By Nolan Jez
VHSL Group 6A, Day 2
After a long Friday everyone will try and get some rest but few will be able to really sleep with the excitement of day two coming up. Rightfully so because Saturday's competition will be electric.
Aside from the finals of the hurdles and dashes the first event on the track will be the 1600 meter run. These races this year will be exciting and honestly impossible to predict. On paper Grant Northcutt (Cosby) leads the way on the guys' side and Isabelle Gulgert (South Lakes) leads the way on the girls' side. Other contenders for the guys' title are Brent Bailey (Ocean Lakes), Andrew Delvecchio (Lake Braddock), Edward Cerne (Lake Braddock), Chase Osborne (Western Branch), and many others. The girls' side is just as packed with Lindsay Yentz (Patriot), Chase Kappeler (West Springfield), Seneca Willen (Robinson), Sophie Tedesco (GCM), Rachel Northcutt (Cosby), and many others all fighting for the title. In both the guys and girls competition this title is completely up for grabs and will take a near-perfect execution to win.
Also being run early on Saturday will be the 4x200m relays. Western Branch enters as the strong favorite on the girls' side and T.C. Williams enters as the favorite on the guys' side. Both races though will be decided via handoffs and execution.
Western Branch and Oscar Smith will be excited for the rest of the meet at this point with the 300, 500, and 4x400 to come. In the first of those races we will see Adriana Shockley (Western Branch) attempt to defend her 500m title and Aaron Shirley attempt to win some big points for his team in the 500. Shockley should have an easier path than Shirley who will face tough competition from Zack Kindel (Colonial Forge), Josh Duval (Manchester), and Decker Barborek (Fairfax).
In the shorter sprint, the 300m dash, things will be equally as exciting. The girls' race will feature four Western Branch girls and two South Lakes girls for the top six seeds. That means the entire top section will be Hannah Waller versus Shadajah Ballard, Adriana Shockley, Shardonnay Nichols, and Keishayla Warren all from the Branch. This is another event that will certainly be fast and take a heroic effort to win.
The guys' race will feature Alexander Shadkhoo of Westfield being chase by Igo Grimes (Freedom), Aaron Shirley, Caden Billak, and Isaiah Carter (Tallwood) amongst others.
That brings us to the final two distance events, the 1K and 3200m runs. The girls' 1K is featuring four girls under the three minute barrier all of whom will have a legitimate shot at the title. These girls are Sarah Coleman (West Springfield), Chase Kappeler, Olivia Duston (Herndon), and Nicole Re(Chantilly).
The guys' race will feature some equally impressive talent as well. Edward Cerne leads the entered competitors with his teammate Delveccchio chasing alongside Brent Bailey, Alex Loukili (South Lakes), Kalem Whaley (Western Branch), and others.
Things get longer but not more spread out in the the 3200s. In the girls' race Yentz leads with Allison Fick (Colonial Forge), Elizabeth Wu (James Madison), and Brielle Perry (Lake Braddock) all chasing.
The guys' race features Grant Northcutt with Chase Osborne and Andre Jordan both chasing from Western Branch for some huge points. Those points mean a lot towards the team title since Oscar Smith will be done at this point without any guys entered in either the 3200 or 4x400. Expect there to be a 20-30 point deficit heading into this race and for that deficit to shrink as the meet goes on.
Western Branch luckily enters as the favorite for the 4x400 but Colonial Forge and Fairfax will certainly push them. Finally on the girls' side of competition we will see Western Branch in the 4x400 which they lead handily. South County and South Lakes though could stage an upset and are seeded second and third.