Mountain View senior Olu Olamigoke sticks his landing to win the long jump. He also claimed the triple-jump title. View More Images from this story Visit the Photo Place

BLACK-HAWKS, WILDCATS RULE COMMONWEALTH

Commonwealth District track

Date published: 5/16/2008

BY ADAM HIMMELSBACH

Becky Sampson stood with her arms over a fence and watched her Brooke Point teammates dash around the track.

Sampson's steps were more tenuous.

Her eyes were covered with sunglasses and her right leg was covered with a large black brace.

The junior hurdler tore her anterior cruciate ligament and her medial collateral ligament during the Northwest Region meet last winter.

But this spring, she has still come to practices and to meets.

She has served as a coach for Brooke Point's young hurdlers, and she has been an inspiration to the entire team.

Yesterday evening, when it was announced that the Black-Hawks had won the Commonwealth District girls track and field championship, the team members bobbed up and down as Sampson sat.

After she reached her feet, her teammates brought the trophy to her and formed a happy clump of red and black.

"She's such a motivator to us," freshman sprinter Ashley Burks said. "We wanted to win this for her."

Brooke Point finished with 165 points to 148.5 for runner-up Colonial Forge. On the boys' side, Mountain View breezed to another district crown with 162.5 points, well ahead of second-place Albemarle (105).

Despite their dominant performance, several Wildcats pointed toward next weekend's Northwest Region meet and the following weekend's Group AAA state meet as the ones that mattered most.

Mountain View senior Thomas Porter won the 1,600 meter run in 4 minutes, 22.39 seconds. He also took the 3,200 in 9:31.65. The Wildcats swept the top three places in both events.

Senior jumper Olu Olamigoke won the long jump (21-10) and the triple jump (44-9).

"I don't think I did as well as I could have," Olamigoke said. "It's not like I scale back on purpose, but the environment here just isn't as intense as it is at regionals or states."

The Brooke Point girls used a balanced attack to claim the district crown.

In past years, their team had been led by the outstanding performances of April Sinkler, who is now a freshman at Clemson.

Yesterday, five different Black-Hawks won individual crowns to go with two victories in relays.

"I felt like everything fell in place today and it just felt right," said Kellie Hall, who won the 800 (2:19.78) and tied for first in the 1,600 (5:10.60).

Also for Brooke Point, Lynee Pina won the discus (114-5), Colleen McGlade took the pole vault (10-4), Megan Nalls won the 100 hurdles (15.62) and Burks won the 200 (25.97).

"We've really come a long way," Pina said.

Stafford's Jake Johnson was one of several double-winners. The Virginia Tech-bound football player placed first in the boys shot put (49-) and the discus (146-9).

North Stafford sprinter Reynaldo Radlin took the 100 hurdles (15 seconds) and the 300 hurdles (40.14).

"There's competition here," Radlin said, "but it wasn't enough to get me fully pumped up. My time next week should be way better."

Riverbend's Erin Edmond won the high jump (5-2) and the 400 (59.1). Wade tied for first in the 1,600, and won the 3,200 (11:36.94).

Adam Himmelsbach: 540/374-5442
Email: ahimmelsbach@freelancestar.com

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Date published: 5/16/2008