Southeastern Invite Day 2: Saunders completes triple w/ 39.20 300 - Williams runs short-lived US #1


Photo by Ted Plunkett
 

 

While the CNU Showcase was happening in Newport News this past weekend, just down the road on I-64 East was a competitive meet at the two year old Boo Williams Sportsplex in Hampton. On the first day of Southeastern Invitational, two US #1's were produced by Joel Coleman of Oscar Smith in the 55 meter dash and Ricky Blake of Nansemond River in the triple jump. The second day followed up with some more impressive performances, especially on the track from two of the Eastern Region's top female sprinters in Shakeela Saunders of Great Bridge and Monica Williams of Green Run.

 

On Friday, Saunders had already recorded US top 5 performances in the 55 meter dash (7.06) and triple jump (39'0.50") and followed up on Saturday to complete a stellar triple by winning the 300 meter dash with the nation's fastest time on a flat track for the 300 meter dash with her 39.20 clocking. The nation's leading performance is 38.52 on the fast banked track found at the New York Armory. Expect the super sophomore Saunders to approach that time if she competes in the event at the Virginia Tech Invitational this month.

 

Meanwhile, Green Run junior Monica Williams had already ran under 40 seconds last month at Boo Williams and turned her focus this weekend to the 500 meter dash. Williams clocked the nation's fastest time in the event at the Southeastern Invite, which was short-lived for a few hours after two girls went under 1:16 at the Montgomery Invite. Nonetheless, Williams ran an impressive US #3 1:16.34 and will be in the hunt for a state title certainly for either the 500 or 300 meter dash this season. Also being pulled along to a fast time in the event was Grassfield junior Amanda Smith with a US #5 time of 1:17.12 for the 2008 Group AAA state outdoor champion at 800 meters.

 

Woodside senior Brandon Burton won the boys 500 meter dash in a US #7 time of 1:06.82 as finally another athlete in Virginia other than Taylor Sykes has ventured under 1:07 this season. Burton is a middle distance specialist with a 1:55 best in the open, so Burton might turn his attention to the 1000 meter run as well this season.

 

Western Branch and Phoebus girls battled it out in both sprint relays with the Phoebus girls coming out ontop in the 4x200 with a time of 1:45.99, while Western Branch just missed dipping under 4 minutes for the first time this season in the 4x400 with their US #10 time of 4:00.36.

 

The Western Branch hurdlers came out and established themselves as legitimate point scorers outside of their top star in Keilah Tyson. Coach Toukene got a first place  in the 55 meter hurdles finals from Shamia Lassiter (8.38), while Camille Thomas posted the second fastest time of the meet in the prelims at 8.52.

 

Grassfield's Jazmen Townsend long jumped well for the second consecutive meet at Boo Williams, which is a good sign for the state meet since the championship meet is also held at the same venue. Defeating state leader Nikki Nunn in the event during the winter break, Townsend notched the top mark of the field again this weekend with a leap of 18'6".

 

After being upset in the 1600 meter run by Grassfield's Jeremy Greenwald (who also ran a leg on Grassfield's solid 8:17 4x800 meter relay), Group AAA state cross country champion Ted Richardson of James River bounced back to win the 3200 meter run easily with an automatic state qualifying time of 9:38.

 

Other winners from the Central Region down in Hamption included a pair in the field events with Thomas Fuson (53'3") of Deep Run in the shot put and Garrett Tyler (6'4") of Meadowbrook in the high jump. The Cosby boys caught the Eastern Region powers off guard in their 4x200 meter relay as well.

 

Warwick's Dythaniel Lewis had a strong double in finishing second to Lakeland's JaQuan Demiel (7.74) in the 55 meter hurdles on Friday with a 7.80 clocking then posting the fastest time in the 300 meter dash on Saturday with his personal best performance of 36.52.

 

Southeastern Complete Results

 

 

Below are the performances entered for the meet that met the national silver standard.

HS Girls
300 Meter Dash 39.20 Shakeela Saunders Great Bridge
300 Meter Dash 41.35 Qualitra Brown Kings Fork
300 Meter Dash 41.60 Ciarra Morris Meadowbrook
300 Meter Dash 41.88 Piarrah Payne Deep Creek
300 Meter Dash 42.32 Kinyata Cooper Deep Creek
300 Meter Dash 42.57 Tiffany Ellick Western Branch
300 Meter Dash 43.21 Ivory Banks Cosby
4x200 Meter Relay 1:45.99   Phoebus
4x200 Meter Relay 1:46.14   Grassfield
4x200 Meter Relay 1:46.77   Western Branch
4x400 Meter Relay 4:00.36   Western Branch
4x400 Meter Relay 4:05.88   Phoebus
500 Meter Dash 1:16.34 Monica Williams Green Run
500 Meter Dash 1:17.12 Amanda Smith Grassfield
55 Meter Hurdles 8.37p Shamia Lassiter Western Branch
55 Meter Hurdles 8.38 Shamia Lassiter Western Branch
55 Meter Hurdles 8.52p Camille Thomas Western Branch
55 Meter Hurdles 8.54 Jasmine Vaughan Phoebus
55 Meter Hurdles 8.69p Jasmine Vaughan Phoebus
55 Meter Hurdles 8.81p Vamonie Boddie Phoebus
55 Meter Hurdles 8.82 Vamonie Boddie Phoebus
55 Meter Hurdles 8.94p Johniqua Porter Lakeland
55 Meter Hurdles 9.22 Camille Thomas Western Branch
55 Meter Dash 7.06 Shakeela Saunders Great Bridge
55 Meter Dash 7.08 Christal Peterson Phoebus
55 Meter Dash 7.19p Shakeela Saunders Great Bridge
55 Meter Dash 7.22p Christal Peterson Phoebus
55 Meter Dash 7.28 Angela Harris Meadowbrook
55 Meter Dash 7.32p Shakia Williams Western Branch
55 Meter Dash 7.34 Desmonae Gray Western Branch
55 Meter Dash 7.34p Angela Harris Meadowbrook
55 Meter Dash 7.35 Ciarra Morris Meadowbrook
55 Meter Dash 7.37 Shakia Williams Western Branch
55 Meter Dash 7.40p Ciarra Morris Meadowbrook
55 Meter Dash 7.42p Desmonae Gray Western Branch
55 Meter Dash 7.54 Kristalyn Morton Phoebus
55 Meter Dash 7.57p Kristalyn Morton Phoebus
55 Meter Dash 7.63 Johniqua Porter Lakeland
Long Jump 17-10 Qualitra Brown Kings Fork
Long Jump 18-6 Jazmen Townsend Grassfield
Shot Put 35-2.5 Kayla Kittek Grassfield
Triple Jump 39-0.5 Shakeela Saunders Great Bridge
HS Boys
1600 Meter Run 4:27.57 Jeremy Greenwald Grassfield
300 Meter Dash 36.52 Dythaniel Lewis Warwick
300 Meter Dash 36.66 Darius Vaughan Indian River
300 Meter Dash 36.83 Tyler Holloway Kings Fork
300 Meter Dash 36.89 Kirk Spellman Indian River
300 Meter Dash 36.94 Mike Lawton Grassfield
300 Meter Dash 36.96 Joshua Rymer Cosby
300 Meter Dash 37.44 Paul Morant Phoebus
300 Meter Dash 37.51 Donte Artis Phoebus
300 Meter Dash 37.56 Damion Marsh Woodside
300 Meter Dash 37.84 Andrew Brown Deep Run
300 Meter Dash 38.10 Brandon Delk Warwick
300 Meter Dash 38.15 Vince Mosby Kings Fork
300 Meter Dash 38.17 Jerel Parker Meadowbrook
3200 Meter Run 9:38.96 Ted Richardson James River (Midlothian)
4x800 Meter Relay 8:17.38   Grassfield
500 Meter Dash 1:06.82 Brandon Burton Woodside
500 Meter Dash 1:08.55 Darnell Miller Indian River
500 Meter Dash 1:08.58 Deion Dickens Kings Fork
500 Meter Dash 1:08.93 Javon Walker Warwick
500 Meter Dash 1:09.61 Christopher Bennett Warwick
55 Meter Hurdles 7.74 JaQuan Demiel Lakeland
55 Meter Hurdles 7.80 Dythaniel Lewis Warwick
55 Meter Hurdles 7.86p Dythaniel Lewis Warwick
55 Meter Hurdles 7.89p JaQuan Demiel Lakeland
55 Meter Hurdles 7.90p Joshua Rymer Cosby
55 Meter Hurdles 7.91 Joshua Rymer Cosby
55 Meter Hurdles 7.92p Michael Smith Kempsville
55 Meter Hurdles 7.95 Romane Dorrel Meadowbrook
55 Meter Hurdles 8.01 Michael Smith Kempsville
55 Meter Hurdles 8.14p Romane Dorrel Meadowbrook
55 Meter Hurdles 8.21 Marco Peterson Lakeland
55 Meter Hurdles 8.23p Marco Peterson Lakeland
55 Meter Dash 6.36 Joel Coleman Oscar Smith
55 Meter Dash 6.55 Tyler Holloway Kings Fork
55 Meter Dash 6.59p Joel Coleman Oscar Smith
55 Meter Dash 6.62 Mitchell Shifflett Cosby
55 Meter Dash 6.63 Alex Pennecke Grassfield
55 Meter Dash 6.64 Domico Phillips Meadowbrook
55 Meter Dash 6.64p Domico Phillips Meadowbrook
55 Meter Dash 6.65p Alex Pennecke Grassfield
55 Meter Dash 6.65p Tyler Holloway Kings Fork
55 Meter Dash 6.71p Mitchell Shifflett Cosby
55 Meter Dash 6.73 Travis Hughes Kempsville
55 Meter Dash 6.73p Quentin Gilchrist Lakeland
55 Meter Dash 6.75 Colby Goodwyn Phoebus
55 Meter Dash 6.76 Corey Gwynn Grassfield
55 Meter Dash 6.76p Damion Marsh Woodside
55 Meter Dash 6.79p Corey Gwynn Grassfield
55 Meter Dash 6.79p Travis Hughes Kempsville
55 Meter Dash 6.80 Kyle Green Nansemond River
55 Meter Dash 6.80p Colby Goodwyn Phoebus
55 Meter Dash 6.81p Greg Mosley Nansemond River
55 Meter Dash 6.81p William Greene Phoebus
55 Meter Dash 6.81p Kyle Green Nansemond River
High Jump 6-4 Garrett Tyler Meadowbrook
Long Jump 21-4.5 Domico Phillips Meadowbrook
Long Jump 21-6 Dravonte Martin Oscar Smith
Pole Vault 13-6 Hildrew McNair Kings Fork
Shot Put 53-3 Thomas Fuson Deep Run
Triple Jump 43-8 Mike Lawton Grassfield
Triple Jump 43-9 Keenan Smith Western Branch
Triple Jump 44-5.5 JaQuan Demiel Lakeland
Triple Jump 48-2 Ricky Blake Nansemond River

106

National Elites

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