Last weekend was just a superb time to be a track fan in Virginia. On the national level, Hampton's Francena McCorory blitzed a top-notch field, which included 2012 Olympic gold medalist Sanya Richards-Ross, in the Drake Relays women's 400. To watch the video is amazing as Francena passed several runners on the last turn and came into the straightaway about eight meters ahead of everybody. Her time of 50.13 is about a second faster than where she has been at this point of the season in recent years, so it's interesting to see how her progress ends up this year.
Some video from the Hampton Relays (below)
Today's article was printed two weeks ago in the Daily Press. I had enough sense to note that McCorory had a 50.1 split in the 1600-meter relay - this after running in two other events. Talking with her that day she was quite happy about the split. I started asking about her goals for the year. While some athletes just aim to maintain their fitness in the year before an Olympics, Francena talked about running her best 400 time - which is already a blazing 49.48.
"You know...break 49," she said, and I had to laugh. Honestly, I have no concept of breaking 49 -- my talent aced out around 51-52!
In other big news from Virginia last weekend, the Patriot HS girls, with Rachel McArthur at the anchor, won the HS girls distance medley at Penn Relays, while the Lyles brothers (Noah and Josephus) of T.C. Williams, both cracked the 46 second barrier on their 400-meter legs, leading the Titans to a US #1 1600-meter time of 3:12.17. On a side note, I am proud to note that the Lyles' live next door (literally next door) to where I grew up as a young kid in Alexandria, so I'd like there's something in the water supply in Lower Alexandria!
In other Penn news, Drew Hunter of Loudoun Valley won the Penn 1500 AND 3000, becoming the first athlete since Matt Centrowitz to pull the distance double; Lake Braddock's super soph Kate Murphy out dueled fellow Virginian Libby Davidson of E.C. Glass to claim the girls 3,000 title, while Brandee Johnson and Nansemond River (Suffolk) took the small schools 400-meter relays.
HAMPTON - After a six year hiatus, the Hampton Relays resumed business on the blue track of Armstrong Stadium this weekend. As expected, the host Pirates excelled on the oval, but the stars of the day may have been a few of their alumni.
Olympic gold medalist and indoor world champion (400-meters) Francena McCorory ran a trio of events, as did two-time NCAA champion Yvette Lewis. In the women’s 400 relay, McCorory and Lewis combined with fellow alums Breana Norman and Teiara Denmark to decimate the college teams with a time of 45.02, two seconds ahead of runner-up Campbell University.
Not to be outdone, the Hampton Alumni quartet of Reggie Dixon, Charles Clark, Je’von Hutchinson and Brandon Jones raced to a 40.43 win in the men’s 400 relay, edging Virginia Union (40.65). Hutchinson also won the open 400 in 46.65.
But McCorory wasn’t done. Later in the day, she breezed to a win in the 200 (23.01), and then saved the best for last, anchoring the winning women’s 1600-meter team with a split of 50.1.
For the 2006 graduate of Bethel High, the past year has a whirlwind. After being part of the winning women’s 1600-meter relay team at the 2012 London Olympics, it was apparent that McCorory was on the brink of a breakthrough year. And the Hampton native broke through in a memorable way. First, she won the indoor 400-meter world championship in Sopot, Poland, and followed up in the outdoor season with arguably her greatest performance to date, capturing the outdoor 400 national title with a career best time of 49.48. In the process, she outkicked Olympic legend Sanya Richards-Ross.
“Last year was crazy,” said the former world record holder in the indoor 400. Asked what she learned from the experience, McCorory was reflective.
“I learned how strong I am. I learned to believe in my training, and also to go out and have fun.” But she summed up her feeling in one word --- blessed.
Asked what she hoped to gain from competing in her hometown, McCorory added, “I know where I’m at in training and where my level of fitness is. But it’s also a chance to run in front of my family, friends and sorority sisters (McCorory is a member of Delta Sigma Theta).
Lewis, who also serves as a track coach at Hampton, has competed in invitational events in which the Pirates were competing. But as a world class hurdler, she has become accustomed to competing in only one event per meet. On Saturday, along with the 400 relay, she won the 100 hurdles (13.47) and placed second in the 200.
Asked about the last time she competed in three events, Lewis, who scored in as many as five events in high school (Denbigh, Menchville) and college championships, thought for a second and replied, “It’s been a while, a couple of years.” But the experience should help to prepare the MEAC Hall of Famer as she prepares to compete on the European track circuit later this summer.
For Pierce, who coaches both McCorory and Lewis, the busy day made for a good workout.
“They are getting ready for world competition. Yvette is getting ready to run in Shanghai next month, while Fran will be competing in Jamaica."
More than anything, the Pirates director of track and field was happy to the revival of a meet which hadn’t been run since 2009.
“The demand was there, from all the former runners and current athletes. In fact, many of our alumni are still involved in track and field,” said Pierce, citing his own wife, Hampton track alumnae and current assistant coach at Bethel, Cantrese Pace-Pierce, as an example.
“But it had to be the right time,” he added. In the past, the meet was held in March, usually under cold and blustery conditions. “The one thing I promised was – it will not be in March,” added Pierce. “We had to make sure that schools would come, and it was a gamble because they are on spring break.”
Hampton’s Trey Holloway (Grassfield) won the 110-meter high hurdles with a clocking of 14.31. Other Pirate winners included Stanley Davis (men’s 400 hurdles), Ce’aira Brown (women’s 800), Sulaiman Fareed (men’s shot-put) and Kayla Key (women’s javelin).
Desmond Fogg (Warwick High) of Norfolk State also treated himself to a 21st birthday present, winning the 1500 meters (4:07.77).
In the high school meet, most of which took place on Friday, it was Phoebus who stood out among the local high schools. Dartrez Thompson won the 100 (10.74) and 200 (22.39), Amira Aduma captured the 300 hurdles (44.26) and both the boys (8:21.62) and girls (10:23.15) 3200-meter relay squads won gold.
Hampton senior Tori Ray, who recently made a verbal commitment to North Carolina A&T, won the girls 200 (24.98), while the Menchville foursome of Jada Key, Jermyiah Jones, December Hutchinson and Jermyriah Jones cruised to a season best 3:54.68 in the girl’s 1600-meter relay.
In all, 23 high schools, ten colleges and four club teams took part in this weekend’s festivities.
Some video from the Hampton Relays (below)
"You know...break 49," she said, and I had to laugh. Honestly, I have no concept of breaking 49 -- my talent aced out around 51-52!
In other big news from Virginia last weekend, the Patriot HS girls, with Rachel McArthur at the anchor, won the HS girls distance medley at Penn Relays, while the Lyles brothers (Noah and Josephus) of T.C. Williams, both cracked the 46 second barrier on their 400-meter legs, leading the Titans to a US #1 1600-meter time of 3:12.17. On a side note, I am proud to note that the Lyles' live next door (literally next door) to where I grew up as a young kid in Alexandria, so I'd like there's something in the water supply in Lower Alexandria!
In other Penn news, Drew Hunter of Loudoun Valley won the Penn 1500 AND 3000, becoming the first athlete since Matt Centrowitz to pull the distance double; Lake Braddock's super soph Kate Murphy out dueled fellow Virginian Libby Davidson of E.C. Glass to claim the girls 3,000 title, while Brandee Johnson and Nansemond River (Suffolk) took the small schools 400-meter relays.
HAMPTON - After a six year hiatus, the Hampton Relays resumed business on the blue track of Armstrong Stadium this weekend. As expected, the host Pirates excelled on the oval, but the stars of the day may have been a few of their alumni.
Olympic gold medalist and indoor world champion (400-meters) Francena McCorory ran a trio of events, as did two-time NCAA champion Yvette Lewis. In the women’s 400 relay, McCorory and Lewis combined with fellow alums Breana Norman and Teiara Denmark to decimate the college teams with a time of 45.02, two seconds ahead of runner-up Campbell University.
Not to be outdone, the Hampton Alumni quartet of Reggie Dixon, Charles Clark, Je’von Hutchinson and Brandon Jones raced to a 40.43 win in the men’s 400 relay, edging Virginia Union (40.65). Hutchinson also won the open 400 in 46.65.
 |
| After the meet, Francena proved to be a woman of many talents, even helping a confused old runner and current sportswriter take a selfie. |
For the 2006 graduate of Bethel High, the past year has a whirlwind. After being part of the winning women’s 1600-meter relay team at the 2012 London Olympics, it was apparent that McCorory was on the brink of a breakthrough year. And the Hampton native broke through in a memorable way. First, she won the indoor 400-meter world championship in Sopot, Poland, and followed up in the outdoor season with arguably her greatest performance to date, capturing the outdoor 400 national title with a career best time of 49.48. In the process, she outkicked Olympic legend Sanya Richards-Ross.
“Last year was crazy,” said the former world record holder in the indoor 400. Asked what she learned from the experience, McCorory was reflective.
“I learned how strong I am. I learned to believe in my training, and also to go out and have fun.” But she summed up her feeling in one word --- blessed.
Asked what she hoped to gain from competing in her hometown, McCorory added, “I know where I’m at in training and where my level of fitness is. But it’s also a chance to run in front of my family, friends and sorority sisters (McCorory is a member of Delta Sigma Theta).
Lewis, who also serves as a track coach at Hampton, has competed in invitational events in which the Pirates were competing. But as a world class hurdler, she has become accustomed to competing in only one event per meet. On Saturday, along with the 400 relay, she won the 100 hurdles (13.47) and placed second in the 200.
Asked about the last time she competed in three events, Lewis, who scored in as many as five events in high school (Denbigh, Menchville) and college championships, thought for a second and replied, “It’s been a while, a couple of years.” But the experience should help to prepare the MEAC Hall of Famer as she prepares to compete on the European track circuit later this summer.
For Pierce, who coaches both McCorory and Lewis, the busy day made for a good workout.
“They are getting ready for world competition. Yvette is getting ready to run in Shanghai next month, while Fran will be competing in Jamaica."
More than anything, the Pirates director of track and field was happy to the revival of a meet which hadn’t been run since 2009.
“The demand was there, from all the former runners and current athletes. In fact, many of our alumni are still involved in track and field,” said Pierce, citing his own wife, Hampton track alumnae and current assistant coach at Bethel, Cantrese Pace-Pierce, as an example.
“But it had to be the right time,” he added. In the past, the meet was held in March, usually under cold and blustery conditions. “The one thing I promised was – it will not be in March,” added Pierce. “We had to make sure that schools would come, and it was a gamble because they are on spring break.”
Hampton’s Trey Holloway (Grassfield) won the 110-meter high hurdles with a clocking of 14.31. Other Pirate winners included Stanley Davis (men’s 400 hurdles), Ce’aira Brown (women’s 800), Sulaiman Fareed (men’s shot-put) and Kayla Key (women’s javelin).
Desmond Fogg (Warwick High) of Norfolk State also treated himself to a 21st birthday present, winning the 1500 meters (4:07.77).
In the high school meet, most of which took place on Friday, it was Phoebus who stood out among the local high schools. Dartrez Thompson won the 100 (10.74) and 200 (22.39), Amira Aduma captured the 300 hurdles (44.26) and both the boys (8:21.62) and girls (10:23.15) 3200-meter relay squads won gold.
Hampton senior Tori Ray, who recently made a verbal commitment to North Carolina A&T, won the girls 200 (24.98), while the Menchville foursome of Jada Key, Jermyiah Jones, December Hutchinson and Jermyriah Jones cruised to a season best 3:54.68 in the girl’s 1600-meter relay.
In all, 23 high schools, ten colleges and four club teams took part in this weekend’s festivities.
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