On Wednesday, the Ridge View Track and Field team began their season competing against Strom Thurmond. For the girls Johnaida Eliscar and LaNaya Martin went 1-2 in both the 100m and 200m, while Eliscar also won the 400m. The girls swept both the Shot and Discus with Elizabeth Whitmore taking 1st place in both. Mekayla Brown took 1st in the High Jump and Long Jump. On the boys side Chylon Thomas took home 2nd place in both the 100m and 200m. Vinson Bowman started the season with a strong start to won the 400m, while Aaron Walker won the High Jump. The boys also swept all three relays, winning in dominate fashion.
On Saturday both teams competed at the Armed Forces Cavalier Relays at Richland Northeast. On the boys side the relay teams competed well with finishes in the 4×100 (5th), DMR (3rd), 4×200 (2nd), 800 SMR (5th), 4×800 (3rd), 4×400 (2nd). In the field events it was a day of personal bests as Terry Carson placed 3rd in the Discus with a PR mark of 103-01.5”; while Bernard Hasan placed 6th with PR mark also of 95-11. In the Shot Put Jayln Dunbar took home the gold with a mark of 42-10; while Terry Carson improved his best mark by 3 inches placing 6th with a mark of 39-08. In the Long Jumps Marcus Reynolds placed 3rd with a PR mark of 20-04. Christian Mariner and Desmond Hammonds finished 4th & 6th with marks of 40-05 & 40-00. Overall the boys scored 76 point to take a 3rd place finish.
On the girls side Keyani Turner start the day in the open 1600 finishing 8th with a time of 6:36.96. LaNaya Martin brought home gold in the Open 100m with a time of 12.53, while Amiri Mason and Mariah Mitchem placed 3rd and 4th with times of 13.29 & 13.47. The relay teams competed well with finishes in the 4×100 (2nd), 4×200 (1st), 4×800 (3rd), 4×400 (2nd), DMR (6th), SMR (3rd). In the field events, the girls continued to improve personal marks as Elisabeth Whitmore took home 1st with a PR mark of 96-02. Dadiedra Porter took 3rd with 85-01.5. In the Shot Put it Whitmore again finishing strong with a 2nd place finish 33-00; while Joy Vankallen finished 6th 28-06.5. Mekayla Brown kept it rolling in the High Jump taking 1st with a mark of 5-00. In the Long Jump Keianna Benson took 4th with a mark of 14-08. Gabrielle McKinzie and Trinity Yates tied for 3rd in the Triple Jump finishing with marks of 30-08. The elite performance of the day for the girls was the 800m SMR of LaNaya Martin, Aaliyah Morgan, Alliyah Brooks and Johnaida Eliscar qualifying for New Balance Outdoor Nationals Championship; running a time of 1:50.68. Overall the girls had a team total of 126 points to bring home a 1st place finish.
