Exceeding Expectations

High expectations, as well.

 

The 2024 League of Independent Schools track and field championship meet, contested Feb. 10 in the Bolling Fieldhouse at St. Christopher’s, came down to one final race.

 

Collegiate and St. Catherine’s had completed the previous 14 events with 157 points each, so whichever won the 4x400 relay would claim the overall team championship.

 

There was no margin for error. It was winner take all. There was no trophy for second place.

 

Score one for the Cougars.

 

Spurred on by the cheers of their teammates and supporters and by their own personal desire to excel, Kennedy Richardson, Claire Curtis, Katherine Martin, and Kenley Campbell brought unwavering competitive spirit to the challenge, covered the eight laps in 4:13.31, and produced 10 first-place points that increased Collegiate’s total to 167, just ahead of the Saints’ 165 and well ahead of Norfolk Academy (64), Trinity Episcopal (48), and Veritas (14). It was the Cougars’ first indoor track championship in 15 years.

 

A razor-thin victory didn’t come from one event, though. It took a total team effort.

 

“First and foremost, I’m incredibly thankful for our coaching staff,” said Beth Kondorossy, Collegiate’s throws coach and head girls coach. “We couldn’t have done as well as we did without great performances across the board from the field events to the sprint events to the distance events. Every single person stepped up and competed from the first places to the sixth places. It all mattered.”

 

On an afternoon when personal records abounded, the Cougars won seven events and scored heavily through all event groups.

 

Campbell, a senior who earned LIS Outstanding Running Event Performer honors, won the 300 in 41.94 and the 500 in 1:19.80. Both were PRs. Richardson (42.84, second in the 300), Curtis (1:23.93, third in the 500), and Martin (1:26.30, sixth in the 500) also ran lifetime bests.

 

The 4x800 relay team of Rosie Ferrell, Giles Ferrell, Macy Boyer, and Virginia Harris ran 10:01.41, won the LIS title, and eclipsed, albeit slightly, the 14-year-old school record of 10:01.98 held by Chloe Coates, Janie O’Connor, Courtney Chase, and Julia Sroba.

 

Harris, a freshman and the LIS cross country champion, returned 90 minutes later to win the 1000 in a personal best 3:07.49.

 

Bridget Blaszak, a junior, placed first in the 3200 (11:48.52) an hour and a half after her runner-up finish in the 1600 (5:23.74). She delivered personal bests in both races.

 

Senior Abby Mayr cleared a personal best 10-0 to win the pole vault. Her classmate Azaria Bailey placed second (9-6) and also took third in both the 55 (in 7.64 after running a personal record 7.62 in the trials) and long jump (PR 16-5).

 

Seven other athletes delivered personal bests and garnered valuable team points: Emily Beggerow (500, fourth, 1:23.93); Anne Lewis (3200, fifth, 12:23.08);  Sallie Martin (high jump, fourth, 4-6); Whitney Clarkson (high jump, fifth, 4-6, and 55 hurdles, fourth, 10.37); Lily Stanwix (triple jump, fifth, 29-11); Ashley Grace Johnstone (shot put, second, 32-11); and Rachel Duncan (shot put, fourth, 29-1.25).

 

“The effort of our kids is a reflection of their commitment to each other,” said Matthew Richardson, the track and field program leader and head distance coach. “They competed as a team. If you look at the heat sheets and the number of kids entered and the way they outperformed the heat sheets, we were able to get points in places where other teams didn’t have the depth. We had people committed to going after it.”

 

Collegiate’s boys team placed third with 67 points behind St. Christopher’s (146) and Woodberry Forest (101) and ahead of Fork Union (51), Norfolk Academy (45), Trinity Episcopal (40), and St. Anne’s-Belfield (6).

 

As with the girls squad, team success superseded individual accolades.

 

“The biggest things for our guys today were that we had some injuries in certain events that we overcame and had to shift some things around in some relays,” said Brent Miller, head boys team coach. “The 4x4 is a prime example of coming together and chipping in and ending up getting second in the league, which was fantastic.”

 

In the meet’s final event, Jack Smith, Ben Wittkamp, Heath Brown (a last-minute fill-in), and Bishop Foster ran 3:39.49.

 

Wittkamp (second in 1:09.26), Smith (fifth in 1:11.42), and Foster (sixth in 1:12.69) earned three places in the 500. All ran personal bests. Foster, a junior, also recorded lifetime bests in the high jump (6-0, good for third) and triple jump (40-6, fifth).

 

Walker Angus placed third in the 1000 (2:44.09), Bolling Lewis third in the 1600 (4:40.63), and Liam Harbour sixth in the 1600 (4:48.57). All were personal bests as well.

 

Freshman Wally Becker (PR 11-6), senior Ned Bradshaw (11-0), and sophomore James Bonbright (PR 11-0) went 2-3-4 in the pole vault, respectively, and earned 18 team points.

 

“If I look at the results and compare them to the season-best list, a lot of guys ran PRs today,” Miller said. “They did a great job of coming out, really focusing, and competing well. We outperformed the rankings and seedings in a lot of events today. Getting third is a great show for us.”

 

Considering that Collegiate has no indoor training facility (other than the weight room), winter track isn’t for the faint of heart. Never has been. That said…

 

“Winter track’s fun,” said Richardson, who competed in the sport for six years as a Collegiate athlete and has coached for 14 at his alma mater. “Some would say that it’s cold and could be rainy and you’re outside a lot, but there’s nothing hard about that. That’s fun.”

~Weldon Bradshaw