Group AA State Track Meet

Posted: June 3, 2013
By ROBERT NIEDZWIECKI
The Winchester Star

HARRISONBURG — When then-Handley senior Ayla Smith broke a Group AA 300-meter hurdles state meet record that had stood for 21 years in 2006, she humbly suggested that her mark would soon be broken.

But as the years passed — and with more than half of the other Group AA girls’ track and field state records being broken in the process — it was becoming clear that the state was waiting for someone truly remarkable to come along in the 300 hurdles to set a new record.

Yes, Lisa Meneau will likely be remembered for quite some time.

Two hours after the Handley senior won her first-ever 100 hurdles state title in near state-record time (14.47 seconds, 0.03 off the mark), Meneau defended her 300 hurdles title with a time of 42.82, obliterating the record of 43.43 ran by Smith in 2006, at Saturday‘s Group AA Track and Field Championships at Harrisonburg High School. It was the only state record set on the girls’ side Saturday.

Incredibly, neither one of those times are Meneau’s personal-bests, which Handley coach Mike McKiernan believes are the best in Group AA history in both cases.

Meneau recorded a 42.50 (one of the nation’s 10 best times) in the 300 hurdles at the Southern Track Classic on May 10, and recorded a 14.13 in the 100 hurdles at the Region II meet on May 22.

McKiernan said Saturday — and Meneau’s career as a whole — leaves only one conclusion.

“I think this makes her the best AA girls’ hurdler ever,” said McKiernan of Meneau, who has three firsts, two seconds and one third-place finish in her six career outdoor state hurdles appearances.

Meneau’s two wins helped Handley score 24 points, good for seventh place. Hidden Valley was first with 41 points, E.C. Glass was second with 39, James Wood was 19th with 15 and Millbrook and Sherando tied for 41st with 3.

Meneau was definitely in a class by herself Saturday, because she steadily pulled away to win both races handily. Caroline’s Jessica Tolliver finished 0.40 behind Meneau in the 100 hurdles, and Potomac Falls’ Eileen Fauteux was 1.9 seconds behind Meneau in the 300 hurdles.

After being just 0.08 off the record in winning last year, Meneau’s goal all year was to break the 300 hurdles record. Despite that, doing so didn’t bring her complete happiness.

“When I was past the finish line, I wanted to cry because it’s my last 300 hurdles ever,” said Meneau of the non-college event (Meneau will compete in the 400 hurdles next year at the University of Maryland). “It’s really emotional.

“These past four years I’ve improved so much. I just want to thank my hurdle coach [Derek Dowrey Sr.], because he’s been there for me the whole time, and he’s taught me almost everything I know.”

Meneau came up just short of the 100 hurdles record of 14.44 set in 1988, a mark that stands as the oldest by nine years in Group AA.

Unfortunately for Meneau, she’ll never know if the presence of defending state champion Javanique Burruss of Louisa County might have fueled her to break the mark.

Burruss — who missed the state meet because of injury — only took third behind Meneau at the Region II meet, but she’s always been someone Meneau measures herself against. Meneau took second to Burruss in the 100 hurdles at last year’s state meet.

“I was not expecting to win the 100 hurdles coming into this year [because of Burruss],” Meneau said. “I wish she competed, because it would have given me that extra spark of wanting to get her just one more time. It was just me against the hurdles and me against time.”

Though it seemed apparent by stopwatches that Meneau had broken the record in the 300 hurdles, she spoke before her time was actually revealed, and she truly thought she could have done better.

Meneau had been limited in practice this week because of shin issues, and she mentioned some stutter-step instances before a couple of hurdles. She didn’t think she had gone under 43 seconds.

McKiernan said that’s just an example of how much Meneau has developed. She can still be special even when isn’t 100 percent healthy or doesn’t run a perfectly-executed race.

“I mean, 42’s fast,” McKiernan said. “She’s right. There were things she could have improved on. But obviously she’s got a lot to be proud of.

“She was the one where people were coming up to you and saying, ‘Congrats on your hurdler.’ You heard a lot of coaches saying, ‘She’s for real,’ and she is.”

Meneau completed her day by anchoring Handley’s 4x400 relay to fifth place in 4:06.85. Junior Kiarra Myers, sophomore Miriah Smith and freshman Alysandra Worrell — who moved the Judges up two spots with a 60.8 split — ran the first three legs.

Meneau wasn’t the only area 300 hurdler with an impressive day. Millbrook sophomore McKenzie Schrank took second in the second-to-last heat to place sixth overall in the 300 hurdles in 47.32, a season-best time.

After being unable to make Saturday’s 100 hurdles final during Friday’s preliminaries — Schrank competed in the 100 hurdles final as a freshman — she was intent on leaving her mark in the 300 hurdles.

“I was really happy about [the 300 hurdles],” she said. “I was upset for a little bit [Friday], but I just said I’ve got to focus and get a good sleep tonight. I was really ready to come out and run one of my best times.”

It’s entirely possible that Schrank might be able to add to the Winchester-area’s haul of 300 hurdles state titles next year.

Though next year’s six classification system will shift things around (the Pioneers will be in Group 4A), everyone who finished ahead of Schrank Saturday was a senior.

“I’m really excited [about the future] and I’m really going to strap down in my junior and senior year and try and get first,” Schrank said.

After taking fourth in the 3,200 in a personal-best 11:05.07 Friday, James Wood senior Amber Hawkins ended her career by taking seventh in the 1,600 in 5:16.59 Saturday.

Hawkins actually led the entire first lap, but fatigue from Friday set in and she fell back. Still, she found the strength to earn all-state in her final race, passing two runners on the final straightaway.

“It was my last race, so I just went out there and did what I could,” she said. “I’m honestly happy with it.”

During the postseason, Hawkins was unable to surpass her regular season-best time of 5:08.38 — she said some anemia issues might have hurt her.

But the main thing is she gave everything she had, just as she did throughout her career.

“It’s been a great ride these past four years,” said Hawkins, who will run on scholarship for the University of Houston next year. “I’m sad it’s over, but I’m also very excited for the next chapter.”

Sherando junior Alaina Combs was unable to get an all-state top-eight finish in the shot put Saturday, but Warriors coach Tom Grim said she ends this season with much to be proud of, especially after placing sixth in the discus with a personal-best 113 feet, 5 inches Friday.

“She thought she was struggling to get into the finals, but when she got there, every throw was better,” said Grim of Combs, who swept the discus and shot put at the Northwestern District meet and won the discus at the Region II meet. “She ended up sixth, and she was just as happy as you can be. She was one of the staples of our team this year. You could always count on her scoring, and she’s a first-class young lady.”

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