Field Event Preview
Three jumps, the pole vault, and the shot put will be contested this weekend. These five events represent one third of the total events offered meaning they will play a huge part in deciding the team titles and overall placing.
Not only do these events play a big role in the points total but they also provide some of the best competition and chances for records of the entire meet. The field event most likely to see a record is the pole vault which will feature Stafford's Gennifer Hirata who already holds the Virginia State Record with her 13-6 best this season. She will be flying high and attempting to break that record, the Class 5 state meet record, and the facility record as well.
In the Class 6 pole vault Hannah Richardson leads by a foot at 11-7 over Gracie Arrington and Margaret Pullen. In the guys Class 6 competition it looks to be a rematch from the northern regions with Dakota Prue, Ryan Cherry, and Tyler Lynch at the top of the performance list. These guys have gone 14-10, 14-10, and 14-6 this season meaning it will be a close one at Boo.
In the Class 5 guys we should have another close competition with John Duegaw, Isaac Grubbs, and Aidan Fleming all within three inches of each other.
The shot put could also see some records with Jalani Davis, Megan Mann, and Midajah Davis in the girls Class 5 competition. They are joined on the guys side by Garrett Dunn-Ford, Carlos Quijano, and Nour Chirchi who are all looking to gain a stronghold in the throws after a lot of graduations last year.
In Class 6 it is the Grassfield show with seven athletes competing. This includes the favorite on the girls side (Jenae Bowers) and the top three guys (Williams, Bowers, and Lewis). Also competing for the title will be T.C. Williams Courtney Holford and Cosby's Christopher Bratcher.
Out of the three jumping events, here are the most exciting ones heading into the meet for each classification.
The top jump event for the Class 5 guys will be the triple jump where it will be a national showdown between Keyonte Midgett and Mason Henry. These two guys will definitely battle it out in what could be the best triple jump competition in state meet history.
The top jump event for the Class 5 girls will definitely be the long jump where you have a staggering five girls over 18 feet and another four that are right there within an inch or two. This competition will be tough and have a lot of team points on the line as well. Natalie Barnes is the defending champion heading into the event.
The top jump event for the Class 6 guys will be the high jump where Trevor Thomas, Kurt Powdar, Prince Moody, and Biagio Perrello are all fighting between 6-8 and 6-6. This competition will likely come down to tiebreakers and misses with huge team points at stake.
Finally we will then have the Class 6 girls long jump with Shadajah Ballard, Hannah Waller, defending indoor champion Nyla Ward, and defending outdoor champion Emma Seetoo. This competition will take a huge mark to make the finals and an even bigger mark to finish in the top three.