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Girls track and field athlete of the year Date published: 6/18/2008
BY TAFT COGHILL JR. Basketball is Bilnita Armstead's first love. Track and field wasn't even in the picture. "I hated the sport of track," Armstead said. But with some prodding from her mother and former James Monroe High school track and field coach Julian Bumbrey, Armstead decided to give the sport a shot as a freshman. She placed eighth in the 300-meter hurdles at the Group AA state meet as a ninth-grader, but that wasn't enough to keep the Yellow Jackets' basketball standout interested the following year. And not even an initial conversation with then first-year JM head track coach Anthony Bramlett could stop her from walking out on the sport. "He gave me a long speech about the benefits of track and field and how it could help me in the long run," Armstead recalled. "But I said: 'Well. I still quit.'" Bramlett and Armstead's mother, Roberta, didn't give up that easily. They eventually persuaded Armstead to stick with track and field. And she's glad they did. After finishing second in Group AA in the 300 hurdles as a sophomore, she was the only Fredericksburg-area girl to win a state title at any level this spring. The JM junior took home the championship in the 300 hurdles earlier this month at Harrisonburg High School, earning her The Free Lance-Star's girls track and field athlete of the year honors. "It's always good to see kids become committed," Bramlett said. "I think good things come out of commitment." That was proven with Armstead. She took on added responsibility for the Yellow Jackets when she decided to run on the team's 1,600 relay unit. It paid off indirectly at the state meet when Armstead had enough stamina to hold off Brentsville's Danyelle Kent Robinson for the crown. Bramlett said Armstead "ran out of gas" when she placed second last year in the state 300 hurdles partly because she declined to participate in the 1,600 relay that season. "I told her, 'You need to do this because it's going to help you in the hurdles,'" Bramlett said of the 1,600 relay. "She made that change and it worked." Armstead was disqualified in the 100 hurdles at the state meet this season because she tripped and landed in another runner's lane. But she rebounded to place third in the long jump with a leap of 18 feet, 3 inches. She also captured two Region I titles and two Battlefield District titles, all in the 100 and 300 hurdles. Armstead said as the season went on, she became better in those events. It culminated in a state title that justified her decision to give track and field another try. Her mother is thrilled she was able to talk her into it. She has a "State Champion Mom" sticker on her vehicle. "In high school, everyone talks about going to states and winning, but not everybody can say they did it," Roberta Armstead said. "So for her to win it, I'm as happy as ever." Taft Coghill Jr.: 540/374-5526
Read more stories about Fredericksburg Date published: 6/18/2008
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