South Lakes HS Relay Earns Spot at Nationals

South Lakes High School’s girls 4×400 relay team finished fourth in the Virginia High School League 6A Track and Field Championship and has qualified for a spot at the national high school meet in Greensboro, N.C., next weekend.

Seniors Jordan Lozama, Claire Nieusma, junior Golden Kumi-Darfour and sophomore Devyn Jones finished fourth with a time of 3:56.64 last weekend at the Virginia meet in Newport News.

Kumi-Dafour also received an individual All-State honor by finishing eighth in the 800 meters (2:16.88). Juniors Eric Kirlew and Skander Ballard earned All-State honors with Kirlew’s sixth-place finish in the triple jump (45–07.00) and Ballard’s eighth in the 400 meters (49.83). Ballard teamed with fellow juniors Nikolai Waithe, Anas Fain and senior Sam Arpee for fourth in the boys 4×400 meter relay (3:22.41).

Other SLHS performances at the state championship:

• Girls 4×800 meter relay (freshmen Olivia Beckner, Emily McGrath, junior Monica Lannen, Kumi-Darfour), 12th, 9:40.82
• Boys 4×800 meter relay (seniors Andrew McCool, Collin Weirick, Sean Miller, junior John LeBerre), 17th, 8:19.82
• Girls 4×100 meter relay (seniors Comfort Reed, Ozioma Chinaka, Samantha Webb, sophomore Nikayla Hoyte), 10th, 49.42
• Boys 4×100 meter relay (senior Timothy Logan, Waithe, Kirlew, sophomore Timiebi Ogobri), 12th, 44.06
• Senior Nathan Stone, 110 meter hurdles, 9th, 15.05
• Ogobri, 100 meters, 18th, 11.25 (personal best)
• Nieusma, 400 meters, 14th, 59.14

Photo: SLHS girls 4×400 relay team/Credit: SLHS track