A shot at states

By Shane Mettlen

Published: May 22, 2008

The Culpeper County High School track squads head to Charlottesville today where the Blue Devils and Devilettes will compete in the Northwest Regional track meet at the University of Virginia’s Lannigan Track. The meet begins at 10:30 a.m. with the top six in each individual event and the top three relays automatically advancing to states.

Four girls and seven boys qualified for the regional meet, and middle-distance runner Steven Reynolds might hold Culpeper’s best shot at advancing to and medaling in the VHSL Group AAA state championships May 30-31 in Newport News. Reynolds has already met the state qualifying time in the 800-meter run at 1:57.46. He’s ranked third in the region in the 800, just a half a second behind Stafford’s Joseph Murray in second. He’s also entered in the 1600-meter and ranked ninth in the region at 4:33.39.

B.J. Minor, a sprinter who was CCHS’s only winner at the Cedar Run District meet last week, is also entered in two events. Minor won the 100-meter at the district meet in a time of 11.26 seconds. That ranks him 10th in the region, but leaves him just 0.2 seconds out of the third spot. He’s also entered in the 200, where he’s ranked 21st with a time of 23.17 seconds.

Nick Donovan and Kyle Majors will each compete for Culpeper in the boys high jump after both Blue Devils cleared 6-0 at the district meet. That mark leaves only seven jumpers in the region with a better height. Donovan is also qualified in the long jump and triple jump and Majors will compete in the long jump, where he’s ranked sixth with a leap of 21-9 ¾. Teammate Cameron French is also qualified for regionals in the triple jump.

Also competing in the meet for the boys are Chris Bush, who is ranked 20th in the 400-meter, and John Ross Hawkins, who is slated 21st in the discus.
On the girls’ side, Dira Hansen has battled injuries for much of the outdoor track season, but will try to make a repeat trip to the state meet when she competes in the high jump. Only four girls in the Northwest Region have a mark better than Hansen’s at 5-0. Denae Rogers will also compete in the high jump for Culpeper after finishing fifth in the district at 4-10.

Dominique Danquah and Meyhonia Lane will each run the 100-meter for the Devilettes with Danquah ranked 12th in the region with a time of 12.87 seconds and Layne ranked 17th with a time of 13.04.

Going to Charlottesville?
If you’re heading to U.Va. to watch Culpeper’s best compete for a spot in the state
championships, make sure to take some time to watch some of the nation’s top athletes:

David Wilson, George Washington-Danville
Wilson, also a top football recruit, has the nation’s 7th-best mark in the triple jump at 49-11 3/4.
Daniel Inge, E.C. Glass
Inge has the best pole-vault mark in the state and
12th-best in the U.S. at 16-4 3/4.
Albemarle 4X800 relay
The Patriots’ boys team has a time of 7:51.25, six seconds better than the regional meet record and
the 19th-best mark in the country.
Pearl Blakersteth, Potomac
Blakersteth has cleared 5-8 in the high jump,
better than all but 33 girls in the United States.