ABI - Girl's Overview

By Robert Niedzwiecki
The Winchester Star

Winchester — Last week, Millbrook High School’s Tammy Cheung and Crystal Nelson missed the Handley Invitational because they were busy competing at the Future Business Leaders of America state competition.

They did exceptionally, placing fifth in the Desktop Publishing category. But after the historic achievement the duo helped the Pioneers 4x800-meter relay team to Saturday, they’re definitely hoping for a higher finish for that event at Virginia’s Group AA state track and field competition.

Millbrook seniors Cheung and Yesenia Ruiz and sophomores Karly Knechtel and Nelson recorded a time of 9 minutes and 45.23 seconds to shatter a 15-year-old meet record and the school record at the 42nd annual H. Brian Landes Apple Blossom Track & Field Invitational at James Wood High School. Millbrook’s time — which bettered Centreville’s 9:46.8 in 1995 and the school record of 9:49.94 set last year — would have been good enough for second place at last year’s state meet.

“We are definitely top three [for] states, if not better,” said Millbrook senior Tammy Cheung, who ran the leadoff leg and went on to win the 1,600 later in the day. “We’ve been training really hard. Everything has been great. I was very impressed and I’m really proud of the team.”

The foursome set the only meet record of the day and were responsible for two of the area’s five event wins in the girls’ meet. They also scored 39 of Millbrook’s 48 points to lead the Pioneers to fourth place, trailing only Frederick (Md.), which scored 64 points, Sherando (56) and King George (54.33). Handley was sixth (38 points), James Wood was seventh (31.33) and Clarke County was 16th (9) in the 17-team field.

Though Millbrook boasts incredible depth in the 4x800 — the Pioneers still took fourth without Cheung and Nelson at Handley — the lineup the Pioneers boasted Saturday is one few others in the state can match. All four of them were on the 4x800 team that placed fourth in Group AA last year.

Because Knechtel only returned this month after missing eight weeks with a foot injury, they haven’t had much of a chance to work together this year. But today, the relay looked unbeatable even before it took the track.

“They were ready to go,” said Millbrook coach Rachel Day. “All four of them were just in a perfect mind-set. It was exciting for them to have their original four members, and you can see it worked out beautifully. Karly’s running like she was never out.”

Cheung said the performance that resulted in personal records from Ruiz and Knechtel and an 11-second win set the tone for the rest of the day.

“That was a big inspiration,” Cheung said. “Going into the mile, we were confident of pr-ing and doing our best. I went into it with my head held high.”

After she finished it, she could hold it even higher. Cheung went for the jugular immediately in the 1,600, opening up a 15-meter lead after just one lap. After maintaining that advantage for the next two, she picked it up another notch on the final lap and extended her lead, winning by more than seven seconds over Nelson with a personal-record time of 5:10.27 that automatically qualified her for the state meet.

“I just pushed and ran a good time,” said Cheung, who finished her day by taking fourth in the 800. “I’m proud. It just puts a smile on my face. Crystal finishing right behind me was an even better thing today. I know how hard she’s been training, and second place was amazing.”

Though Millbrook’s distance crew was impressive, it was no match for Sherando’s overall performance, led by sophomore 800 champion Shelby Spangler.

Spangler recorded a time of 2:24.30 to edge Frederick’s Morgan Carroll by 0.4, using the pre-race strategy given to her by Warriors distance coach Tim Ritter to perfection.

After finishing the first lap second to Cheung, she elected not to pursue James Wood’s Rachel Carson when Carson started her move to pass both of them with 300 meters to go. Though Carson did take first on the back straightaway, Spangler stuck with her plan to make her kick in the final 100, and at that point, she simply used her exceptional speed to outrun the field.

“She let [the leaders] do the work in the wind,” Sherando coach Tom Grim said. “We kind of learned a lesson last week at Handley with Krista [DeCeault], because she kind of did all the work in the wind in the 1,600 [and lost]. [Spangler] followed instructions and raced to win.

“Shelby can do anything from the 100 to 800. We’ve never stuck her in the 100, but I guarantee she’d be one of our best kids.”

Other Warriors’ highlights were the 18 points from their relays (the 4x800 team placed second, the 4x100 team was third and the 4x400 team was fourth), and Keyaira Newman placed second in the shot put and fifth in the discus.

Handley’s 4x400 team of Caroline Crowe, Kara Dixon, Verna Hilaire-Lee and Britani Myers once again cruised to victory (4:12.43 to win by 6.49 seconds) following last week’s meet- and school-record performance at the Handley Invitational.

But freshman Lisa Meneau showed she can make a little noise too, winning the 300 hurdles in 47.74, nearly two seconds faster than runner-up Helena Niu of Briar Woods. Meneau won the race in the final 100, surging while Niu faded.

“I was scared and nervous [coming into Saturday],” said Meneau, who had never run the 300 hurdles before this year. “But the other girls were dying [heading into the last 100], and I got confident. I’m so happy to win this.”

James Wood was led by Rachel Carson, who placed third in the 800 and 1,600 and anchored the second place 4x400 team, and Clarke County was paced by Andrea Gaither (fourth in the 100) and Caitlin Lake (fourth in the 100 hurdles).

Frederick’s Alisha James (first in the 100 in 12.59, first in the 200 in 26.3, fourth in the long jump) won the Jim Casey Outstanding Performer Award.

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