There is no question about it when reviewing the performance list for Saturday's running events at Sports Backers Stadium that the fast section of the boys 400 meter dash jumps out and off the sheet. All eight competitors have ran under 50 seconds to make for depth. There is the rivalry renewal between Taylor Sykes and Marques Atkinson to make for tension and excitement for the crowd. There is the often overlooked and sleepers in the field such as DeShawn Wilson to make for a potential darkhorse pick. Make sure you to stop by the concession stand and get your popcorn before this race!
There will be a lot of previews of the Central Region title contenders this weekend at Sports Backers, but a good number of out of area teams and athletes should produced some great performances in the elevated level of new competition.
Girls 3200 Meter Run - To start off things early on Saturday morning inthe seeded section of the 3200 meter runn will be the Deep Run sub 11 duo of Courtney Dobbs and Madalyn Nuckols. The future Virginia Tech teammates will be looking to take advantage of the cooler AM temperatures to roll out a time together well under 11 minutes. Dobbs recently broke 5 minutes for the first time for 1600 meters, while Nuckols has the superior 3200 PR at 10:51 compared to Dobbs’ 10:54. They will attempt to join a good size list of 10 girls in Virginia this spring who have already ran under 11 minutes. Attempting to give chase after the Deep Run girls will be Ashley Mathews from West Johnston High School in North Carolina with a season best of 11:07 along with the Maggie Walker pair of Clarissa Schick and Anna Spiers.
Boys 3200 Meter Run - Two state cross country champions from this past fall will be racing in the 3200 meter run in Group AAA state champion Ted Richardson of James River and private school state champion Michael Bailey of Greenbrier Christian. Richardson has modest track PR’s compared to his success in cross country, but is looking forward to the opportunity to lower his 3200 best significantly this weekend against a formidable field. Oakton senior Andrew McCullen is the most proven runner in the field at 3200 meters with the field’s best time at 9:25, which he achieved in a fourth place All-State finish indoors this past February. Making the race more intriguing and moving up from their traditional preferred races of the 1600 meter run are Collegiate’s Cabell Willis and Midlothian’s Brayden Burleigh. Willis has been running really strong as of late including a 2:16/2:03 negative split last weekend in a 4:20 PR 1600 performance. Burleigh has been one of the area’s top distance runners, especially at the mile with a best time of 4:15. Both have yet to run under 9:40 for the 3200 though.
Girls 100 Meter Hurdles - Not too many girls under 16 seconds in this meet with a three way battle expected between the three hurdlers under the time in Hermitage’s Shaniquia Epps, Elizabeth Seton’s Asha Roper, and Potomac Senor’s Eboni Strawder. Seton’s Roper qualified to compete at the National Scholastic Indoor Championships in the 60 meter hurdles, while Hermitage’s Epps was a Central Region runner-up in the 55 meter hurdles indoors.
Boys 110 Meter Hurdles - A rare sight for the Richmond area with a boys 110 meter hurdles section comprised of athletes with times all under 15 seconds. It helps that five of the eight are from out of the area led by one of the state’s finest short hurdlers in Heritage junior Daniel McFadden as the top seed at 14.44. McFadden seemed destined to win a state indoor title in the 55 meter hurdles before a hamstring injury at his regional meet. This weekend is McFadden's first time competing in the short hurdles in a major meet since the injury. Running alongside McFadden in lane five will be the Group AAA state indoor runner-up in the 55 meter hurdles, Anthony Williams of Potomac Senior, who has posted strong times in both hurdle races this outdoor season including a 14.60 best in the high hurdles. Colonial Heights senior Danny Stoneback was a finals qualifier and All-State finisher in the 55 meter hurdles, Devron Harris of Manchester and Tony Green of Patrick Henry make this race into a great preview for the Central Region meet. The meet record of 15.02 will most likely go down and potentially the entire fast section could beat the time.
Girls 100 Meter Dash - Patrick Henry sophomore Shyra Molton is returning event champion and top seed with the fastest time at 12.19. She will have to lower her meet record time of 12.41 significantly this weekend to take first again in a race featuring Meadowbrook’s swift pair of Torie Cunningham and Ciarra Morris breathing down her neck and also thinking about the Central Region title. Heritage’s Jenira Sufford at 12.33 and Elizabeth Seton’s Brianna Young at 12.37 could also surprise from the inside lanes.
Boys 100 Meter Dash - Look for a great duel between private school state champion Demitri Knowles of Liberty Christian and Oscar Smith sophomore Joel Coleman in adjacent lanes to press each other further below their nearly identical times just under 11 seconds. Coleman and Knowles found their names often in the national rankings in several sprint events this past winter. Knowles will also need to keep an eye on Calvary Christian’s Tyreak Murray who finished third last week at Norfolk State with a personal best clocking of 10.95, which makes him as a serious challenger to Knowles for the private school outdoor state title in the event. Knowles has been undefeated though in all of his races so far this outdoor season and nearly qualified for the finals of the 60 meter dash at the National Scholastic Indoor Championships.
Girls 1600 Meter Run - Although seeded eighth with her all-time best performance of 5:10, Cosby sophomore Megan Moye figures to be one of the pre-race favorites as she has been on a tear to start her outdoor season. Moye will be racing in a field of seven girls with 1600 meter bests under 5:10 led by Deep Run junior Erica Dobbs at 5:02. Dobbs is the defending Central Region cross country champion, so herself and Moye racing against one another definitely foreshadows into next fall. Midlothian’s Amy Witt, Fauquier’s Emma Helsel, and Oakton’s Lanie Smith will be racing fresh in the event (not competing in the 3200 meter run earlier) and should be able to stay up with Dobbs and Moye late into the race.
Boys 1600 Meter Run - Two sets of teammates are the top four seeds in the boys 1600 with Grafton seniors David Gunnerson and Brian Gorwitz coming back from racing Friday at Penn Relays to see if they can sneak under 4:20 for the first time, while West Johnston’s Eric Baldwin and Chris Garrett ran solid 1500 meter times earlier this spring at the Raleigh Relays. James River’s Ted Richardson will be doubling back from what he hopes to be a 3200 meter victory earlier in the morning, while Riverbend’s Shaquon Wilkins and Great Bridge’s Jordan White had really strong cross country seasons and look to have their 1600 times lowered.
Girls 400 Meter Dash - Great Bridge sophomore Shakeela Saunders might be the next great sprinter in Virginia and follow in the footsteps of the likes of Marlena Wesh and Francena McCorory. Is she ready to go after Marlena Wesh’s 53.74 400 meter dash meet record set here one year ago? She might not be ready to run that fast but as the top seed at 55.47 in a respectable fast section with three others at 56 seconds and the rest at 57 seconds, she will be in good conditions to drop further to 55 flat and possibly sniff at a time under 55 seconds. Competing alongside the favorite Saunders who finished second in the team standings by herself at the state indoor championships will be All-State indoor 500 and All-State outdoor 400 Desi Scott of Prince George (56.58) and Group AA state indoor 300 meter runner-up Michelle Speede of Grafton (56.26). It should be a really tight race though for second place after Saunders with little separation from the second best and eighth best seed.
Boys 400 Meter Dash - They do sell popcorn at the Sports Backers Stadium’s concession stand and it would be advised to buy some before this entertaining and thrilling featured event. The tension and excitement will be rising as each of the slower sections of the boys 400 finishes bringing us one race closer to the most anticipated race of the meet in the fast section featuring Nike All-American Taylor Sykes of Great Bridge and local favorite Marques Atkinson of Atlee. Not to be overlooked in between the two rivals is Booker T. Washington senior DeShawn Wilson, who currently has the second fastest time in the state at 48.43. Sykes has an all-time best of 47.28, which if at his top form will put him at the favorite. Atkinson has yet to run a open 400 in a major meet this season but split 48.1 last week at Fork Union and chased down Nike Indoor Nationals 800 Anthony Kostelac champ in the process.
Girls 300 Meter Hurdles - Elizabeth Seton has two of the top seeds in this event in Brianna Young and Asha Roper both at 45 seconds, but the event definitely has a lot of parity and little separation in the final section to make it anyone’s race. Even Eboni Strawder of Potomac Senior in lane one could be a threat to win. It will be the first big hurdle race for Lizzie Powell, who last week set the state outdoor record in the pole vault with a 13 foot clearance. She ran 45.69 last spring in the low hurdles. Heritage junior Jenira Shufford is within the 45 second range.
Boys 300 Meter Hurdles - Seven competitors enter this weekend with times under 40 seconds in the 300 meter hurdles led by a great duo from Potomac Senior in juniors Devin Brewer and Anthony Williams, who currently lead the state with the fastest two times at 38.48 and 38.60 respectively. They will get the best that the Central Region has to offer with virtually all of the top hurdlers in the event with the exception of state indoor 55 meter hurdles champion DreQuan Hoskey, who is competing in the 400 meter hurdles on Friday at the Penn Relays. Brad Carnahan (39.53 best) of Deep Run has been one of the area’s best for the past two eyars in this event, while Tony Green (39.53 best) of Patrick Henry and Tareek Folsom (39.71) of Highland Springs are late converters to the hurdles. Cosby’s Josh Rymer recently dipped under 40 seconds for the first time at start of April at CNU. The consolation prize for Brewer and Williams for not getting the matchup against Hoskey they were looking for is to take down his meet record of 39.95.
Girls 800 Meter Run - Thomas Edison junior Myah Hicks and St. Catherine’s junior Taylor Clevinger had two of the most impressive races last weekend with Hicks running one of the most smooth and seemingly effortless 800 meter races to clock a then state leading time of 2:14 at Lake Braddock, while Clevinger had a huge breakthrough and PR race at Fork Union of 2:16. Both will look to carry that momentum this weekend and drop their times further in an anticipated match-up. Doubling back from earlier events to certainly form a crowded lead pack will be Megan Moye of Cosby and Erica Dobbs of Deep Run coming back from the 1600 meter run and Maggie Walker junior Anna Spiers (2:17 best) attempting the 3200 and 800 meter double on Saturday. Moye and Hicks have had some good races against each other in cross country exchanging wins, but Hicks might have the upper hand in the shorter event.
Boys 800 Meter Run - No marquee half miler names in this event, but potential for someone to make a name for themselves if they throw down a fast winning time. The top 5 seeds all have a shot at taking first place led by Loudoun Valley senior and top seed Chris Weeks with a personal best at 1:56.34. Closely trailing Weeks will be Huguenot’s Keith Crawford also under 1:57. Group AA state cross country champion Kyle King of Grafton will be dropping down in distance and attempting to work on his turnover with teammate Brian Gorwitz (1:57.75 best) and James River sophomore Sam Reid is one of the state’s top middle distance runners with a 1:58 best at 800.
Girls 200 Meter Dash - 2009 event champion Torie Cunningham of Meadowbrook is back to go for a repeat, but might need her first sub 25 second clocking in order to win and maintain her meet record. Cunningham will be in lane three with her best time of 25.26 and to her right in lane four and five will be Grafton’s Michelle Speed and Patrick Henry’s Shyra Molton with matching all-time bests of 24.97. Cunningham’s teammate Ciarra Morris was one of the area’s top performers indoors in the 300 meter dash.
Boys 200 Meter Dash - Two of the most underrated sprinters in the state, especially with their 300 meter dash performances this indoor season under 35 seconds, will be facing off head to head and the winner should get a bit more respect between Booker T. Washington’s DeShawn Wilson and Liberty Christian’s Demitri Knowles. In the same week during the indoor season, Wilson and Knowles both dipped under 35 seconds and became state leaders in the event. Wilson will be coming back from the 400 meter dash earlier, while Knowles will be coming back from the 100 meter dash. Wilson ran a PR time of 21.81 in a third place showing at Norfolk State last weekend, while Knowles has faced much competition this spring with a season best of 21.97.
Girls 2000 Meter Steeplechase - The top three seeds are strong female distance runners without steeple barriers in front of them, so it will interesting to see how they fare in their debut in the event led by Midlothian freshmen Marie Johnston. Johnston was on the state’s best indoors at 1000 meters and ran under 5:10 in the 1600 meter run, but has been splitting time with soccer and training very little in the outdoor season. Seeded behind multi-sport star Johnson are Claire Benjaman of Midlothian and Peri Bowman of Ocean Lakes who have qualified for multiple state meets in the 3200 meter run.
Boys 2000 Meter Steeplechase - Atlee’s top three distance runners bypass the traditional events and will wait for the meet end to compete in the fun and different 2000 meter steeplechase as their three sub 16 minute 5K runners Andrew Catanese, Wes Steenburgh, and Andy Hesse all should be competitive in this race and potentially go for a top three sweep. The most likely entrants to break them up will be Grafton senior Brian Wilmer or one of the two Midlothian runners in the field.