One of the top annual indoor invitationals in Virginia held at St. Christopher's School 200 meter flat track in Richmond, the 8th annual event had several US top 10 caliber performances.
Deep Run's Matthew Novak, who competed last weekend up in the Northeast at the Yale Classic mile (3rd, 4:18), bounced back in his first 1000 in the season and rocked a US #4 2:29.21 meet record performance. Novak was an All-American miler last spring with a 6th place PR of 4:09 at New Balance Nationals Outdoor.
Meanwhile, Titiana Marsh of Thomas Dale (VA) might be threatening the freshmen indoor national record after recording her first 40 foot mark with a US #3 leap of 40'0" at the St. Christopher's Invitational. Marsh made it a sweep of the horizontal jumps with a PR leap of 18'6 in the long jump. She will be a name that we will be hearing about nationally for quite a few years with her springboard start to high school.
There was an upset in the boys 55 meter dash finals on Friday as early season US leader Brian Chase (6.44) of Episcopal was edged out by private school rival Drake Davis (6.43) of Fork Union by a hundredth of a second.
The girls 55 meter dash winner in Alexys Taylor of Osbourn Park, who ran a time just off a US top 10 ranking in a 7.12 clocking, came back to win the 300 on Saturday in a swift flat track time of 40.27.
Two-time Virginia 500 meter state champ Mackenzie Kerr of Douglas Freeman won her specialty in 1:17.28. Kerr has a personal best of 1:13.50 from her sophomore year that she will be looking to work towards by season's end. Another reigning Virginia 5A state 500 meter champ in Devin Barnes of Hermitage, also looked strong in victory with a time of 1:06.31.
The Patriot girls had two individual winners in the distance runners with Virginia 6A state cross country champion and NXN top 25 finisher Rachel McArthur cruising to the win in the 3200 meter run on Friday night in a time of 11:03.41, while teammate Candace Jones took the 1000 meter run on day 2 with her first sub 3 minute race in an official time of 2:59.88 by the 2:11 half miler.
More on St. Christopher's Invitational:
- MileSplit Meet Page
- Meet Updates
- Race Videos
- Photo Gallery by Lisa McArthur
- Photo Gallery by John Herzog
Girls Highlights
- 1,000 Meter Run - Candace Jones (Patriot High School) 2:59.88 SB; Erica Jackson (Ocean Lakes) 3:01.62 SB; Harper Henson* (Cosby) 3:02.58 SB; Kyla Carte (Battlefield) 3:04.89; Madeleine King (Ocean Lakes) 3:07.58 SB; Carina Garcia (Patriot High School) 3:08.37 SB;
- 1,600 Meter Run - Emma Call (Maggie Walker) 5:03.77 SB; Rachel McArthur (Patriot High School) 5:05.41 SB; Libby Parrish (Saint Catherine's) 5:07.28; Jillian Everly (Osbourn Park ) 5:10.45 SB; Morgan Lewis (Veritas School) 5:11.60 SB; Chloe Bavin * (Atlee) 5:11.99 SB; Sarah Goodrich* (Mills Godwin) 5:12.90 SB; Doria Martingayle (Princess Anne High School) 5:17.36 SB; Rachel Boyce (Ocean Lakes) 5:19.31 SB; Abigail Wied (Patriot High School) 5:19.68 SB;
- 300 Meter Dash - Alexys Taylor (Osbourn Park ) 40.27 SB; India Lowe * (Atlee) 40.70 SB; Skylar Sykes (Hermitage) 41.96 SB; Elisa Hendriksen* (Cosby) 42.19 SB; Austin Smithers (Saint Catherine's) 42.30 SB; Tenae Washington(Varina) 42.34 SB; Victoria Gullins (Deep Run) 42.51 SB; Alexis Stafford (Varina) 42.60 SB; Mariah Burrell (Bethel) 42.71; Malana Johnson (Elizabeth Seton High School) 42.74 SB; Hanna Wynter (Manchester High School) 42.84 SB;Taylor Prosise (Clover Hill) 42.90 SB; Madeline Holbrook (Battlefield) 43.00 SB; Erin Andrewlevich (Patriot High School) 43.08 SB; Tirzah Sheppard (Thomas Edison) 43.16 SB; Asia Giles (Thomas Dale) 43.22 SB;
- 3,200 Meter Run - Rachel McArthur (Patriot High School) 11:03.41 SB; Morgan Lewis (Veritas School) 11:13.10 SB;Abby Bellows* (Hermitage) 11:38.72 SB; Kara Kreiling (Chancellor) 11:39.11; Jodi Tolarchyk (Hickory High School) 11:41.26 SB; Izzy LeBey (Saint Catherine's) 11:45.89 SB; Gillian Saul * (Cosby) 11:46.38;
- 4x200 Meter Relay - Manchester High School 1:45.90; Hermitage 1:46.17; Thomas Dale 1:47.63; Atlee 1:47.97;Saint Catherine's 1:48.35; Bethel 1:48.61; Hampton 1:48.73; Elizabeth Seton High School 1:49.12;
- 4x400 Meter Relay - Bethel 4:01.42; Douglas Freeman 4:03.77; Battlefield 4:05.50; Patriot High School 4:09.59;
- 4x800 Meter Relay - Battlefield 9:42.16; Saint Catherine's 9:45.48; Osbourn Park 9:47.59; Woodbridge 9:54.30;Atlee 9:59.78;
- 500 Meter Dash - MacKenzie Kerr * (Douglas Freeman) 1:17.28 SB; Ashley Greenlee (Bethel) 1:17.52; Jordan Gravelle (Jamestown) 1:19.60 SB; Susanna Reid (Saint Catherine's) 1:19.62 SB; Tori Ray (Hampton ) 1:20.67 SB;
- 55 Meter Hurdles - Tori Ray (Hampton ) 8.14 SB; Mallory Pitchford (James River (Midlothian)) 8.36 SB; Jonniece Scott* (Manchester High School) 8.36 SB; India Lowe * (Atlee) 8.45; Tori Ray (Hampton ) 8.39; Mallory Pitchford(James River (Midlothian)) 8.43; India Lowe * (Atlee) 8.46;
- 55 Meter Dash - Alexys Taylor (Osbourn Park ) 7.12 SB; Mallory Pitchford (James River (Midlothian)) 7.14 SB; Syaani (CeeCee) Harris * (Atlee) 7.23 SB; Titiana Marsh (Thomas Dale) 7.29 SB; Hanna Wynter (Manchester High School) 7.38; Alexys Taylor (Osbourn Park ) 7.21; Mallory Pitchford (James River (Midlothian)) 7.25; Syaani (CeeCee) Harris *(Atlee) 7.36; Hanna Wynter (Manchester High School) 7.37;
- High Jump - Nicie Grier-spratley (Thomas Edison) 5-6; Carly Feyerabend * (Atlee) 5-4; Nadia Khoury (Trinity Episcopal School) 5-4 SB;
- Long Jump - Titiana Marsh (Thomas Dale) 18-6.5 SB;
- Pole Vault - Adeline Scelzi* (Deep Run) 11-0 SB;
- Shot Put - Sidra Morris* (Manchester High School) 39-2.5 SB;
- Triple Jump - Titiana Marsh (Thomas Dale) 40-0 SB; Tiffany Bullock* (Manchester High School) 36-6 SB; Shanthi Hiremath (Maggie Walker) 36-6 SB;
Boys Highlights
- 1,000 Meter Run - Matthew Novak* (Deep Run) 2:29.21 SB; David Lucas* (Manchester High School) 2:33.05 SB;Greg Morgan (Episcopal) 2:34.49 SB; Matt Luiggi (Osbourn Park ) 2:35.22 SB; Ryan Buscaglia (Maggie Walker) 2:35.68 SB; Matt Heinicke-Peart* (Douglas Freeman) 2:36.19 SB; Josh Grant (Lee-Davis) 2:37.83 SB; Kyle Hammer(James River (Midlothian)) 2:39.36 SB;
- 1,600 Meter Run - Alexander Lomong (Fork Union) 4:20.50 SB; Evan Benjamin (Midlothian High School) 4:24.50 SB;Peyton Artz* (Douglas Freeman) 4:27.12 SB; Joey Cuevas (Saint Christopher`s) 4:29.49 SB;
- 300 Meter Dash - Brandon Thomas (Saint Christopher`s) 35.13 SB; Jay Wilkins (Woodbridge) 36.02; Johnny Middlebrooks (Hickory High School) 36.22 SB; J.j. Jordan (Lee-Davis) 36.60 SB;
- 4x200 Meter Relay - Episcopal 1:34.22;
- 4x400 Meter Relay - Hermitage 3:26.39; Saint Christopher`s 3:27.66; Woodbridge 3:28.12; Lee-Davis 3:29.66;Battlefield 3:30.59;
- 4x800 Meter Relay - Douglas Freeman 8:07.45; Saint Christopher`s 8:11.78; Deep Run 8:12.74; Lee-Davis 8:13.23;Osbourn Park 8:20.81;
- 500 Meter Dash - Devin Barnes (Hermitage) 1:06.31; Jaylen Banks (Hermitage) 1:07.09 SB; Duncan Goodrich* (Mills Godwin) 1:07.67; Josh Bishop (Louisa County High School) 1:08.14 SB; Sheldon Harris (Lee-Davis) 1:08.47 SB;Joseph Hewitt (Manchester High School) 1:08.98 SB;
- 55 Meter Dash - Drake Davis (Fork Union) 6.43 SB; Brian Chase (Episcopal) 6.44; Joshua Hagins (Bethel) 6.57 SB;O'Neil Combs (Fork Union) 6.59; Joshua Anderson (Freedom (Woodbridge)) 6.60 SB; Drake Davis (Fork Union) 6.51;Brian Chase (Episcopal) 6.53;
- High Jump - Richard Anderson (Atlee) 6-5 SB;
- Pole Vault - Andrew Arlint (Battlefield) 14-3 SB;
- Shot Put - Michael Warren* (Midlothian High School) 54-5;
- Triple Jump - Elisha Harrell (Woodbridge) 45-10.5 SB;
