Hampton Univ. Star Power Adds Spark to Indoor Track Invitational

Reprinted in its original form from an article in the DAILY PRESS sports section of Sunday, January 12, 2014. 

This year’s 2014 Hampton Indoor Invitational, hosted by Hampton University, served as a viable homecoming for many local track athletes, but may have also represented the highest caliber indoor invitational track meet to be held on the Peninsula in at least five years.

Hampton University graduates,
such as Olympic gold medalist
Francena McCorory (above),
Pan-Am and Millrose Games
champion Yvette Lewis (left), and
Olympian Lavonne Idlette (below) added
glamour and glitz to the recent
Hampton Indoor Invitational.

While the infusion of star power stepping on to the Boo Williams Sportsplex’s red rubber track on Saturday certainly benefitted the quality of the meet, the day resembled a meeting among the “Who’s Who” of Peninsula track in the 21^st century. Adding to the carnival like flavor of the meet was the addition of track giveaways, impromptu trivia contests between races, and raffles, coupled with the connection of high school and college coaches within the track infield, many of whom have bumped heads in various competitions for decades.

(R - video) Yvette Lewis defeats
2012 Olympic hurdle gold
medalist Sally Pearson

Serving as the first indoor meet hosted by Hampton University since 2009, competitors came from near and far to represent their schools, and in some cases, their countries as well. “We have the right number of colleges and professional athletes together,” said Hampton track coach Maurice Pierce, who will be renewing this meet as an annual event. His plan is to gradually add schools to the lineup by “one or two a year, but we want to open it up to everybody.”

Pamela Richardson, assistant director of marketing and promotions for HU, also spoke to the importance of hosting a high caliber track meet on the Peninsula.

“We are pleased to host an event of this magnitude, and I’m glad that we could bring athletes of this ability to the area.”

Area schools were well represented with Norfolk State, VCU, Virginia State and Virginia Wesleyan joining Hampton in attendance. They had the opportunity to compete side by side with professional athletes, giving a unique dynamic to the meet.

Speaking to the importance of the meet, Pierce quickly made reference to the large high school invitational and state championships which regularly take place at venues such as Boo Williams and CNU’s Freeman Center. But he added, “it’s probably the biggest one (so far) for college and pro.”

The addition of professional athletes to the lineup led to races such as the featured women’s 300 meters, highlighted by the Hampton Roads return of 2012 Olympic gold medalist Francena McCorory, who had not raced locally since 2009. Next to her was Jernail Hayes, who competed on the USA 1600-meter relay team that won a silver medal at the IAAF 2012 World Indoor Championships.

McCorory placed first in 37.02, but had to wait almost two hours to officially win the race, as her heat was the first race of the meet, while the other heats ran at their scheduled time.

Afterwards, last year’s fifth ranked female 400-meter runner in the world spoke of the day.

“It’s always exciting to run in front of a home crowd. I haven’t run here since I was in college. Looking ahead to the 2014 season, the Bethel HS graduate spoke of goals that are specifically defined.

“I want to drop my 400 time (McCorory is the current American record holder for the indoor 400 with a time of 50.54) and work on my form. And of course, I want to make the World team.” Asked about the possibility of collaborating with her old Olympic 1600-meter relay teammates for an indoor World championship run, she noted that “it’s always up in the air, especially for indoor.”

Not to be outdone, Pan-American hurdle champion and Hampton graduate Yvette Lewis, who will be competing for Panama, squared off in a 60-meter hurdles final against former fellow Lady Pirate star Lavonne Idlette, herself a 2012 Olympian, who was representing her home country of the Dominican Republic.

Lewis won the battle, edging Idlette by .15 seconds.

“Things are going alright,” said Lewis, who recently switched sponsorships from Brooks to Nike.

Many of the professionals came from Pierce’s own stable of athletes. But the Pirate coach, who was recently selected as the Head Men’s Coach of the Under-23 U.S. Track and Field National team for the 2014 NACAC championships, to be held in Australia in August, enjoyed a rare treat yesterday. For once, he was able to coach his professional and collegiate athletes at the same meet.

Asked how often that opportunity arises, he admitted, “almost never.”

Hoova Taylor got the day off to a flying start, literally. Taylor, a former Division II national high jump champion from Virginia State, cleared 2.21 meters (a shade over 7’3”) to win the men’s high jump. Other key performances from local athletes included VCU’s (and formerly Tabb) Kiara Porter, who won the Division I women’s 300 in 38.57, Jeff Artis-Gray, a 2009 graduate of Western Branch, who won the men’s long jump with a leap of 7.25 meters (23 feet 9.5 inches), and Chidi Okezie of Hampton U., who won the men’s 400 in 48.89.

And in truly an ironic twist, the children’s 60-meter dash was won by nine year old Peyton Wright, who happens to be the niece of Pierce.