Jamestown's Mearns a Double Winner at State AA Track

By Jim McGrath Sunday, February 28, 2010

With all the recent success enjoyed by the Jamestown track teams, it was surprising that they entered Saturday’s AA state championship at the Tolsma Track Center in Lynchburg without having ever won an individual championship.

No one was more aware of it than senior Colin Mearns. Last November, he suffered a heartbreaking loss in the state cross-country championships, losing the lead in the final homestretch. On Saturday, he was primed for revenge.

Said Mearns, “I was pretty nervous coming into the meet. Jamestown runners have struggled winning at a state championship level as individuals except for Andrew Colley last year (in cross-country)."

At the end of Saturday’s meet, two words could sum up Mearns’ day: Mission accomplished.

The Eagle breezed to a pair of convincing victories, winning the 1600 (4:18.33) by eight seconds, followed by a 3200 (9:29.36) performance that left the second place finisher 75 meters behind.

Afterwards, a weary but relieved Mearns was not at a loss for words.

“To come in and win the mile and the two on the same day was amazing for me. I knew I had the strength and training to allow me to win both, but if I could get it out when I needed to was another question. It was extremely emotional to cross the line for the first time in the win. To come back in the two was just icing. It still hasn't fully set in completely.”

Noting his support system, the University of Virginia signee added, “But everyone around me had faith in me and I used that as part of my motivation along with a way to make all my training worth it. To complete my undefeated season with two wins at states was just more than I could have ever imagined.”

Mearns’ efforts helped lead Jamestown to a sixth place finish with 31 points.

All the gold medals were earned on the boys side. Grafton’s David Gunnerson also captured his first state championship, outpacing teammate Kyle King and the rest of the 1000-meter field by three seconds. His time of 2:33.78 was over three seconds off his best; however, earlier in the meet, Gunnerson anchored a winning 3200-meter relay, joining teammates King, Brian Gorwitz and Brian Wilmer in a 8:01.32 effort that was a mere half-second off the existing AA indoor record. The Clippers foursome is primed to dip below the coveted eight minute standard early this spring and Saturday’s effort places the squad with a #4 ranking in the state, according to Milestat.com., a mere 3.3 seconds behind the quartet from AAA powerhouse Western Branch, who won both boys and girls state titles over the weekend.

The Grafton boys were fifth with 33 points, the highest placing among Bay Rivers teams.

On the day’s final event, the Tabb 1600-meter relay team of Thomas St. John, Austin Godel, Kevin Carr and Devin Harrison held off a spirited challenge from Harrisonburg High, capturing the championship by a slim .26 second margin (3:31.54-3:31.80).

There were three medal winners on the girls side. Grafton’s Michelle Speede, showing signs of being fully recovered from last year’s nagging knee problems, placed second in the 300 with a 42.67 time, followed closely by Jamestown’s Marissa Segala (third in 42.75). Lafayette sophomore Heidi Peterson picked up third in the 1000 with a 3:06.53. The Grafton girls placed highest among Bay Rivers teams with a 12th place finish.

Christianburg nipped Blacksburg (53-52) for the overall boys title, while the Blacksburg girls racked up 81 points to claim the team trophy.

Boys - Individual Scoring
300 - Cory Dunn (New Kent) 7th - 36.66
500 - Kevin Carr (Tabb) 5th - 1:08.59
Austin Smith (New Kent) 6th - 1:08.78
Anthony Green (Jamestown) 7th - 1:08.78; other local finishers, Desmond Smallwood (Lafayette) 15th, 37.43; Anthony Green (Jamestown) 18th, 37.99; Devin Harrison (Tabb) 19th, 38.45
1000 - Gunnerson (Grafton) 1st - 2:33.78
King (Grafton) 2nd - 2:36.74
Graham Schlickenmeyer (Jamestown) 3rd - 2:37.90
Nathaniel Darling (Lafayette) 4th - 2:38.20
Gorwitz (Grafton) 8th - 2:41.31; other local finishers, Austin Godel (Tabb) 14th, 2:45.91; Wes Watkinson (Warhill) 16th, 2:47.92
1600 - Mearns (Jamestown) 1st - 4:18.33
King (Grafton) 5th - 4:28.40
Darling (Lafayette) 6th - 4:29.54; other local finishers, Brian Gorwitz (Grafton) 10th, 4:31.66; Paul Tyler (Grafton) 16th, 4:43.07; Michael Lull (New Kent) 21st, 5:01.92
3200 - Mearns (Jamestown) 1st - 9:29.36; other local finishers, Kurtis Steck (Lafayette) 14th, 10:07.03; Brian Wilmer (Grafton) 15th, 10:07.92; Daniel Moniak (Jamestown) 17th, 10:16.30; Stephen Chantry (Lafayette) 19th, 10:19.86; Scott Gemmell-Davis (Lafayette) 20th, 10:22.07;
4x200 - New Kent (Smith, Cody Simmons, Desmond Worelds, Dunn) 4th - 1:34.38; Warhill (Thomas Gill, Shamonte Sexton, Kendall Green and Justin Blubaugh) 10th, 1:37.70
4x400 - Tabb (St. John, Godel, Carr, Harrison) 1st - 3:31.54; Jamestown (Graham Schlickenmeyer, Chase Harper, Brad Turner and Anthony Green) 10th, 3:36.98
4x800 - Grafton (Gorwitz, Wilmer, King, Gunnerson) 1st - 8:01.32
Jamestown (Schlickenmeyer, Daniel Moniak, Patrick Shannon, Graham McLaughlin) 6th - 8:26.08
Warhill (Brandon Greene, Wes Watkinson, Curtis Price, Robert Delacruz) 7th - 8:26.98
Long Jump - William Blair (Tabb) 8th - 20-08.25; Cody Simmons (New Kent) 20-05.50; Cory Dunn (New Kent) 11th, 20-01.00; Zack Kezar (Tabb) 15th, 19-06.25
Triple Jump - William Blair (Tabb) 16th, 40-00.50; Ethan Fowlkes (New Kent) 22nd, 37-06.25

Boys - Team Scoring
Grafton (5th - 33), Jamestown (6th - 31), Tabb (14th - 15), New Kent (19th - 10), Lafayette (22nd - 8), Warhill (34th - 4)

Girls - Individual Scoring
55 - Kiara Porter (Tabb) 5th - 7.47
Speede (Grafton) 6th - 7.53; other local finishers, Marissa Segala (Jamestown)
300 - Speede (Grafton) 2nd - 42.67
Segala (Jamestown) 3rd - 42.75; other local finishers, Lauren Askew (York) 44.78; Kiara Porter (Tabb) 45.03; Julia Aymonin (Tabb) 45.07
500 - Julia Aymonin (Tabb) 6th - 1:22.88
Leigh Ann Soistmann 7th - 1:23.61; other local finishers, Elizabeth Waterman (Jamestown) 1:27.89; Mariah Wozniak (Grafton) 1:31.53
1000 - Peterson (Lafayette) 3rd - 3:06.53; other local finishers, Natalie Robles (York), 11th, 3:17.24; Risa Grandon (Grafton), 18th, 3:21.41; Mollie Bland (Lafayette), 21st, 3:25.81
1600 - Peterson (Lafayette) 5th - 5:17.46; other local finishers, Ashley Bruce (Grafton), 11th, 5:42.63; Holly Sheffield (New Kent), 12th, 5:52.65; Maggie Underwood (Jamestown) 14th, 5:58.29
3200 - Becky Dobosy (Lafayette) 8th - 11:47.61; other local finishers, Holly Sheffield (New Kent) 18th, 12:37.16; Chelsea Page (Grafton), 20th, 12:44.33
4x200 - Warhill (Erika Bridges, Antoinette Wells, Leighann Everingham and Alana Bryant) 9th, 1:52.75
4x400 - Tabb (Porter, Bethany Mahan, Soistmann, Aymonin) 6th - 4:13.43
4x800 - Jamestown (Gaylin Glueck, Tiffany Antognozzi, Hannah Supplee, Maggie Underwood) 7th - 10:20.31; Lafayette (Bland, Renee Samaha, Taylor Olson, Jennifer Brooks) 9th - 10:32.09; Tabb (Christine Cabanas, Erin Crow, Sydney Omweg, Soistmann) 10th - 10:40.54
Shotput - Jasmine Eddy (Grafton) 4th - 37-09.2; other local finishers, Charlene Brown (York) 15th, 30-07.50; Kelly James (York) 17th, 29-11.25; Andrea James (Lafayette) 18th, 29-08.75
55 meter hurdles - local finishers include Lindsay Johnson (York), Marcy Demyon (Jamestown)
Long Jump - Kimani Burney (Tabb) 15-00.25
Triple Jump - Burney (Tabb) 30-05.00

Girls - Team Scoring
Grafton (12th - 14), Tabb (15th - 12), Lafayette (18th - 11), Jamestown (21st - 8)