SLHS Track Teams Win Liberty Conference Championships

Multiple victories by junior Delaney Wickman and senior Danielle Hale, record performances by the girls 4×400 and 4×800 relay teams and top three finishes by senior Khayri Denny paced South Lakes High School to victories in the Liberty Conference Outdoor Track and Field Championships May 20-21 at SLHS.

The South Lakes girls finished with 168 points followed by Washington-Lee (127), McLean (64.50), James Madison (55), Fairfax (46), Langley (34.50), Hayfield (17) and Yorktown (15). SLHS boys scored 175 points, out pacing McLean and James Madison, who tied for second with 80 points. Langley scored 65 followed by Washington-Lee (62), Hayfield (28), Fairfax (24) and Yorktown (13).

The top six finishers in the individual events and the top three team in the relays qualify for the Northern Region Championship May 29-30 at Robinson Secondary School.

Wickman won the 100 meters (12.35), 200 meters (25.61) and 400 meters (58.67). She set a meet record in the 200 with a 25.42 in the preliminaries and has qualified for the region and state championships in all three events.

Danielle Hale won the discus (104-11) and the triple jump (37-05.50). She finished fourth in the shot (31-05.00), third in the long jump (16-09.00), teammed with freshman Nikayla Hoyte, juniors Comfort Reed and Jordan Lozama for second in the 4×100 (49.66) and was sixth in the 200 meters (27.10). Hale has qualified for the region championship in all those events as well as the high jump.

Seniors Grace Gillen, Abigail Reinhold, junior Augusta Durham and sophomore Golden Kumi-Darfour won the 4×800 in a meet record 9:26.48. The previous mark of 9:29.37 was set by Stone Bridge in 2008. Gillen, who finished second in the 400 (59.48), and Kumi-Darfour, runner up in the 800 meters (2:27.54), teamed with junior Claire Nieusma and freshman Devyn Jones for a 3:59.28 to win the 4×400, eclipsing the previous mark of 4:01.96 set in 2007 by WT Woodson.

Denny won the long jump (21-07.75), finished second in the triple jump (43-11.75), 100 meters (11.06) and 4×100 meter relay, where he teamed with seniors Ben O’Connor, Anthony Mayo and junior Brandon Terry for 44.65. Denny has qualified for region and state in the 100, 200, long jump and 4×100 relay as well as region in the triple jump.

Senior Daniel Johnsen anchored the winning 4×400 team of seniors Michael Kerr, Luis Rivas and junior Sam Arpee  (3:24.42). He also won the 400 meters (49.57) and finished second in the 200 meters (22.71). Rivas (1:59.00) and Kerr (1:59.36) took the the top two spots in the 800 meters. Arpee was third in the 400 meters (51.69). Kerr and Rivas also teamed with senior Michael Uhrig and sophomore John LeBerre for second place in the 4×800 (8:02.97).

Sophomore Eric Kirlew won the triple jump with a state qualifying distance of 44-04.50. He was also sixth in the 100 meters (11.62). Junior Nathan Stone finished second in the 110 meter high hurdles (15.70) and high jump (5-10).

The Seahawks dominated the girls hurdle events with Devyn Jones winning the 100 meter hurdles in 15.8 and junior Maya Rodriguez finished second in 16.59. Rodriguez won the 300 meter hurdles (48.24) just ahead of teammate Claire Nieusma (48.26). Jones finished fifth in that race (49.55) and SLHS freshman Alivia Damper was sixth (50.22), Both Jones and Damper will compete in the 300 at region, giving SLHS four competitors in that event.

Other top six performances by SLHS athletes:

• Reed, 3rd, triple jump (35-09.50)
• Lozama, 3rd, 200 meters (26.09); 5th, 100 meters (12.75)
• Durham, 5th, 800 meters (2:23.41)
• Junior Ozioma Chinaka, 5th, shot put (27-09.00); 6th, pole vault (7-06.00)
• Junior Natalie Schauer, 4th, discus (76-11)
• Sophomore John LeBerre, 5th, 800 meters (2:02.52)
• Junior Andrew McCool, 6th, 1,600 meters (4:31.72)
• Junior Sean Miller, 3rd, 3,200 meters (9:59.78)
• Sophomore Anas Fain, 5th, 110 meter high hurdles (16.62); 4th, 300 meter hurdles (42.89)
• Senior Trevon Malave, 3rd, high jump (5-10); 5th, triple jump (38-11.25)
• Sophomore Alex Rudison, 3rd, pole vault (11-00.00); 6th, triple jump (38-08.75)
• Junior Khoa Nguyen, 4th, long jump (18-09.00); 4th, triple jump (39-11.00)
• Senior Anthony Mayo, 5th, long jump (18-08.50)
• Senior Jon Mangal, 2nd, discus (127-00)
• Junior Jeremiah Norman, 4th, discus (122-07)

Submitted by Valerie Lister; Photos: Julie McCool