WINCHESTER — The James Wood girls’ track & field team naturally feels right at home at Kelican Stadium, and it seems to suit the Sherando boys’ team just fine as well.
Both teams opened the season with wins at James Wood in a six-team meet on March 25 and captured the Apple Blossom Invitational at Kelican Stadium on April 26. On Wednesday, the two Frederick County squads completed the trifecta with winning performances at the Northwestern District Track & Field Championships at the Colonels’ home facility.
Though there could be some changes in the final team standings for some schools when Thursday’s pole vault competition takes place at Handley with athletes from the host Judges and Kettle Run, no one will catch the Sherando boys or the James Wood girls in the 12-team competition.
The Sherando boys repeated as champions with 127 points, 13.5 more than Fauquier (113.5), which currently sits in second. Handley is fourth (87.5). James Wood is fifth (51) and Millbrook is 11th (10).
The James Wood girls scored 117 points, 22.5 more than Sherando, which is currently in second with 94.5 points. Millbrook is in sixth (54.5) and Handley is seventh (47).
Local athletes and teams won a total of 17 events. The only local to win multiple individual events was Sherando’s McKenna Hardy. The senior captured the high jump on a tiebreaker with a mark of 5 feet to beat Brentsville’s Ayva Pierre and leapt 33-7.5 on her last attempt in the triple jump to overtake Skyline’s Audrey Lacombe and beat her by 4.5 inches.
James Wood had captured two invitational events in a row heading into Wednesday, and Colonels’ first-year coach Danielle Koelker felt good about the Colonels keeping that streak going.
“I was definitely pretty confident in the girls,” Koelker said. “They’ve been performing really well all season and been pretty consistent. Obviously, we still had some good competition here, so it was a little close. But they all did really well.”
James Wood junior Kate Konyar was one of four individual winners for the Colonels, and she had one of the day’s more impressive performances.
In the 1,600, Konyar took charge and opened up a sizable gap quickly, and she captured the event in an outdoor personal-best of 5:11.77, 14.94 seconds ahead of Sherando’s Gracie Defibaugh (5:25.71).
Konyar was hoping to go a little faster — she’s run 5:09 in indoor — but she’ll take what she did without having someone near her to push her.
“This is still a confidence-booster,” Konyar said. “Running a [5:11] alone is still good.”
Konyar plans on running the 1,600 and 3,200 at the state meet, and she’s looking forward to running the 3,200 at the Region 4D meet, where she figures to have plenty of competition in the distance-rich region.
“I’m excited to have a really good race and get a really good time,” Konyar said.
Other winners for James Wood were Olivia Boyce in the long jump (a mark of 15-9 to win by a quarter of an inch over Brentsville’s Adalynn Easley); Erin Link in the shot put (a PR of 36-0.25 to win by four feet, 1.25 inches over the 31-11 of Sherando’s Ariana Stafford) and Alina Kieffer in the 3,200. Kieffer won the 3,200 by 19.91 seconds in 11:43.28.
The James Wood girls were also led by Isabelle French (second in 100 hurdles, 16.23, third in long jump, 15-6), Emma Messick (second in discus, 104-11); Ruby Ostrander (third in 800, 2:26.91); Dayana Jackson (third in shot put, 31-7.75); its 4×400 team of Omaie Aarami, Peyton Sinasac, Melanie Padilla and Mallory Juvinall (third in 4:24.54); and its 4×800 team of Lauren Thompson, Claire Snell, Marley Savino and Ally Oliver (third in 10:11.15).
The Sherando boys had some athletes sick and some that had to leave early, but that didn’t stop them from earning another district title.
The Warriors had three individual champions in state champion Noah Harris in the high jump (6-5, won by five inches over the 6-0 of Handley’s Timmy Campbell); senior Tristan Hantute-Abebe in the 400 (a time of 50.91 to win by 0.45) and Sunil Dutt. Seeded fourth, Dutt won the 110 hurdles by closing strong to overtake top-seeded Jorel Baltimore of James Wood (15.18 to 15.23).
“Sunil dropped a lot of time to win the 110 hurdles,” Sherando coach Brad Symons said. “In the 300 [hurdles], he was right there to take second, then he tripped over the last hurdle, but he rolled over and gets up to still take fourth. I was proud of what he did.
“We had kids sick and not feeling up to their best, kids hurt and kids with other obligations. But we had a lot of people do well and did what they needed to do. We did what we wanted to do with a win, and now it’s decision time for what to do with our athletes at the region meet.”
Sherando was also led by Micah Carlson (second in discus, 161-10); Ryan Maki (second in 1,600, 4:32.84); Emerson Fletcher (third in shot put, 47-9.5); James Bryant (third in 400, 52.13); Harris in the triple jump (third, 40-8); Jed Bell (third in 800, 2:01.63); and its 4×100 team of Dutt, Donovan Blackwell, Daniel Turner and Wyatt Grimm (third, 45.17).
The Sherando girls were also led by Mercedes Silver (won the 300 hurdles by 0.74 in 47.92), Defibaugh in the 800 (second in 2:25.91) and Kalysta Falls (third in 100 hurdles, 17.03).
The Millbrook girls were led by Jada Arrington, who won the 400 by 1.32 seconds in 57.13 and anchored the 4×400 team of Janai Washington, Ella Mannarino and Savannah Florek to a win by 3.77 seconds in 4:06.04. Also excelling for the Pioneers were Washington (tied for third in high jump, 4-10); and the 4×100 team (Rowan McCullough, Mannarino, Washington, Florek), which took third in 50.77.
The Handley girls were led by Emeryce Worrell. The senior took second to Brentsville’s Kayla Smith in the 100 (12.12 to 12.23), but Worrell responded by running the second-fastest 200 of her career to win that event in 24.53, with Smith taking second (24.74). In between, Worrell anchored the 4×100 to victory by 0.27 over Brentsville despite running in the second-fastest heat. Jordan Coats, Keila De La O Granado and Monet Thomas also ran on the relay that won in 50.13.
Also for the Handley girls, EJ Mullins placed third in the 400 (1:00.51) and 200 (25.09)
The James Wood boys were led by Baltimore (second in the 300 hurdles, 41.34), Duncan Stanton (third in 110 hurdles, 15.59); and Trenton Manili (third in 100, 11.16).
The Handley boys captured both the long jump and triple jump. Hassan Akanbi captured the long jump by 1 foot, 5.5 inches with a mark of 22-10.5, with teammate Isaiah Baxter taking third in 20-11. Baxter won the triple jump with a 43-4.5, with teammate Savion Thomas taking second (40-10.5). Jaishaun Offutt won the shot put with a mark of 58-7.75 to win by 1 foot, 7.5 inches. The Judges were also led by Noah Meleason (third in the 1,600, 4:35.69).
For more coverage on Wednesday’s meet, see Friday’s edition of The Winchester Star.
— Contact Robert Niedzwiecki at rniedzwiecki@winchesterstar.com
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