As the high school track season entered its regional stage last weekend, a number of football players from all over the state came up with big performances on the track or field to earn all-Region honors, and in some cases, help their teams win a championship. Here are a few noteworthy stories from various regional meets over the past couple of weeks.
Holloway Leads Grassfield to 6A South Runner-up; Teammate Harrell Dominates Shotput
As expected, the most dominant performer of the weekend was Grassfield’s Grant Holloway. Holloway, putting the finishing touches on a monumental senior season, before heading to Gainesville and the University of Florida in the fall, won the long jump (25-5.5), high jump (6-8) and 300 hurdles (37.60), while anchoring the Grizzlies winning 4×400 meter relay (3:21.21).
Teammate Seth Harrell, a 6’3”, 320-pound junior guard on the Grassfield football squad, has been drawing looks from a number of colleges, including U. VA, which recently offered him a scholarship. However, on Friday, Harrell dominated a field of 24 shot-putters to win the event in 60-8.5, over six feet ahead of the runner-up, Mickey Anderson, also a Grizzly.
Western Branch won the boys 6A title, and had some help from its gridiron standouts. Tight end Maurice Davis won the discus (147-10), while offensive guard Donald Lanier placed fourth in the shot-put (49-2.25).
Among Northern Virginia athletes, Gar-Field’s Christopher Frederick, a 5’11”, 171 lb. junior receiver and cornerback won the 100 meters in 10.94. Frederick also posted a 10.83 in the preliminaries, and anchored the Indians’ winning 4×100 relay, which included James Currie, Keith Barbour and Theo Smith. Their time of 42.30 edged Stafford’s Colonial Forge by .12 seconds.
Norris, Hagins Propel Bethel to 5A South Region Title; NR’s Waller Wins 100
A pair of Bethel football stars, who hurdle with Coach Eddie Williams’ track team during the winter and spring, served as key components in the Bruins 5A South title performance last weekend.
Isaiah Norris won both the 110-meter (14.31) and 300-meter (39.31) hurdles, propelling Bethel toward its winning tally of 85 points, 14 ahead of runner-up Prince George. Josh Hagins placed second (22.03) in the 200, and fifth (11.01) in the 100.
Both Norris and Hagins were Honorable Mention players in Conference 10 last fall – Norris as a running back and Hagins as a 195-lb. outside linebacker for Coach William Beverley’s 6-5 Bruins, which made the 5A South playoffs, but lost in the first round to Indian River.
Warwick’s Travis Williams placed third in the 300-meter hurdles (40.29), almost a second behind Norris.
Nansemond River’s sophomore running back Jevon Waller earned a gold medal at the 5A South meet, capturing the 100-meter title in 10.79, a .22 second improvement over his seed time.
And Henrico’s tall and lanky cornerback, Craig McElroy enjoyed a stellar day at the Gloucester High track. McElroy won the high jump (6-4) and placed second in the 110-meter high hurdles (14.55).
Edison Ballers Kamara and Lucas-Roscoe Score for Eagle Tracksters
Longtime Eagle coach Ivan Chirinos has been fortunate with the array of football players who have come out to star for his Edison (Alexandria) team. This year, both Moses Kamara and Gregory Lucas-Roscoe contributed heavily to Edison’s success, both on the gridiron and track.
Kamara, a senior running back, was the workhorse of the Eagle offense, rushing for 973 yards and 11 touchdowns. On the oval, he is better known as a standout 400-meter runner, and one who recently placed second at the 5A North Regional with a time of 48.84.
“Moses does not look like the typical 400-meter runner because of his size (5’10” 183 lbs.), but here he is as one of the top 400 runners in Virginia 5A,” said Chirinos.
Lucas-Roscoe, who helped to back up Kamara in the backfield last fall, won both jumps with a 22-7.25 effort in the long jump and 46-8 in the triple.
“Greg has been involved in track since (he was) very young and as an athlete, he is able to do well in many other sports, football being one of them,” added Chirinos.
Poquoson’s 4 x 100 Sets School record at Conference 25 Meet; Nate Ward Excels in Track after Suffering Near-Fatal Football Injury
Nate Ward, Trevor Dunagan, Kenny Parks and Matt Blaser
The Poquoson foursome of Nate Ward, Trevor Dunagan, Kenny Parks and Matt Blaser broke the school’s 4×100 meter relay record at last week’s 3A Conference 25 meet in a time of 45.13.
For the day, Poquoson finished seventh among the 24 schools in the 3A East championships.
Blaser, a recruit757.com Honorable Mention at Wide Receiver, played in the annual Blue-Grey All-American Bowl last December, and will continue his playing career in the fall with VMI. Dunagan was a standout All-District safety with Poquoson and will attend Coastal Carolina in the fall.
However, Ward’s story is the most inspiring. After scoring a 14-yard touchdown against Jamestown early in the season, the running back collapsed on the sideline, the victim of a head trauma injury incurred during an earlier tackle. Eventually, Ward required three hours of surgery that evening to relieve the pressure on his brain, as the damage from the impact was thought to be potentially life threatening.
With his football career at an end, Ward transitioned to the track and became the Islanders fastest 100-meter runner this spring.
Courtland Linemen Dominate 4A East Throws
A pair of Courtland High throwers won both events at the 4A East championships.
Matt McDougal, a 6’2” 305 pound offensive tackle for J.D. Hall’s Cougars, won the gold medal for the discus with a toss of 147-8. Teammate Ben Beatty, a 6’3” 260 guard and defensive end, won the shot-put with a 59-3.75 throw to win by over eight feet. McDougall was second in the shot (51-1), while Beatty placed fourth (138-7) in the discus.
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