NBNI Day 3 Recap
In a day, where the expectation was all about the sprints, Junior Cole Boone (Pulaski County) got out fast and ran from the front, as he has done all year, and was able to hold off a late charge to win Team VA's first National Championship and move to US#2 on the season in 1:48.29. His time also places him VA #1 all-time. Ethan Lapier (Riverbend) ran 1:54.71.
My most anticipated races of the day at the Track at New Balance were the Championship 400s. Both races lived up to the hype. First up were the boys with Andrew Salvodon (Bayside) and Quincy Wilson in heat 2. Salvodon had a late surge but wasn't able to replicate the result from the 500 at the VA Showcase and fell short of Wilson's 45.71. Salvodon's 45.84 makes him VA #1 all-time and US #2 all-time.
In the girls 400, top seed Junior Sophie Rambo (Grassfield) won her heat, however, Sydney Sutton of Bullis ran 52.75 out of heat 1 to take the title. Rambo finished in 2nd in 53.31 with a VA #3 all-time performance behind Francena McCorory (Bethel) and Britton Wilson (Mills Godwin), 2 extremely accomplished runners.
In the Girls Championship 800, Hadley Vanek (WT Woodson) ran a lifetime best 2:13.11 and Josie Jackson (WT Woodson) ran 2:14.62.
Team VA was well represented in the 4X200 meter races. The boys went first where the MVP League (South County) ran 1:26.17, good enough for second. MVP League also had a girls team compete. They finished in fourth in 1:37.79.
In the morning session, the turns were dropped where the action turned to the straightaway. In the Championship 60 meter prelims, Joshua Johnson (Freedom South Riding) was the seventh qualifier advancing to the semis on Sunday. Catalina Sanchious (South County) was the only girl from Team VA to advance to the semis running 7.59.
In the 60 Hurdles, Mia Mason (South County) and Ava Rice (Battlefield) both advanced to the semis, however only Mason qualified for Sunday's final running 8.24.
In the field events, Michael Murray (West Springfield) Boys Championship Pole Vault. In the Girls Championship Triple Jump, Apria Smith (Chantilly) finished in 7th with a 39-11.25 jump.