Cydney Robinson

This past weekend at the National Scholastic Indoor Championships, Churchland senior Cydney Robinson ran the fastest 800 meter time indoors by a Virginia high school girl since 2006 Nike Indoor Nationals champion Katie Doswell. Winning a slower section of the event, Robinson (pictured left by Nicoll Knudsen) placed third overall to earn All-American honors with her time of 2:11.95.  It was her second swift 800 meter performance of the weekend after anchoring Churchland to an All-American fifth place finish in the sprint medley relay on Friday night with a 2:12 split.   Robinson was primarily a quarter miler and sprinter as an underclassmen at Churchland High School in Portsmouth but after running a 4x800 meter relay leg for the first time in a summer track meet following her sophomore year, the Hampton University recruit has embraced the middle distance events for the past two years which highlight races have included an Eastern Region 1000 meter title last month and challenging for the 800 meter state title last spring. Her two stellar All-American races at the Armory to conclude her indoor season should be a great springboard for a successful outdoor track campaign as one of the favorites for AAA state 800 meter crown. Read more for interview with Cydney Robinson...  

  Ocean Lakes senior Justin Hunter (pictured above by Don Rich) finally showed the rest of nation what we have known all along in Virginia about his talent and jumping ability. Competing in his first high school track nationals, Hunter became a national champion in all three jumping events. Two of the events in the long and triple jump, Hunter actually placed second in the competition but was the first US finisher behind winners from Canada to make Hunter as the national champion in both events. In Sunday's triple jump, Charles Akomolafe from Brampton, Ontario overtook Hunter in the finals with the leading mark of 50'6.25". Hunter became the US champion with his runner-up and US #3 mark of 49'9.25". Checking to see if the feat of winning national titles in all three jumping events has ever been accomplished ever by not only a Virginia high school athlete, but any athlete in meet history.   Jamestown senior Colin Mearns (pictured above by Don Rich) was not considered as a favorite to win the boys' mile at the National Scholastic Indoor Championships with a 1600 PR which converts to around 4:20 for a full mile. The recent VA 2A 1600 and 3200 state champion made a huge drop in time to pull out the upset national title against a field of more proven sub 4:20 milers with a 7 second PR victory at 4:13.08! His time converts not only to a state leading 4:11.66 1600 meter time, but ranks him #12 all-time in Virginia high school indoor history.   Churchland senior Cydney Robinson dominated her section of the girls 800 meter run on the final lap to pull away to win her slower section in a time of 2:11.95. Her time ended up holding up to place her third overall following the fast section and earn her second All-American honors of the weekend after anchoring Churchland to a fifth place SMR finish on Friday with a 2:12 split. Her time at NSIC is the fastest by a Virginia girl indoors at 800 meters since Nike Indoor Nationals champion Katie Doswell back in 2006.   First Colonial's Teiara Denmark became the second All-American in the girls' field events from Virginia at NSIC (Lizzie Powell - Pole Vault) with her fifth place leap of 39'0.25" in the girls triple jump.   The future of Virginia distance running looks bright as Lake Braddock 9th grader Sophie Chase (pictured left by Don Rich) became the state's second freshmen mile champion this past weekend in her dominant six second victory on Sunday at the National Scholastic Indoor Championships. Chase, who anchored Lake Braddock's DMR on Friday nearly to a national title with her sub 5 minute 1600 meter leg, clocked a time just above 5 minutes for the full mile in her 5:01.67 victory for the Virginia 3A state 3200 meter champion. Chase's time nearly beat the time of the seeded championship mile race later on Sunday, which had a winning time of 4:59. Landstown's Stephanie Frenchik took charge midway through to break up a slow early pace and then held on for fourth place and All-American honors in 5:04.72.   Henrico's DreQuan Hoskey earned All-American honors in the finals of the 60 meter hurdles with a fifth place finish, while Chris Dobbins of Christiansburg just missed a top 6 finish by thousandths of a second as his time of 8.21 was equal through the hundredth of a second with the sixth place finisher.   In field events action today, Ocean Lakes senior Justin Hunter will be attempting to make a national titles sweep of the jumping events as he is slated to compete in the triple jump after winning national titles on Friday in the long jump and high jump. Hunter is a favorite and one of the top seeds in the triple jump.   Three boys' pole vaulters from Virginia have advanced onto today's finals after vaulting career bests yesterday in the preliminary flights with Lake Braddock's Matt Hoogland at 15'1.75" and Jefferson Forest's Josh Drablos and Mills Godwin's Eric Zwarycz both clearing 14'10". Hoogland is ranked fourth heading into today with his performance yesterday.   Watch Live Webcast   MileSplit Meet Page   Flash Results, Winners Table & Photo Galleries

At Thursday evening's Eastern District Championships, Deshawn Wilson of Booker T. Washington became the first athlete in Virginia this indoor season to break 35 seconds in the 300 meter dash with one of the nation's fastest times on a flat track with his 34.98 performance. Wilson also ran a key leg on Booker T. Washington's 4x200 meter relay which ran a state leading time of 1:32.48. While the Booker T. Washington boys edged out I.C. Norcom for the team title, the Churchland girls claimed the Eastern District title behind 500 and 300 meter dash winner Cydney Robinson (1:17.29/41.73). More to come from the Eastern District meet including video and pictures.

The USATF National Junior Olympics wrapped up on Sunday with only several high school athletes from Virginia making the trip to Nebraska. Meanwhile, a much larger delegation of Virginians will be in Detroit, Michigan this week for the AAU National Junior Olympics with many Eastern Region athletes competing. Live Results at aauathletics.org AAU National JO Results by Day: Day One - Day Two - Day Three - Day Four - Day Five - Day Six - Day Seven Day 8 (Saturday, August 2nd) Highlights: Dejor Simmons closed out a remarkable week in Michigan at the AAU Nationals by winning national titles in both the 100 and 200 meter dash on Saturday in the intermediate boys division. Simmons first won the 100 meter dash in convincing fashion with a 10.54 clocking with second place in the finals at 10.85, while the Green Run rising junior was a big winner again in the 200 meter dash at 21.55. Bethel's Ja-Vell Bullard added a third individual national title to his collection for the year as put on a thrilling finish to overtake Bernard Goodwyn from Delware in the final stretch for a 47.32 victory in the finals of the young men's 400 meter dash. Taylor Sykes of Great Bridge and Darryl Brickhouse of Nansemond River also competed in the same finals race as they placed seventh and eighth respectively. Keith Ricks did not win a national title like Simmons in the 200 meter dash, but rolled out an even faster time and the state's fastest performance of the year with his 21.19 clocking to earn All-American honors in a third place finish in the young men division finals. An All-Star team of athletes competing for the Norfolk Real Deal Track Club put up a stellar time to win the AAU 4x400 national title in the young men's division as the quartert of stars Darryl Brickhouse, Sherrard Marrow, Keith Ricks, and Ja-Vell Bullard clocked in at 3:10.57 to close out the meet with a first place finish in relay action. Day 7 (Friday, August 1st) Highlights: With 16 runners breaking 49 seconds, it was very competitive for the eight spots of athletes advancing onto the finals in the 400 meter dash for the young men division. Three Virginians in Ja-Vell Bullard, Taylor Sykes, and Darryl Brickhouse al made the cut with Nike Outdoor Nationals champion Bullard as the third fastest qualifier at 47.41. Great Bridge rising junior Taylor Sykes was just off of Bullard's time winning his heat in a new personal best time of 47.55 (previous best of 47.87). It was only the second time that Sykes has ever broken 48 seconds. Nansemond River's Darryl Brickhouse also needed a personal best performance to advance onto the finals as he nearly broke 48 seconds for the first time as the sixth fastest qualifier at 48.06. Two other Virginians also had solid performances, but failed to make the finals in Bethel teammates Sherrard Marrow (48.38) and Austin Cuffee (48.81). Marrow earned All-American honors earlier in the week in the 400 meter hurdles. Cosby's Andre Redd was the last qualifier to the 400 meter dash finals in the intermediate boys prelims with a 49.78 performance. Redd just completed his sophomore year and first season of track at Cosby with a 48.17 personal best at 400 meters, but has competed in AAU summer track since a young age. Churchland's Tiffany Harris had an outstanding race in the prelims of the young women 400 meter dash as she ran a personal best time of 55.86. Harris had a previous all-time best in the event of 56.69 from the AAU Regional Meet and had not broken 57 seconds during the school year at Churchland.  

Several high school athletes competed at the USATF National Club Championships held in Olathe, Kansas this past weekend for the Norfolk Real Deal Track Club. Norfolk Real was the only USATF club from Virginia in the event as the women's team finished 3rd among 14 teams, while the men's team placed 9th among 21 teams. The Norfolk Real Deal's club team was made up of high school, college, and post-collegiate athletes. AAA state outdoor long jump champion Tiffany Harris (pictured left by Ted Plunkett) leaped to a new personal best mark of 19-5.75 to win the long jump at the USATF Club Nationals as well as place in the 200 meter dash (25.18 prelims, 25.25 finals). Read more... USATF National Club Championships Results