in Friday's high jump, which was a stellar competition between herself and Sherhae Holloway of Highland Springs who both cleared 5'8". Tyson won on previous misses by Holloway with a new personal best height for her new team.
Also exceling in the field events for Western Branch coach Claude Toukene was Sydni Cobb, who returns as one of the top returning throwers in Virginia in the shot put. Cobb kicked off her indoor season with 40 foot performance to win the shot put competition as two athletes achieved state automatic qualifiers in event winner Cobb and Gloucester's Jazmine Banks (38'4.25").
Western Branch had two athletes not named Keilah Tyson roll out fast 55 meter dash times at the Boo Williams Sportsplex with a 1-3 finish from Taranisha Taylor (7.15) and Shakia Williams (7.22). Taylor was a former basketball star for Western Branch, who has given up the sport this winter to focus on track.
Western Branch also made a clean sweep of the relays taking home first place in the 4x200 and 4x800 meter relays. Legs on Friday night's 4x800, Natalia Wynn and Mary Katherine Sanders came back on Saturday with first place finishes in the 1000 meter run for Wynn and 1600 meter run for Sanders.
Manchester's Nikki Nunn, one of the state's best returnees in the long jump with a 19'7" personal best, jumped back to action after being hampered by a hamstring injury last spring with a sweep of horizontal jumps with first place finishes in the long jump (17'4") and triple jump (36'6"). The triple jump is a relatively new event for Nunn, who just missed a state qualifying mark by a quarter of the inch this weekend in the event.
Last year's Group AAA state champions from Bethel will have some serious challenges ahead to repeat as champs with Western Branch loaded and also suffering some unforseen losses from their 2009 indoor squad. Key scorers from last year's team are no longer at Bethel as Olicia Sharp has moved out of state and Emmy Fraenk now attends Hampton Roads Academy. Despite two falls in relay action, Bethel had two individual winners on the track with Samantha Scarlett clocking a 8.19 win in the 55 meter hurdles and Maya Moore finishing strong to take the 500 meter dash in 1:20.77.
Hampton's Ashley Sessoms spoiled Bethel from having a third individual winner as Sessoms posted a 41.38 clocking in a slower section of the 300 meter dash to take first overall ahead fast section winner Anise Cuffee (41.59) of Bethel.
Sydney Hobart carried on and represented her teammate Lizzie Powell well in her absence with a 10 foot clearance victory in the pole vault. Patrick Henry has two All-State caliber vaulters in Hobart and Powell as the defending AAA state champion Powell is making her comeback as she battles back from fighting cancer during the off season. Powell is already back practicing with the team and intends on competing this season according to her coach. She was on an official visit to UVA this past weekend.
Boys Summary
Coach Jim Triemplar appears to have one of his better squads in recent years at Atlee. At least based off their team showing at the Peninsula District Icebreaker, which saw the Raiders collect of seven wins. The Atkinson brothers had a large role in many of those wins. Marques Atkinson's 6'4" clearance was good enough to claim first in the high jump on Friday, while he came back on Saturday to hold off a late run from Warwick's Javon Walker (2nd, 1:08.79) to take first in the 500 meter dash. His brother Michael Atkinson later on Saturday stole the 300 meter dash from section 5 of 8 with his 36.45 clocking.
Stealing a win from a slower section maintained as the theme for the Atkinson brothers and Atlee in the 4x400 meter relay as while Bethel won the fast section of the 4x400 meter relay in a dramatic come from behind fashion over Western Branch, it ended up being in vain as Atlee's 3:32.84 performance from the first section was the fastest overall. Atlee distance runners Andrew Catanase in the 1600 and Wes Steenburgh in the 3200 broke away from the field to win big in their respective races, while Trevor Ellie exhibited his top speed in the 55 meter dash motoring to a swift early season performance of 6.50 to notch another win for Coach Triemplar.
Heritage's Daniel McFadden joined Atlee's Marques Atkinson as a double event winner this past weekend as McFadden leaped to a best of 43'9.50" in the triple jump, while easily state qualifying in his first meet out in the 55 meter hurdles with his time of 7.68 in Friday night's finals. McFadden almost won a third event in Saturday's long jump as he was just off the top mark posted by Western Branch's Marcus Dean (21'1.75") with his best attempt of 21'0".
Fresh off several of their distance runners competing over Thanksgiving weekend at Foot Locker South including a win for Kyle Jacobs in the senior race and swift times posted by Blake Theroux and George Matais in the seeded race, they jumped into indoor action teaming up for a 8:17 4x800 on Friday without any serious competition. Jacobs also won the 1000 meter run (2:41) on the next day at Boo Williams.
Peninsula District Ice Breaker Complete Results
Photo Gallery - To be posted Monday.
Below are the performances entered for the meet that met the national silver standard.
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MileStat.com was on-site for the first meet of the 2009-2010 indoor season this past weekend at Boo Williams Sportsplex in Hampton. Look for many race videos and photos to be posted within the next day including from the thrilling conclusion in the boys 4x400 meter relay between Bethel and Western Branch. It was a very strong opener for the Atlee boys and Western Branch girls as both teams had more than their share of event winners.