NEWPORT NEWS, VA -- The Great Bridge boys and Deep Creek girls reigned champions at the Southeastern District Meet held at CNU\'s Freeman Center in Newport News on February 8th. However, with the competitiveness of the district, the order between the district\'s top teams could switch at the regional and state level finding a third place team from the district in the top three at states.
The Deep Creek girls were led by Chantill Harvey, winner in the 55 meter hurdles at a 8.36 clocking as well as a second place finisher in the long jump and triple jump. Aleathia Jenkins picked up 18 points for the team cause as well with a first place finish in the 55 meter dash (7.24) and second place finish in the 300 meter dash. The state\'s top ranked high jumper as well as national leader, Ashley Gatling, did not have an off day in her event with a 5\'8\" clearance.
Finishing 33 points behind Deep Creek (156.50 pts) in second place was Western Branch (123.50 pts). Callen Powers was the lone individual event winner for the Lady Bruins as she crossed the line first in the 3200 meter run with a 11:36.11 clocking. Powers finished second earlier in the meet in the 1600 meter run with a time of 5:17.56 for a strong double. The Western Branch girls 4x200 meter relay (1:50.90) also notched ten points with a first place finish.
The Great Bridge girls may have finished third in the district team standings, but in early March at the AAA State Meet, the same team could finish with close to the same team place with the several state caliber individuals. Janet Brown and Kristy Tobin are two individuals who could rack up points for the Great Bridge squad as shown with their district performances. Brown won three events on the day in the long jump (18\'10.25\"), triple jump (37\'3\"), and shot put (36\'8.50\"). Brown should be in the mix in both the long jump and triple jump at states. Meanwhile, Tobin pulled off a distance double wins in the 1600 (5:11.52) and 1000 (3:01.97) meter runs. Great Bridge also won the 4x800 meter relay in 10:00.80, while Katherine Telfeyan took second in the 3200 meter run at 11:52.53.
One of the top individual performancess of the meet belonged to one of the state\'s top sprinters in Crystal Roscoe of Oscar Smith as she took both the 500 (1:20.57) and 300 (41.74) meter dashes.
Last year\'s co-state champions from outdoors, Great Bridge (118 pts), took the first of three steps on the tough road to win yet another state title by winning the Southeastern District title. Mike Morrison was a one man wrecking crew for the squad in last year\'s state title and picked up 25 points individually at the Freeman Center with wins in the pole vault (15\'0\") and long jump (22\'5.50\") and a fourth place performance in the 55 meter hurdles (7.97).
In the distance races, Great Bridge picked up considerable points from Chris Kust, who won both the 1600 (4:41.78) and 3200 (10:11.26) meter races. Ryan Sykes completed the sweep of distances races for the squad with a first place run in the 100 meter run (2:41.07).
Western Branch took runner-up honors in both the girls and boys\' team standings with the boys 13 points behind Great Bridge with 105 points. Courtland Marriner of Western Branch won an exciting finals of the 55 meter dash with a 6.44 clocking over Indian River\'s Toriano Moody at 6.45. The boys\' 4x800 meter relay of Western Branch also took first in a time of 8:38.26.
With Quentin Moore missing in action, Deep Creek finished third without their top sprinter with 102 points.
Deep Creek took victories in both of the sprint relays with times of 1:32.92 and 3:34.48 respectively in the 4x200 and 4x400 meter relays.
Deep Creek had an impressive showing in the 500 meter dash with three of the top finishers in the event in Keonta Coleman (1:09.48), Damien Kaiser (1:10.27), and Curtis Campbell (1:10.39).
Deep Creek\'s Lamar Veale had an impressive performance in the 55 meter hurdles to help his team cause with a 7.68 win over Predist Walker of Lakeland at 7.74.