Seniors Skander Ballard and Golden Kumi-Darfour’s record-setting performances paced the South Lakes High School track teams to Liberty Conference 6Â titles.
Seahawks scored in 33 of 34 events in leading the girls team to its sixth consecutive title and the boys team to its third straight and eight out of the past nine. The SLHS track and field program now has 26 conference/district titles over the past eight years.
Ballard won the 400 meters in a Conference record time of 48.77, eclipsing the previous mark of 50.13 set in 2013. He also won the 200 meters (22.46) and teamed with seniors Nikolai Waithe, John LeBerre and junior Ashton Reinhold in winning the 4×400 meter relay in 3:25.76. Ballard, who will compete for William and Mary next year, also finished second in the pole vault (11-00.00), third in the triple jump (41-05.50) and 12th in the long jump (18-09.75).
Kumi-Darfour ran the anchor leg on the winning 4×400 and 4×800 meter relay teams and finished second in the 400 meters (58.53). She teamed with freshman Sophie Halkett and sophomores Sarah Wolfe and Olivia Beckner in breaking the meet record in the 4×800 meter relay (9:24.93), set by James Madison last year. Kumi-Darfour, who signed with Coastal Carolina College, Halkett, sophomore Danielle Spears and senior Monica Lannen won the 4×400 in 4:06.00.
Junior Nikayla Hoyte won the 100 meters in 12.34 breaking the previous record of 12.34 set by SLHS alumn Delaney Wickman in 2014. She also won the 200 meters (25.77) and finished third in the 400 meters (58.68).
South Lakes won a total of 18 events including:
- 100 hurdles: junior Devyn Jones (15.12)
- 110 hurdles: senior Anas Fain (15.10)
- 100 meters: junior Hoyte (12.34), senior Eric Kirlew (11.11)
- 200 meters: Hoyte (25.77), Ballard (22.46)
- 300 hurdles: Jones (46.17), Fain (40.84)
- 400 meters: Ballard (48.77)
- 800 meters: senior John LeBerre (1:59.05)
- 1600 meters: Beckner (5:10.07)
- 4×400 meter relay: Halkett, Lannen, Spears, Kumi-Darfour (4:06.00); Waithe, LeBerre, Reinhold, Ballard (3:25.76)
- 4×800 meter relay: Halkett, Wolfe, Beckner, Kumi-Darfour (9:24.93); LeBerre, senior Christopher Byron, junior Peter Sepulveda, sophomore Alex Loukili (8:05.59)
- High jump: Anas Fain (6-02.00)
- Triple jump: Kirlew (43-07.50)
- Long jump: Jones (17-02.00)
South Lakes will compete in the 6A North Region Championship May 26-27 at Robinson Secondary School in Fairfax.
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