As usual, the VISAA Division I boys track and field championships came down to Woodberry Forest and Fork Union.
They’re two teams that have a lot in common. They nearly cancel each other’s points out in every event. They both have an elite competitor that’s a threat to win multiple events, with Michael Davenport in that role for Woodberry and Alex Lomong in that spot for Fork Union. Both teams have depth, and lots of it.
But on Saturday, Woodberry Forest once again edged out the Blue Devils, edging out Fork Union for its fourth-straight state title.
Davenport was dominant, doubling up with wins in the 100 and 200-meter races plus a second in the long jump. The wins in the 100 and 200 were his fifth and sixth career individual state titles.
Lomong won three state titles, pulling off a grueling triple of the 800, the 1600 and the 3200, giving him 12 career individual event state titles between indoor and outdoor track, seven in outdoor alone.
Beyond the Virginia Tech-bound Davenport’s individual effort, Woodberry did much of its damage in the relays, winning the 4×100 and and 4×800 while taking third in the 4×400. Tigers junior Terrell Jana also had a big day, placing in the state’s top four in four different events, going third in the 100 and 200 while taking fourth in the long and triple.
Robert Singleton took second behind Lomong in the 1600 and 3200 while UVa-bound Jack Claiborne piled up points with a runner-up finish in the 300 hurdles and a third in the high jump. Ryan Grady checked in with a sixth in the high jump and a fourth in the 300 hurdles.
The Tigers also got a ton of points outside that core group as Jimmy King took fifth in the 400, James Carrington took fifth in the 800, Parker Jacobs grabbed fifth in 1600, Max Johns took sixth in triple jump, Dequece Carter finished seventh in triple, Jack Sari placed fifth in shot put, Joshua Diaz finished seventh in shotput.
The Tigers also took three of the top seven spots in discus, with Stephen Guo taking second, Clark Yarbrough third and John Kirven seventh.
Shepherd Sims finished third in pole vault and Kyle Kauffman took fourth for Woodberry in that event.
For Fork Union, the state runner-up squad got two huge performances beyond Lomong, with Mark Burns winning the 110 hurdles and the 300 hurdles while also finishing as the runner-up behind Davenport in the 200. Romello Blanton-Wade also had a big day with a triple jump individual title to go with a sixth in the 110 hurdles and seventh in the long jump.
The Blue Devils’ Eruba Etta took fourth in the 200 and was the runner-up in the 400. Christopher McCullough took fourth in the 110 hurdles and fifth in the 300 hurdles.
In the relays, Fork Union finished as the runner-up in the 4×400, third in the 4×100 and fifth in the 4×800.
Solid finishes in individual events for the Blue Devils included Liam O’Brien taking sixth in the 200 and Nathan Disbrow finishing fourth in the 400, Logan Justice third in the 400, Julian Yescas sixth in the 3200, Willi Stupalsky third in 300 hurdles, Dwalu Kamara seventh in high jump, John Singleton fifth in high jump and Donavan Benoit sixth in shot put.
Blue Ridge’s Scott Spencer finished as the state runner-up in the high jump.
Find full results for VISAA outdoor track here: http://va.milesplit.com/meets/240542/results/453752/raw#.V0ECpxMrLnA
