For at least a week, Central Virginia has become one of the high school jumping epicenters of the United States.
With Javanique Burruss and David Johnson’s leaps this weekend at the St. Christopher’s Invitational in Richmond, the region is now home to the top male indoor triple jump in 2011-2012 so far this season in the nation and the top female indoor long jump in the United States in 2011-2012 according to Milesplit.com.
Johnson’s triple jump mark of 49-10.25 bested the field at St. Christopher’s by nearly four full feet. Johnson, who is the reigning Group AA outdoor state champion, usually takes a little while to get loose. But at St. Christopher’s, he unleashed the winner on his first leap during prelims.
“I kind of got the crowd into it before I jumped, I clapped and everyone was into it,” Johnson said. “I took that energy the crowd gave me and fed it right back to them.
He certainly did, ripping off the country’s top jump this season — the first time he’s ever been ranked number one — and a school record. That schoool record may be as important as any accomplishment in a historically dominant track program.
“To have the school record at CHS is a pretty big deal,” said athletic director Rick Lilly.
But Johnson is already working hard to make sure his newest accomplishment doesn’t allow him to loose focus. He’s pointed now toward topping the 50-foot mark. Plus, the national indoor record, which has stood since 1988, is always out there at 52-7.5.
“My coaches talked about celebrating now, but then it’s right back to business,” Johnson said. “I’m expecting a little bit more out of myself. I’ve never been number one, but I don’t want to get to big-headed about it. You can get beat on any given day.”
Johnson’s mark out-paces Lancaster (Texas) High’s Devin Fields’ January 14 mark of 49-8.25 by two inches. It’s the state’s top mark this year by more than two feet.
Burruss broke the 20-foot mark in the long jump with a jump of 20 feet, one inch. The leap edges another Virginia resident, Nansemond River’s Shakeela Saunders who posted a 20 foot, one-half inch jump back in December.
Also at the St. Christopher’s invite, Casey Russell of Albemarle High won the pole vault with a jump of 9-9. Louisa County’s girls 4×200 team placed fourth a private school and a pair of Group AAA schools. Albemarle’s girls 4×800 team took second behind Forest Park.
On the boys’ side, Fork Union’s Denver Wright grabbed fourth in the 55-meter dash and sixth in the 200, sophomore Raeshawn Bishop won the 500-meter dash for Louisa and FUMA’s Avery Martin won the 1000-meter. Ryan Thomas of Albemarle won the 1600-meter race, edging Michael Idziak and AHS teammate Adam Visokay who took second and third respectively. Visokay easily won the 3200-meter run, coasting in 19 seconds ahead of the second place finisher. Tyron McDade grabbed a runner-up spot in the high jump and Staton Mayfield won the pole vault for the Blue Devils.
Johnson finished second in the long jump behind Matoaca’s Jamarian Bates. FUMA’s Obiero Okeyo checked in behind Johnson’s incredible triple jump leap. Charlton Larkins won the shotput for the Blue Devils.
Louisa’s 4×200 boys squad finished second behind Group AAA’s Ocean Lakes out of Virginia Beach. Charlottesville took fourth in that race. Fork Union’s 4×400 team took fourth in its race.
Virginia Tech Invitational results
Fluvanna pole vaulters Chance Parmly and Hannah Meador posted strong outings down at the Virginia Tech Invitational in Blacksburg.
Meador cleared 12-feet for the first time in competition to win the girls side of the event. She’s only eight inches off the nation’s top jump in 2011-2012.
Parmly finished fourth with a vault of 13-6 in a tough field. Greer Brown finished eighth in the triple jump too.
