Eastern Region Championships Complete Results
Photo Gallery by Ryan Kelly - 2,301 total photos from both days of events.
Saturday Race Videos by Andy Paisley - All videos are now uploaded.
Eastern Region Championship Video Interviews: Justin Hunter - Justin Burke - Darrell Wesh - Lizzie Cornell - Blake Theroux - Cassandra Jones - Desmonae Gray - JaQuan Demiel - Kinyata Cooper - Christal Peterson - Abby Motley - Brent Coulter
Justin Hunter could almost win the state meet by himself, especially if he wins all three jumping events in two weeks at Sports Backers Stadium as he did the past weekend at Todd Stadium for the Eastern Region Championships. On Friday, the Ocean Lakes senior took care of business with a 7 foot clearance in the high jump and mark of 24'8" in the long jump. On Saturday, Hunter nearly topped his all-time best mark in the triple jump with a winning leap of 49'9". Hunter's 30 points in the jumps were not the only points produced by the Ocean Lakes team as their final team score of 79 points was enough to hold off defending indoor and outdoor state champions Western Branch with 70 points.
Wonder what these two girls will do with quarter inch spikes at Sports Backers Stadium? The state meet record is in jeopardy in the girls 100 meter dash with two national caliber sprinters in juniors Keilah Tyson of Western Branch and Christal Peterson of Phoebus. After losing consecutive times to close the indoor season to Peterson who won the Group AAA state 55 meter dash title and Nike Indoor Nationals 60 dash title, Tyson has won both encouters this spring against Peterson in the 100 meter dash including a swift 11.76 clocking in Saturday's regional finals.
Another runaway victory for Landstown's Darrell Wesh as the senior has gone unbeaten during the entire outdoor season in the sprints. A head-wind and 1/8 inch spike limitations at Todd Stadium prevented Wesh from rolling out a fast time, but still looked impressive in the margin of victory against a solid field. Wesh, a state champion indoors in the 55 and 300 meter dash, will look to pick up another pair of state individual titles in two weeks in the 100 and 200 while still debate on which relay to include him on to help Landstown's state title chances. Their 4x400 meter relay ran 3:20.90 at the regional meet for third place without Wesh.
Who is the next best sprinter in the state of Virginia after Wesh? Wesh has become the clear-cut cream of the crop this year, but there is a large group of others vying to move to the top of the totem pole especially non-seniors looking to take over that top spot for next year. Only a sophomore at First Colonial High School, Justin Burke may be emerging as tomorrow's star if not already established as one today. Burke won two individual titles with a strong 48.55 performance in the 400 meter dash against the likes of Deshawn Wilson and Walter Mitchell, while doubling back to score another win in the 200 meter dash. Burke may be the top contender currently to win the 400 meter dash state title, but missed out on a regional match-up with Taylor Sykes who scratched out of the meet following his 400 prelim heat on Friday.
With a second opportunity to compete in the finals of the 110 meter hurdles (games committee decided to run a two second final after Friday's prelims which included knocked down hurdles at wrong heights), Lakeland junior JaQuan Demiel took full advantage of the second life to win the 110 meter hurdles from the slower finals section and then became the first sub 38 second performer of the season in the 300 meter hurdles in a sweep of the hurdles finals.
Desmone Gray won both triple jump and 100 meter hurdles titles and will be seeking first individual state title in two weeks to lead defending indoor state team champions Western Branch. After just coming up short of a state title indoors in the 55 meter hurdles in a too close to call photo finish and also having the nation's leading mark indoors in the triple jump, Gray is hungry to pick up her first individual title. Western Branch's most versatile athlete on the girls' squad, Gray will be competing in the long jump, triple jump, 100 meter hurdles, and 300 meter hurdles at the state meet. Western Branch girls (118 pts) won the regional team crown by an incredible margin of 52 points with Peninsula District champions Phoebus (66 pts) in second place.
Blake Theroux anchored home a 7:59 4x800 meter relay victory on Friday, while coming back on Saturday to go 1-2 with teammate George Matais in the 1600 meter run. Theroux, Matais, and their 4x800 meter relay will be counted on to step up big at the state meet in order for Western Branch boys to repeat as champions. Theroux, who won the 1600 in 4:17, appears to running back to top form after some mid-season struggles, and will be headed to the University of Colorado next fall as one of the state's first male runners to head to the storied collegiate program coached by Mark Wetmore.