NEWPORT NEWS, Va. – The West Springfield boys outdoor track and field team claimed the Virginia Class 6 state title on Saturday and appears poised to do it again next year.
At Todd Stadium, the Spartans (71 points) finished comfortably ahead of runner-up Western Branch (48.5) of Chesapeake, with Hayfield (44) third and Patriot (35.5) fifth.
“What I like most about this team,” West Springfield coach Chris Pellegrini said, “is that we have so many different types of people, different types of athletes. We can score points in many different ways and everyone on this team is interested in what each other is doing.”
The Spartans’ meet was highlighted by Mark-Anthony Whyte, Max Englert, Nicholas Bailey and AC Ross winning the 4×100 meter relay. They won in 41.14 seconds, just 0.02 ahead of Colonial Forge. Both teams broke the record of 41.58 set by Western Branch in 2015.
Bailey is a sophomore and the other three are juniors, meaning the entire relay team could return next year to challenge their record time.
“We want to go back and reduce that time,” Whyte said. “If we can scratch (less than 40 seconds), then it is what it is. “I want to put our team on a national level.”
In the final event of the day, West Springfield won the 4×400 meter relay in 3:18.14, with Ross, Bailey and Englert joined by Joseph Blumberg. The Spartans also captured state titles from Paris Johnson in the high jump (6 feet, 4 inches) and Brady Echols in the shot put (59-10.5).
Oakton’s Junior Allen was a little disappointed with his second-place finish in the 3,200 meters Saturday morning, but redeemed himself a few hours later by winning the 1,600. Allen, a senior who will run next year in the Air Force, said he wasn’t sure how much he had left in his legs for the 1,600. He stayed in the pack for much of the race before making his move. He held the lead going into the final corner, but wasn’t sure how close the competitors were to him.
“I heard cheering and thought that might mean someone was gaining on me,” he said. “So I just said, ‘I’m sorry, but I want this,’ and I tried it.”
Allen won in 4:14.74, less than a second ahead of Woodbridge’s Nathaniel McMahon.
Chesapeake’s Grassfield won the Class 6 girls title with 66 points, beating South County (60), South Lakes (56) and West Springfield (42.5).
South Lakes sophomore Caroline Elliott won the 1,600 (4:49.41) and 800 (2:08.61) and anchored the winning 4×800-meter relay (8:59.88), which also featured Aya Ryan, Catalina Simon and Bella Harsanyi.
“I knew this was possible and it was definitely my goal,” Elliott said after his final event. “Right now I feel tired but also empowered.”
In the Class 6 boys competition, Patriot’s Lyndon Amoateng won the triple jump in 45-11.75. Langley’s Blake Thompson won the discus at 162-11. Lake Braddock’s 4×800 relay team of Patrick Gaffney, Timothy Asady-Kany, Christian Bachmann and Nelson Lattimer won in 7:46.81. Patriot’s Henry Birge won the 800 in 1:52.95. Hayfield’s Niles Briggman won the 200 in 21.25, edging out his teammate James Long (21.41).
In the Class 6 girls meet, Westfield’s Johanna Stuard won the high jump by clearing 5-6. South County won the 4×100 (47.02) and 4×400 (3:48.98) relays; Yamila Elliott ran on both teams.
The Independence girls (70 points) finished second in the Class 5 meet; LC Bird won with 84.
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