Track and Field - Handley Invite

Posted: April 14, 2014
By ROBERT NIEDZWIECKI
The Winchester Star

WINCHESTER — In the announcement describing who Otis “Snag” Sargent was after Saturday’s 73rd Handley Track and Field Invitational, it was mentioned that the former Handley coach and athlete got his nickname because of the impressive way in which he caught football passes.

It was somewhat fitting then that another Handley football player who has made a few highlight-reel catches was handed the award named after Sargent Saturday in the middle of the Handley Bowl football field.

Handley junior Dontae Mauck captured male MVP honors by winning the 200 meters and the long jump individually and by anchoring the 4x100 team to victory and the 4x400 team to second place. Mauck achieved or contributed to state-qualifying performances in each of his three wins.

“It’s an honor,” said Mauck, who caught 49 passes for 867 yards and 10 touchdowns in the fall. “They told us a little bit about Otis ‘Snag’ Sargent, and it’s a nice award to have. I really appreciate it.”

Despite Mauck’s outstanding day, Handley couldn’t defend its boys’ title, but the Judges’ second-place finish was the best among local schools in the 20-school competition. Tuscarora scored 96 points, Handley had 82, Sherando was fifth with 54, James Wood was seventh with 43.5, and Clarke County was 16th with 7.5.

Other local boys who won events were Handley senior Jordan Dowrey in the shot put (48 feet, 9 inches) and discus (145-0), James Wood senior Matt Vitagliano in the triple jump (43-2) and Sherando’s 4x800 team (Trevor Whiteside, Justin Hammer, Daniel Snapp and Ryan Hindle in 8 minutes, 13.22 seconds).

Mauck said he’s working harder this year than he ever has, and it’s showing.

Mauck’s first official activity of the day suggested that a big day might be in store him. His first attempt in the long jump was 22-3, his best-ever outdoors.

It was the 4x100 relay with D.J. Frisby, Malachi Strother and Dominique Glover that gave Mauck the most satisfaction though, because that sent a group of athletes to states. With Glover handing off the baton at the same time as Riverbend’s third leg, Mauck left no doubt Handley was going to win by exploding off the turn and giving the Judges a win by 0.82 with a time of 43.87.

“I just wanted to win,” Mauck said. “Run as hard as you can and do the best as you can for the team. That was the first time that specific group ran together as a team.”

Mauck then went on to win the 200 by a comfortable 0.58 with a best-ever time of 22.23 after exploding off the turn before finishing up with the 4x400, where Handley was just .13 of a second off a state time in 3:31.67.

Given that Mauck didn’t even run what might be his best event in the 100 so he could help out in the relays, Handley coach Mike McKiernan couldn’t have asked for much more from him.

“He’s just an incredible track and field athlete,” McKiernan said. “He had incredible performances all the way around. He’s in fantastic physical condition.”

Mauck’s teammate Dowrey is also showing some impressive early-season form.

Though it’s pretty much a given he’ll succeed in the shot put — he’s already posted a mark of 52-11 this year, four feet better than the mark that helped him place eighth in Group AA last year — discus hasn’t clicked in the same manner.

But Saturday’s mark of 145 was not only a personal-best and an improvement by eight feet from last week, but it also put him in the state meet, meaning he’ll be going for both throwing events.

“I’m ready to make a jump, and that jump happened today,” Dowrey said. “I’ve been working on some things with my technique. Getting more practice in, I think I’ve still got more in me.”

Handley also had Marquaye Jackson take third in the shot put (44-3).

With several other strong performances as well, McKiernan was pleased with the Judges’ day.

“Last year we scored 66 points and we won, so we scored [16] more points,” McKiernan said. “Tuscarora was just strong. I feel good about where we are considering the times we ran and the way we competed.”

Sherando got a stellar performance from its distance crew. The 4x800 team achieved a state-qualifying time, and sophomore Thomas Shea placed second in the 1,600 in 4:35.80 and third in the 3,200 in 10:15.66.

“[Shea] has really added a lot to us,” Sherando coach Tom Grim said. “He and Tom Powars, both of them came in from [Randolph-Macon Academy] and are doing a great job, and are really good kids.”

Grim was also impressed with his throwers Saturday. Trent McCarty placed second in the discus (142-3) and Donovan Walton placed fourth. Ben Avery was sixth in the shot put.

Led by Vitagliano, who also placed sixth in the long jump, James Wood had several strong performances.

Vitagliano struggled with an injury at the end of last season, but as evidenced by his personal-best in the triple jump Saturday he’s showing what he can do when he’s healthy.

“He’s been a lot smarter with getting enough jumps in but not too much,” James Wood coach Matt Stegmaier said. “He’s a smart kid, and I think [that injury] is in the past with him.”

Vitagliano’s senior teammate Owen Bales hurt his back after hitting the bar in the high jump last weekend in Strasburg. But it’s hardly a concern to him, especially when you consider that the hurdles standout was competing with two broken toes last year. He had a broken left toe the entire regular season, and a broken right one in the postseason.

“[The injuries have] been frustrating, but I just push through it,” said Bales, who took third in the 110 hurdles (15.79), third in the 300 hurdles (42.48) and tied for seventh in the high jump Saturday. “I don’t like to make excuses or let anything hold me back, so I just give it all I have each race.

“I’m shooting to make states in both hurdles events, and I think that’s a realistic goal.”

Stegmaier said Bales — who had his best 300 hurdles time and second-best 110 hurdles time Saturday — can pretty much do what he sets his mind to.

“He ran his best ever in the 100 this Wednesday with the bad back,” Stegmaier said. “A lot of our kids are like that. They try not to make excuses. Whatever the conditions are, whatever we’re dealt, we just roll with it and adapt to it.”

James Wood also had Sawyer Michelitch place third in the long jump (20-2 ¾) and Logan Shiffler place third in the discus (140-3).

Clarke County was led by Dakota Crim (sixth in the high jump, 5-6) and Vincent Nappi (sixth in the discus, 129-7).

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