Team Detail
Maroon Return As State Champs With New School Records
The EHS Track & Field team had a remarkable day at the VISAA State Track & Field Championships in Richmond, Va.
NEW STATE MEET RECORD
First on the track for the Maroon was the Girls 4x800-meter relay team. A lot has gone into this season to get these four girls running at the same time and also at their best. Claire Boehm '20, in her first season focusing on this event, led off like a veteran as she paced herself of the returning champions and present State Meet record-holders, Saint John Paul the Great. Boehm matched her season-best time and handed off the baton still in striking distance of first place. Senior Dawn Farquharson '18 has also been newly minted this season as an 800-meter runner after winning the 2017 State title in the 55-meter hurdles. She matched her best time of the season, battling it out to keep pace and within striking distance of the rest of the teams that were not in the hunt for the coveted State title. Paige Hathaway '18 was the next to take the baton and ran away from the field putting in a clear distance between her and the best of what the other schools could offer. Hathaway ran a scintillating first 400-meters and brought the stick around to Alli Boehm '20, whose first two laps were strong enough to kill the spirit of any teams that had any hope of matching the Maroon on the day--and that was on top of a three-week-old injury. EHS took their first State title in this event at the the same time as making a meet record.
Joining the girls 4x800-meter squad as State Champions was Senior standout Bijee Jackson '18 who has endured a long road back from injury. With her own ups and downs and doubts throughout the season, her dogged determination worked in her favor as she gained fitness and confidence throughout the season on a daily basis to dominate the 55-meter hurdles event and bring home her first individual State title--keeping the hurdles crown in the Episcopal family.
Joining the girls 4x800-meter squad as State Champions was Senior standout Bijee Jackson '18 who has endured a long road back from injury. With her own ups and downs and doubts throughout the season, her dogged determination worked in her favor as she gained fitness and confidence throughout the season on a daily basis to dominate the 55-meter hurdles event and bring home her first individual State title--keeping the hurdles crown in the Episcopal family.
HANDOFFS GET THE WIN FOR EHS
Jackson led the girls 4x200 meter team to a State Title in this thrilling event, outlasting the heavily favored team from St. Catherine’s. Nina Moore '19 led off with a solid leg and as four teams were approaching for the first exchange, a perfectly executed hand off at full speed put Jahsaiah Moses '19 into the lead and an unimpeded travel around the track. Freshman phenom Regan Simmons '21 ran a supreme leg to continue to hold the lead, executing another perfect handoff to Jackson. St. Catherine's was able to pull up to Jackson, but the momentum from three perfect handoffs was enough for Jackson to cross the line in first place and nab more State Champion medals for the ride home.
MORE SCHOOL RECORDS FALL
The Boys 4x200 meter race was one of the most hyped events of the day, with three teams running incredibly fast times throughout the season and all on the edge of qualifying for the prestigious New Balance High School Nationals in the event. The Maroon put their best race together against the best competition, placing 3rd behind two incredible teams. The efforts of Sam Kamara '19, Elijah Gaines '19, Jack Lee '20, and Barry Curtis '19 solidified them as the fastest team in Episcopal history and just .3 seconds off of qualifying for the National meet.
The girls 4x400 meter relay team were also up against some of the top athletes in the league and they ran a new school record enroute to their 2nd place All-State finish. Moses, again, got to the team off to a solid start, keeping them on pace to be in the hunt for a top 3 All-State finish. Jackson capped off a career day, hammering down her best split of the season to put the team back in the hunt for another state title. Hathaway followed along with her all-time best split and had the consummate favorites St. Catherine’s chasing the Maroon. Handing off to the anchor leg, Claire Boehm fresh off of her State title from the 4x8 (and a long nap) took the baton, matching up against the top athlete of the day from the Saints from Richmond. The seasoned veteran from St. Catherine’s used the deafening roar of the home crowd to charge up alongside Boehm, who then crushed her opponent's hopes and dreams by calmly reaching into another gear to bring the team home for second and recording the fastest time in the High School’s history.
The boys 4x400 meter team would also put on a strong performance in their event, putting the Episcopal High School name in the minds of all who were in attendance. The race was another highly anticipated event leading up to the State Meet. Three or four programs had very similar times leading up to the meet and the honor of winning the final race of the day is point of pride for all track and field programs. Curtis laid the first blow to all teams hoping to compete for the win in the first leg, getting to the lead in the first 50 meters and making all teams work to keep pace or move around The Maroon machine. Gaines drew the toughest straw, getting the baton on the second leg against two of the top athletes this season from rival teams. A superior handoff once again from Curtis to Gaines put the latter in the position to hang with these top athletes so he could hand off the baton with Lee in a position to strike. Lee did not hesitate to close the gap to the 3rd place and then used the final lap to move into first place heading into the final exchange. Junior James Dixon '19 got the nod from the coaches to be trusted with the final carry of the baton and he did not disappoint, running a personal best time and just narrowly making it to the line in runner-up place and All-State honors.
The boys 4x400 meter team would also put on a strong performance in their event, putting the Episcopal High School name in the minds of all who were in attendance. The race was another highly anticipated event leading up to the State Meet. Three or four programs had very similar times leading up to the meet and the honor of winning the final race of the day is point of pride for all track and field programs. Curtis laid the first blow to all teams hoping to compete for the win in the first leg, getting to the lead in the first 50 meters and making all teams work to keep pace or move around The Maroon machine. Gaines drew the toughest straw, getting the baton on the second leg against two of the top athletes this season from rival teams. A superior handoff once again from Curtis to Gaines put the latter in the position to hang with these top athletes so he could hand off the baton with Lee in a position to strike. Lee did not hesitate to close the gap to the 3rd place and then used the final lap to move into first place heading into the final exchange. Junior James Dixon '19 got the nod from the coaches to be trusted with the final carry of the baton and he did not disappoint, running a personal best time and just narrowly making it to the line in runner-up place and All-State honors.
ALL STATE HONORS
Litchfield Ajavon '19 came into the meet as the defending State Champion in the 55-meter hurdles. In an event with a millisecond room for error or miscue, a bump from the competitor in the lane beside him knocked him slightly out of his rhythm, opening the door for a new winner. Ajavon still placed second for All-State honors. Brianna Williams '18 multi-tasked her way to a runner-up finish in the high jump event and placed 8th in the 55-meters hurdles final as well.
PERSONAL RECORDS FALL
Jamall Mensah - 55 meters
Jack Lee - 300 meters
Tre Simmons - 1000 meters
Zeddy Williams - 1600 meters **Qualified for the New Balance National Championships Freshman Mile
Regan Simmons - 300 meters
Esther Kim - 1600 meters
Top Times by Athlete
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