The Oakton boys and girls swept the team titles at the Real Deal Track Classic. The distance runners led the girls to team title over the 2010 Group AAA state outdoor track and field team runners-up from Phoebus. Oakton girls swept the top 3 places in the 1600 meter run, while Briana Stewart picked up 10 points with a first place 3:13 performance in the 1000 meter run for Oakton. Phoebus girls had many national caliber performances from their athletes and relays. Christal Peterson ran just off her 40.09 personal best in the 300 meter dash with a 40.20 victory and also competed on the victorious 1:45.02 4x200 meter relay, which is currently the state leading time.
All photos by Ryan Kelly
Phoebus girls cleaned up in other events as well including a 1-2 win in the 55 meter hurdles with Jasmine Vaughan (8.41) and Trena Shelton (8.62) while outdoor 300 meter hurdles state champ Vamonie Boddie finished fourth in the finals. Shelton was runner-up to teammate Kaydianne Mckenzie (35'7.25" in the triple jump. Mckenzie was a foot behind Oakton's Meghan Jean-Baptiste in the long jump as Jean-Baptiste (35'3" for 4th in the triple jump) figures to be one of the top jumpers in the Northern Region this indoor season and scored key points in the jumping events to help her team to the title at the Real Deal High School Classic.
Oakton boys had a mix of individual winners in the distance as expected against the Eastern Region and Tidewater distance runners, but more surprising first places in the sprints from Matthew Henton showing his range with wins in the 500 meter dash (1:07.30) and 55 meter dash (6.54). Oakton boys won the 4x800 meter relay, while having at least 3 scorers in the 1600, 1000, and 3200 meter races.
Jaquan Demiel of Lakeland is one of the state's top returning hurdlers after winning the Group AAA 300 meter hurdles title as well as taking state runner-up in the 110 meter hurdles last June at Sportsbackers Stadium. Without much competition, Demiel clocked a 7.65 easy win in the finals of the 55 meter hurdles at Boo Williams Sportsplex on Saturday.
The boys' 300 meter dash was a very competitively close event with five sprinters in the 36 second range led by event winner Kempton Moore from a slower section with his 36.24 performance bettering Indian River senior Darius Vaughan's 36.35 performance from the fast section.
Top performances at the meet from the field events included a personal best 6'4" clearance by Clark Thornhill of Douglas Freeman in the boys' high jump and Gloucester's Jazmine Banks winning by nearly five feet in the girls' shot put with a mark of 36'6.75". Thornhill finished 10th at the National Scholastic Indoor Championships last year, while Banks placed fourth in the state outdoor meet when she threw for an all-time best of 38'7".