VA Showcase: How Virginians Fared on Sunday

The PWC Panthers stole the thunder from the rest of Virginia’s athletes on Sunday at the VA Showcase, turning in the lone win of the day for the Commonwealth. Their collective time of 1:27.52 thrust them to a VA #1 and US #2 standing, .29 seconds behind Run U Xpress, whom they defeated at the Virginia Beach Sports Center.



York High’s Jennifer Wagner won the girls' pole vault with a leap of 11-6. Kettle Run sophomore Ashley Nickerson was third at 10 feet even.

Richmond Gold (sixth – 1:33.70) and Western Branch TC (seventh – 1:33.75) also broke into the top-eight.

Jayson Ward (L.C. Bird) blasted to a third-place finish in the 500 with a US #3 time of 1:02.92. Matthew Spicer was fifth in 1:05.30.

Xavier Jemison (McLean HS) just made it to the starting line after encountering a multi-mile back-up on eastbound Rte. 64 on the way to the Sports Center. However, in spite of having little opportunity to warmup, the junior also placed third, in the 1000, with a time of 2:33.28. On the girls’ side, Aniya Mosley (Ocean Lakes) was sixth in 3:01.24. In the In the non-invitational section, Dominion sophomore Cecelia Pugsley was fifth in 3:00.86.

Colgan’s Bryce Lentz was sixth in the seeded 2-mile run (9:23.76), while Zachary Morse (Oakton) was fourth in the non-invitational 3200-meter run with a time of 9:25.58. Hope Frost of Stonebridge School was fifth among girls, clocking 10:57.34.

Western Branch placed fifth in the invite girls 4x200, with a 1:43.92 effort.

Mechanicsville CC (8:29.68) and Tidewater Striders (8:32.93) were 5-6 in the boys’ 4x800 relay.

Nazir Imtohep (Western Branch) and Jayden Smith (St. Christopher’s) placed 6-7 in the 55-meter hurdle finals at 7.53 and 7.59.

Imtohep’s Bruin teammate Nylah Wiggins placed seventh in the girls’ 500 (1:17.87).

GT Academy’s Micayah Holland (Princess Anne) faltered at the start, but finished seventh in the girls invite 55-meter dash, timing out in 7.11. 

Holland, a 5-10 sophomore, also plays basketball for the nationally ranked Lady Cavaliers, and felt that the lack of track training in the days leading up to the Showcase may have infringed her performance; however, she was thrilled to make the finals.

“To make it to the finals with girls so talented was eye opening to me. I mean they train year-round, and I was on the (basketball) court all week before the meet getting ready for our season that we weren’t sure if we were going to be able to have (Note: Virginia Beach is one of the few school systems playing winter sports). My goal for the VA Showcase was to qualify for finals and I did, said Holland.

There was one regret from the weekend.

“A PR would have been the cherry on top (she ran a 7.04 in prelims compared to a 7.03 PR). But, it just wasn’t my time. It was Autumn Wilson’s day. 

Wilson won the event in a blistering 6.81. 

Finally, in the race that saw a new U20 record, the girls’ 4x800 relay, the Crozet Crew placed eighth in 9:56.47.

Late Saturday night, Fauquier High’s Stephanie Robson upset a stacked pack of triple jumpers to claim the event with a hop, skip, and jump of 40 feet, .5 inches.

Robson, who began the season with a best performance of 37-7 has steadily progressed up the ranks this winter. On December 29, she captured the technique Holiday Invitational, also at the Virginia Beach Sports Center with a 38-8 effort. The following week, the senior, representing the MVP League team, added just over nine inches, while winning the Grant Holloway Invitational in 39-5.25.

It capped a great weekend for Robson, who also earned a personal-best and third place finish in the long jump with a leap of 18-5.5.

Westfield’s Emma Seetoo, who won the Class 6 state long jump title as a freshman, was third in 38-8.25.

Also, on Saturday, the Track757 club won the girls 4x55-meter shuttle hurdle relay, with a time of 34.51.


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