Colonels Third In Girls’ Meet

Posted: May 26, 2016
By ROB NIEDZWIECKI
The Winchester Star

SOUTH RIDING — It remains to be seen if Sherando junior Davina Lane will win the first state title of her decorated career next week, but after Wednesday it’s pretty clear that it’s going to take some special performances to deny her.

Lane captured all three of her events at the 4A West Region meet at Freedom High School, and she did so in dominant fashion.

Lane won the 100-meter hurdles for the first time at regionals in 15.12 seconds to win by 0.33, captured her third 300 hurdles in 45.91 seconds to win by 1.44, then manhandled what was supposed to be a hotly contested 200 meters with a 25.67 to win by 0.52.

Lane was one of three local girls’ winners on Wednesday, with James Wood senior Grace Greene winning the first regional titles of her career by getting a personal record in the shot put (36 feet, 11 inches) and tying her season-best in the discus (123-4). Handley freshman Taylor Beard won the high jump (5-4).

Led by Greene and Rene Rosso (four top-five finishes, including second place to Lane in both hurdles events), James Wood took third with 59 points. E.C. Glass scored 68.5 points to win and Liberty Christian Academy took second with 63.5.

Lane was excited to have a breakthrough win in the 100 hurdles after taking second at the region meet the last two years.

But she was particularly excited when talking about the 200 meters, because she was the No. 2 seed out of three competitors with seed times just two-hundredths of a second apart. Salem’s Janae Blakely had a seed time of 25.44, Lane had a 25.45 and Rock Ridge’s Mikajah Haynes had a 25.46.

"I knew it was going to be a fun race," Lane said. "I knew I was going to give it my all, because who knew what was going to happen [in the final outcome]."

Much to Lane’s surprise, she was already in first place coming off the curve, and no one gave her a scare over the final 100 meters.

"I was waiting for them," said Lane with a laugh. "One thing I’ve really been working on this year is my starts. I’m normally like ‘Jack-in-the-box.’ I pop straight up.

"So I’ve been trying to keep my head down and just explode out of my blocks this year."

Lane said winning three events gives her a lot of confidence for the state meet, which will take place June 3-4 at Harrisonburg High School. The top six individuals and relays and all those who have achieved state qualifying marks throughout the season will compete at the Group 4A state meet.

Sherando coach Tom Grim said Lane should be feeling confident.

"She did a great job," Grim said. "She’s just getting better and better. I didn’t think she’d win by that much [in the 200]. She’s a special kid."

Lane scored all but seven of Sherando’s points, as the Warriors took seventh out of 29 teams with 37 points. (Millbrook was 18th with 12.5 points and Beard accounted for all 10 points for the Judges, who placed 20th.)

Sherando was also led on Wednesday by Cana Curtis (sixth in the discus, 106-4).

James Wood coach Matt Stegmaier said last week after winning the Conference 21 West title that the Colonels were certainly hoping to compete for the region title. But at the region meet E.C. Glass and LCA had big advantages in the pole vault, an event that James Wood does not compete in.

Glass would have still finished ahead of the Colonels without the 5.5 points it received from the pole vault, but LCA would have finished fifth without its 13.5 pole vault points.

"The girls gave it their all," Stegmaier said. "There are some points we probably could have gotten, but I’m pretty confident they gave 100 percent today."

That’s certainly the case with Greene.

The senior throwing standout left the meet as soon as she was done competing on Wednesday to attend another school function. But she managed two of her best throws of the season (the shot put was an inch better than her previous best) even though Stegmaier said she had a hard time getting into a groove.

"A lot of kids from all schools weren’t throwing very well over there today, especially in the shot put," Stegmaier said. "But on one of her last throws she popped that 36-11 to take the lead, and never lost it.

"Winning both should be a big confidence-booster for her going into the state meet. I think she’ll do her best in the disc, but you never know what can happen."

Rosso had another spectacular all-around day by taking second in the 100 hurdles (15.45), second in the 300 hurdles (47.35), fourth in the triple jump (34-11.25), fifth in the long jump (16-8) and eighth in the high jump (5-0).

James Wood also received another strong effort in the 4x100 without the injured Kara Norman, as Princess Sales, Bailey Blais, Jamie Marcy and Sophia Addison placed second in 50.90 to beat all of their Conference 21 West opponents. Also for the Colonels, Hannah Cavanagh placed fifth in the discus (108-7).

The Millbrook girls were led by the 4x800 team of Kaycee Cox-Philyaw, Hannah Croyle, Nadia Dahimene and Mellany Groll, which placed second in an unofficial 9:54.73 to improve on their seed time by 17 seconds.

Pioneers coach Kevin Shirk said all of them ran well — the goal was to run around 10:00 or a little under — and anchor leg Cox-Philyaw particularly ran strong with a 2:24 leg, an improvement of about five seconds.

Also for the Pioneers, Ali Devart tied for fifth in the high jump (5-0).

Beard had an outstanding day in the high jump, particularly since a left ankle sprain suffered in gym class on May 4 prevented her from jumping at the conference meet last week.

Needing to clear 5-3 on her third and final attempt to not lose to Loudoun County’s Molly Chapman, she did so. Then after Chapman missed her first three attempts at 5-4 and Beard missed her first two, Beard cleared 5-4 on her last attempt to win.

"I didn’t know if I could jump today, but I just had to keep faith and keep going," said Beard, who still competed in Handley’s dual with Sherando on May 4, only realizing something was wrong when she got home from the meet. "I had already qualified for states, but I wanted to get some more competition in.

"I’m in some pain right now, but it feels good to win. It gives me a confidence boost for states."

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