By Liz Keller / Scrimmageplaycva.com contributor
FORK UNION – Charlottesville’s boys indoor track team claimed the Jefferson District title while Western Albemarle captured the girls crown on Wednesday night at the Estes Athletic Center.
The Black Knights accumulated 111 points to get past Western Albemarle and Louisa County, which finished with 90 points apiece.
Charlottesville was impressive in the field events, as Tariq Carrington won both the long jump and high jump. In fact, the Black Knights went 1-2-3 in the high jump as Carrington led the way (6-3) followed by Zaire Tutt (5-8) and Holden Hays (5-8). Charlottesville’s 4×200 relay team of Jaron White, Malik Bartee, Greg Felton and Hannibal Reid finished first in a time of 1:37.65 ahead of Louisa.
The Lions also performed well in the relays, winning the 4×400 and 4×800 relay events ahead of Western Albemarle.
Reid, a senior, earned the top spot in the 300 in a time of 38.33, while White was second in a time of 38.79.
Powhatan’s Austin Conway was a multiple event winner, as he captured titles in the 1000 and 1600 meters.
Other highlights on the boys side included: Western’s Davis Greene, who won the 3200; senior teammates Blake Tolman and Caleb Rider both cleared 13-6 in the pole vault, while Rider finished first in the 55-meter hurdles. Fluvanna’s Brian Brown won the 55-meter dash, and teammate Markyll Bland posted a win in the triple jump. Louisa’s Josh Bishop claimed top honors in the 500 and Powhatan’s Will Schwartz won the shot put.
On the girls side, the Warriors garnered 138.50 points to outdistance second-place Louisa County, which racked up 119.50 points. Fluvanna County was third overall with 90.5 points.
Western’s distance runners helped propel them to the title, as senior Annie Taylor won the 1000, while teammate Chance Masloff finished first in the 1600 meters.
The seniors were also a part of the Warriors’ winning 4×800 relay team, along with Annie Lorenzoni and Faith Reid. Western’s 4×400 relay team of Savannah Wilson, Caroline Outlaw, Madison Masloff and Taylor also posted a victory, beating out second-place Fluvanna.
Western finished in a close second behind Louisa in the 4×200 relay. The Lions’ sophomore quartet of Kiana Richardson, Taylor Robinson, Amari Quarles and Brandy Brown finished in a time of 1:52.0 ahead of the Warriors’ Wilson, Madison Masloff, Debra Ayres-Brown and Nichole Heon, who posted a time of 1:52.15.
Louisa’s Brown also took top honors in the triple and long jumps. Teammates Robinson and Aaliyah Clark finished second and third as the Lions swept the top three spots in the long jump.
Charlottesville senior Taylor Watkins provided some highlights as she claimed the 55 (7.40) and 300 (41.31) meter dash titles as well as the 500.
Other notable performances included Western’s Lydia Garner, who won the high jump (5-1); the Warriors’ Katrina Barredo and Fluvanna’s Tiffani Shaheen, who both cleared 10-0 in the pole vault; Louisa’s Taylor Witherspoon, who took the top spot in the shot put; Fluvanna’s Jacqueline Rodriguez, who finished first in the 3200; and Albemarle’s Melanie Maines, who won the 55-meter hurdles.
