SLHS Indoor Track Starts Strong

South Lakes High School indoor track team opened its varsity season with more than a dozen athletes meeting District Qualifying standards with their performances at the Liberty Elite Invitational, Saturday at Liberty University in Lynchburg.

Both the boys and girls 4×400 meter relay teams, the girls 4×200 meter relay team as well as senior Danielle Hale (high jump) and junior Comfort Reed (triple jump) surpassed Regional Qualifying Standards at the meet. The boys 4×200 team of seniors Aeron Thai, Ben O’Connor, Khayri Denny and sophomore Skander Ballard won the event in 1:36.94.

Seahawk athletes with District Qualify times/distances include:

• Senior Luis Rivas, 1,600 meters (4:36.32, 2nd overall)
•  Senior Michael Kerr, 1,000 meters (2:40.64, 4th)
•  Sophomore Skander Ballard, 300 meters (38.35, 7th), triple jump (42-00.50)
•  Senior Khayri Denny, 300 meters (38.70, 9th), 55 meters (6.70, 3rd)
•  Junior Max Gillum, 55 meter hurdles (9.17)
•  Junior Nathan Stone, high jump (5-6)
•  Senior Jon Mangal, shot put (39-9)
•  Sophomore Monica Lannen, 3,200 meters (12:12.09)
•  Junior Ozioma Chinaka, 300 meters (44.44), 55 meters (7.80), pole vault (8-0)
•  Junior Jordan Lozama, 55 meters (7.81), shot put (27-00.75)
•  Junior Claire Nieusma, 500 meters (1:23.16, 6th)
•  Freshman Devyn Jones, 500 meters (1:24.73, 10th)
•  Senior Danielle Hale, 55 meters (7.67, 6th), high jump (4-10), shot put (26-07.50)
•  Junior Comfort Reed, triple jump (34-09.25)

Rivas, Kerr, senior Daniel Johnsen and junior Sam Arpee finished second in the 4×400 with a 3:31.87, which qualified them for the Regional meet. Senior Grace Gillen teamed with Claire Nieusma, Devyn Jones and sophomore Golden Kumi-Darfour for a 4:12.62 in finishing third in the 4×400 and qualifying for Regionals.  The girls 4×200 team of Chinaka, Lozama, Hale and junior Delaney Wickman ran a 1:49.53 for third and a spot in Regionals.

Other SLHS performances at the Liberty meet:

• 55 meter hurdles: Devyn Jones (10.49), junior Sydney Crutcher (10.97)
• 55 meters: O’Connor (7.04), freshman Timiebi Ogobri (7.05), senior Anthony Mayo (7.18), Reed (7.89)
• 300 meters: Arpee (39.34), O’Connor (39.97), Mayo (39.98), junior John Frauenheim (40.27), Thai (40.64), Ogobri (41.09), Lozama (46.02)
• 500 meters: Senior Joshua Keeley (1:16.01, 11th)
• 1,000 meters: juniors Augusta Durham (3:23.42, 9th), Devin Nieusma (3:23.93, 10th), senior Abby Reinhold (3:24.01, 11th), Collin Weirick (2:48.95, 11th), Kumi-Darfour (3:24.26, 12th), sophomore Elias Tefera (2:54.53, 15th),
• 1,600 meters: junior John LeBerre (4:53.85, 5th), Surham (5:40.12, 7th), sophomore Katie Martin (6:07.47, 19th), freshman Naomi Brindley (6:08.51, 21st)
• 3,200 meters: junior Mitchell Drier (11:03.96, 14th), senior Michael Uhrig (11:09.37, 15th)
• 4×800 meter relay: Boys (8:54.53, 4th), Girls (10:11.28, 3rd)
• Long jump: sophomore Alex Rudison (16-09.75), Reed (12-02.50
• Shot put: senior Alex Woodward (37-01.75), Chinaka (24-11.00)
• Triple jump: junior Khoa Nguyen (40-05.75)

Submitted by Valerie Lister. Have some sports scores to report? Send them to [email protected].