Rochelle Evans

While the record books remained in tact and unchanged for the Group AA boys, their female counterparts will require the record keepers at the Virginia High School League to make some major revisions. A total of five meet records were set in the girls' portion of the 2012 VHSL Group AA State Indoor Track & Field Championship meet.  A quick recap of those record breaking performances below along with photos and/or video.   Photos by Andrew Kicinski   Louisa County senior Javanique Burruss joins only former Blacksburg distance runners Peter Dorrell (boys 1600 & 1000) and Joanna Stevens (girls 1600 & 3200) as a meet record holder in multiple events. Burruss set a new meet record twice in the 55 meter hurdles. First in the prelims as the leading qualifier at 8.32 to break the record initially and then Burruss lowered her recently gained record by another 7 hundredths of a second in the finals to a personal best clocking of 8.25. In the long jump, the current US #3 performer with a season best of 20 feet 1 inches, Burruss once again etched her name in the VHSL state indoor meet record books with a leap of 19'7.25". Video: Girls 55H Prelims - Girls 55H Finals     The meet started fast with all-time best performances between the double from Burruss and big throw from Christiansburg's Rochelle Evans. Evans, who already set the outdoor state meet record last spring at 45'9", is continuing to add more accomplishments to her high school career which will continue on next year the College of William & Mary. Evans bettered the old meet record by over 8 inches with her throw of 43'0" at Liberty University on Saturday.     Hard to imagine that the Tabb girls could come back this year with a faster relay last year's crew which featured one of the fastest Group AA sprinters ever in Kiara Porter. Porter has since graduated and running well collegiately at VCU. In the meet history of Group AA State Indoor Championships, no girls 4x400 meter relay had even sniffed at sub 4 minutes with the record standing at 4:04.75 from the 2004 Western Albemarle squad. Despite having no competition to press them after their first leg got them out into the lead, the Tabb girls were able to destroy the meet record and the 4 minute barrier in the process with their 3:59.39 performance. Their relay team included Brittni King, Leigh Soistmann, Taylor Omweg, and Alison Harmatz. Video: Girls 4x400 Sections 3-4     The most impressive meet record performance of the meet may have belonged to John Handley senior Britani Myers in the girls' 500 meter dash. Not only did Myers successfully defend her state title in the event, but she broke a 10 year old meet record previously held by former Jamestown High and UVA runner Ashley Gore of 1:15.53 from the 2002 state meet at the banked track of Virginia Tech. The time by Myers at 1:15.34 would have won the AAA girls' 500 state race held on Saturday at the Boo Williams Sportsplex in Hampton. Myers was not fresh for the race either having run a great anchor leg to break her John Handley 4x800 meter relay up into second place, but their team had been disqualified in the race. Video: Girls 500 Sections 6-7  

All photos by Andrew Kicinski   Distance runners led the Virginia performances from the Liberty Christmas Invitational while athletes from North Carolina schools dominated the sprints, hurdles, field events, and sprint relays. Blacksburg senior George Carter won the 1600 meter run on Friday in a solid season opener of 4:22.72 while doubling back for another first place finish on Saturday in the 3200 meter run by a 15 second margin with his 9:30 performance. A state runner-up last June at the Group AA State Outdoor Championships, Carter is seeking his first state individual title during his senior year of track after leading Blacksburg to two consecutive state cross country team titles.     Bassett's Michelle Church kept Blacksburg senior Sarah Dorrell from achieving a distance double wins herself as Church finished a half second ahead of Dorrell in 5:11. After a 5:12 1600 runner-up performance, Dorrell on the next day defeated Church (3rd, 3:06) and West Potomac junior Sarah Jane Underwood (2nd, 3:04) in the 1000 meter run with a 3:02 victory.     Christiansburg's Rochelle Evans had the top performance in the girls' field events with a top mark of 37'9.25" in the shot put. Evans was a top 3 performer in both the shot put and discus as the Group AA State Outdoor Meet last spring. In a very competitive boys' pole vault event with three vaulters over 14'6", Liberty Christian Academy senior Cody Bingham placed third at a 14'6" clearance. Bingham is one of the state's top multi-event athletes and nearly placed in 3 other events this weekend at the Tolsma Track Center.   Liberty Christmas Invitational Complete Results Liberty Christmas Invitational Photo Gallery by Andrew Kicinski