VIENNA, VA -- The first day of the Metro Run & Walk Northern Virginia Invitational at Oakton High School saw many outstanding performances on an unusually mild March evening and night. The final sections of the 100 and 110 meter hurdles and 3200 meter run were run off on Friday as well as a handful of field events. The warm spring winds benefited the hurdlers with a wind at their back and mild temperatures were ideal of the distance night races. Park View\'s Natalie Baird, Hayfield\'s Asia Odum, and Oakton\'s James Phillips posted early state leading performances.
Park View\'s Natalie Baird, a Group AA state champion in the discus throw last spring as a freshmen, kicked off her sophomore year off strong as she had a toss of 136\'3\" to win the discus event by over 30 feet. Her mark ranks as the top throw in the state thus far this season.
Oakton senior James Phillips, who ended his indoor season with disappointment as he just missed earning All-State honors in the 3200 meter run at the Group AAA State Meet after challening eventual state champion Mike Spooner of West Springfield in the race, bounced back nicely with a personal best run of 9:30.16. The time qualifies for Phillips for the outdoor state meet and moves him just ahead of Colonial Forge\'s Dan Leyh (9:30.98 at 3/25 Blackhawk Invite) as the state leading in the eight lap event.
Third place finisher Paul Norland of Thomas Jefferson will also be joining Phillips in state competition with his third place state meet qualifying time of 9:36.91, while James Robinson\'s Chris Clark just missed state qualifying by a few tenths of a second in fourth at 9:38.72.
The girl\'s 3200 meter race was just as hot as a race with three runners running in close proximity one another in the finish of the race. Eleanor Roosevelt (MD) sophomore Dominique Lockhart (3rd, 11:21.75) did most of the pace work throughout the race for Virginia seniors Kayley Byrne of Oakton and Diana Van Vleet of Loudoun Valley. Byrne seized the lead late from Lockhart, but it was Van Vleet would be the surprise winner in a time of 11:15.84 as she dropped her personal best by nearly 30 seconds with the effort. Byrne also posted a personal best with 11:17.80 second place run.
A great deal of tailwind benefited the hurdles on Friday as Hayfield\'s Asia Odum dipped under 15 seconds for the first time with her 14.96 clocking in the 100 meter hurdles as the time ranks her number one in the state currently. Her previous best in the event stood at 15.40 from last year\'s Northern Region Meet.
Teammate Mike Westbrook had the top time among Virginians in the 110 meter hurdles at 15.12 for third place, but out-of-staters Geoffrey Daley of DeMatha Catholic (14.45) and Carmal Pugh of Oxon Hill (14.87) finished first and second in the event with performances under 15 seconds.
Thomas Edison senior Ed Baldwin had a big day in the long jump as he nearly crested over 23 feet with a 22\'11\" performance to win the event comfortably over West Potomac\'s Antwane Minter at 21\'6\".
Edison had two individual victories on day one in the field events as one of the Northern Region\'s best throwers threw for a top mark of 48\'2.75\" in the shot put.
The Park View girls also had two first place finishers with Baird in the discus and sophomore Charlene Fowler\'s 17\'4.50\" winning mark in the long jump.
The yellow bar certainly was easier to spot for Mount Vernon junior Assiaute Williams as darkness set in for the girls\' high jump as she cleared a height of 5\'2\" to take top honors in the event.