With strong performances in running and field events, the Yorktown Patriots and Wakefield Warriors, respectively, won the girls and boys team championships at this season’s annual Arlington County indoor track-and-field meet.
Each high-school team won by tight margins at the Thomas Jefferson Community & Fitness Center — the Yorktown girls by just two points with 65 over the Washington-Liberty Generals, and the Wakefield boys by six points with 72 over W-L.
Yorktown girls led by distance runners: The Yorktown girls won the 4×200 (2:01.22) and 4×800 (11:27.7) relays and had four individual event winners, with four second-place finishers and a trio placing third.
“Our girls distance runners were really strong — we had some very good performances and we were able to win it,” Yorktown coach Emily Stewart told ARLnow.
Leading the Yorktown distance runners were victories by Aria Hedderly in the 3,200 (1:43.32), Cecilia Floom in the 1,600 (5:47.43) and Molly Hardwick in the 1,000 (3:04.72).
“They all ran well for us,” Stewart said. “That was important.”
The Patriots’ other individual winner was Zoe Hoang in the long jump (15-2). She also placed third in the 55 dash.
Second-place finishes were turned in by Jordyn Gooden in the 55 dash, Lanier Hutton in the 1,000, Hannah Hawkins in the 3,200 and Kaiya Ovando in the shot put. Finishing third were Ayla Mehmood in the 1,000 and Zoe Davis in the 1,600.
The Washington-Liberty girls were led by Genevieve Holt with a first in the 55 dash (7.97), a second in the 55 hurdles and a fifth in the long jump, and by McKinley McGee with a win in the 55 hurdles (10.08) and a second in the long jump.
Also for the W-L girls, Gabriela Netwall won the 300 (44.61), Addison Schimmell tied for first in the pole vault (7-3), Arsema Tsegaye was second in the triple jump and Caroline Kaplan was second in the 1,600.
Washington-Liberty’s 4×200 and 4×800 relays were second.
Leading the third-place Wakefield Warriors girls were victories in the shot put (35-7) and high jump (4-9) by Olivia Barr, a tie for first by Emily Schimmel in the pole vault (7-3) and a win by Ada Jordan in the triple jump (31-7).
For the fourth-place Bishop O’Connell girls, Aurora Hooker won the 500 (1:33.67).
Wakefield outscores W-L in boys action: In the boys meet, Wakefield won six events and was second in a half dozen others.
Theodore Fusarelli and Derrick Rich each won an event and were second in another to lead Wakefield. Fusarelli won the triple jump (35-8 1/2), was second in the 500 and ran on the winning 4×400 relay (4:02.22). Rich won the high jump (5-9) and was second in the triple jump.
Wakefield’s Dylan Hutchinson won the 55 hurdles (9.6) and ran on the winning 4×200 relay (1:44.68). Isaac Gunville won the pole vault (10-3) for Wakefield.
Second were Anders Gross in the high jump, Hoxie Williams in the pole vault, Logan Ward in the 1,000 and Ethan Tanenbaum in the long jump. Third was Landon King in the 1,000.
“We had some younger runners and others who are pretty good have strong meets and they did OK,” Wakefield coach Jordan Wright said. “That was only the first or second time Dylan has run the hurdles. So he’ll take that.”
For the runner-up Washington-Liberty boys, Nick Talbot-Lily won the 1,600 (5:07.68), Benjamin Tahu won the long jump (17-5 1/2) and Kenyan Washington was first in the 55 dash (7.17).
Second were Gavin Malatesta in the 1,600, Luka Juric in the 55 hurdles and Reginald Cotton in the 300, who also was fifth in the high jump. The 4×200 relay was second.
For the third-place Yorktown boys, Griffin Divis won the 500 (1:14.99), Theo Wargo was first in the 1,000 (2:53.19) and Jordan Ebikwo won the shot put (36-6 1/4).
For fourth place O’Connell boys, Alex Clarke won the 300 (40.25) and was third in the 55 dash, and the 4×800 relay won (9:42.03).
