WS Chronicle

Washington-Saunders of Reagan finishes 2nd in the 400

(Above: Photos by Craig T. Greenlee- Ebony Williams, right, dominated the hurdles races for the Mustangs.)

It’s really no surprise that Parkland bagged another Class 4-A state outdoor track and field championship last weekend in Greensboro. There was never any doubt that the Mustangs would rule.

Parkland, who led the field with 95 points, was clearly head and shoulders above everybody else. Cary was the runner-up with 59½ points, followed by Apex (58) and High Point Central (40).

So, now the curtains have closed on the superlative careers of six seniors who helped to make Parkland a formidable factor in high school track on a national scale.

These departing seniors aren’t done with the sport. Ebony Williams (Clemson), Katlin Sherman (UNC), Erin Morrison (Hampton), Neteja Hale (UNC Asheville), Ila Mumford (Appalachian State) and Miaysha Bryant (N.C. Central) will attend college as scholarship athletes.

Over the past two years, the ladies have racked up team titles at four state championships (indoors and outdoors). Last summer they won a national outdoor title in the 4×200 relay and repeated as indoor national champs this past winter.

“The day went very well,” said Coach Antwan Hughes. “I hate to see my six seniors leave. They did a great job and re-wrote the school record books. Because of them, the track program has accomplished things that had never been done at Parkland.

For the last couple of years, our folks have stepped up big when it mattered most. When you make it to a state meet, it’s time to take it to another level. This year, these ladies took it to a level that I had never seen before. I’m very thankful for everything these young ladies have done for our program.”

The state meet delivered a heavy dose of heart-thumping moments that involved Parkland’s top performers. There were jaw-dropping, come-from-behind wins in four track events that helped the Mustangs win the team title in run-away fashion.

Sherman, the defending state champ in the 100 and 200, wasn’t expected to repeat. Based on fastest times recorded, she was supposed to finish no higher than third in both events. In the 100 finals, however, Sherman had the final say.

For most of the race, Tamara Clark (High Point Central) and Sydnei Murphy (Apex) were locked in a tight battle for the lead and Sherman was a half-step behind. But over the last 10 meters, Sherman put on an amazing burst to beat both runners in a photo finish. The top three finishers were separated by .08 seconds with Sherman winning in 11.53. Clark (11.55) was the runner-up and Murphy (11.61) finished third.

“I kept telling myself, ‘gotta win, gotta win,’” said Sherman, who competed at a high level all season in spite of a nagging ankle injury. “Near the end, I concentrated on picking up my knees, cocking my toes and pumping my arms as hard as I could. My adrenalin was pumping so hard that pain wasn’t an issue. God told me I could win, so I knew I could do it.”

Sherman, Clark and Murphy engaged in another tightly contested race in the 200. But the order of finish wasn’t the same as the 100. Clark prevailed with a time of 23.69 seconds, Sherman placed second (24.02) and Murphy was third (24.03).

In the hurdles, Williams more than lived up to her reputation as one of the nation’s elites. Williams overcame a wobbly start in the 100-meter hurdles to overtake top-seeded Gabriele Cunningham of Mallard Creek after both had cleared the last hurdle. Williams won with a state-meet record clocking of 13.44 seconds and Cunningham was second at 13.51.

“The start was horrible,” said Williams, who was voted MVP of the state indoor track and field championships in February. “But I always come back at the end. So, I wasn’t about to give up in that race. I just ran all the way through to the finish.”

Williams earned redemption in the 300-meter hurdles. A year ago, she led in the final stages at the state outdoor meet, but ended up finishing last when she hit the next-to-last hurdle and fell.

This time, it was smooth sailing from start to finish. Williams (42.19 seconds) was pressed over the final three hurdles by Cary’s Lakeisha Warner (42.51), but still won by a comfortable margin.

With the loss of six high-quality seniors, there’s an assumption that the Mustangs days as viable state-championship contenders are over with. Time will tell. In the meantime, enter McKinley McNeill. At this year’s state meet, McNeill, a junior quarter-miler, put on an eye-popping display that won’t be forgotten any time soon.

McNeill won her first individual state title with a noteworthy victory over nemesis Layla White of Cary in the 400-meter dash. White won the outdoor state title last spring and she’s the three-time state indoor champ at 500 meters. For McNeill, the win was even sweeter because she had never beat White in head-to-head competition.

“I’ve been on McKinley McNeill all year,” Hughes said. “I told her on several occasions that she could beat Layla White. Finally, she put it all together and ran the kind of race that she’s capable of running.”

At the state indoor championships in February, McNeill came in with the state’s fastest time in the 500 and White was second. The two ran neck-and-neck coming down the stretch, but White was able to hold on and win by a full meter.

A similar scenario unfolded at the outdoor state championships. White had a three-meter lead coming out of the final turn. McNeill waited until 40 meters to go before making her move. This time, she had enough reserves left to surge past White to win in a personal-best time of 54.31 seconds. White finished up with a 54.61 and Parkland’s Erin Morrison ran 56.18 for third place.

“Coming in, I just wanted to better myself and focus on running my race,” said McNeill. “At the indoor championships, I paid too much attention to what the other runners were doing and it worked against me. It was one of my goals to come out on top, so I’m glad to be No. 1 and have a great time to go along with it.”

McNeill applied the finishing touches on a memorable day when she delivered victory with her anchor leg on the 4×400 relay. Parkland was in third place and trailing front runner Southeast Raleigh by 25 meters when McNeill got the baton. At that juncture, it seemed that the best the Mustangs could hope for was a second-place finish.

McNeill gave chase and eventually closed the gap. She caught Sarah Hoffert of Cary on the final turn, and then pulled even with Southeast Raleigh’s Eboni Roberson coming down the final straightaway. McNeill took the lead for good with 35 meters to go and Parkland (Morrison, Williams, Kimani Davis and McNeill) won with a state-meet record time of 3 minutes, 46.57 seconds.

In the sprint relays, Parkland expected to sweep the 4×100, 4×200 and 4×400 as it did at the 2014 outdoor championships.  The Mustangs ruled the 4×200 and set a new state record (1 minute, 36.43 seconds) in the process. The foursome of McNeill, Williams, Miaysha Bryant and Sherman erased the previous mark set by Parkland two years ago.

The only relay event that didn’t go Parkland’s way was the 4×100. The Mustangs were the defending state champs, and they ran fast enough to set a new state record. Yet, they weren’t fast enough to defeat first-place Mallard Creek, which is now the new record holder (46.69 seconds).

Sherman, the 4×100 anchor, came close to wiping out Mallard Creek’s five-meter cushion. The final 25 meters was a mad dash to the finish line and Sherman barely missed pulling off what would’ve been a stunning comeback. Instead, Parkland (Mumford, Jahnae Bowman, Bryant and Sherman) was the runner-up at 46.85.

State championship notes

Chace Washington-Saunders of Reagan couldn’t help but have mixed emotions at the state meet. On the one hand, Washington-Saunders was elated with his second-place finish in the 400 (48.95 seconds). He’s also pleased that he recently signed to run track at Hampton University.

On the other hand, running wasn’t the only object of focus for Washington-Saunders. His thoughts were split between competing for medals and reflecting on the time he was able to spend with his grandfather, Coy Saunders Sr. who passed away recently. The elder Saunders is one of the prime reasons why Washington-Saunders runs.

“I am so blessed to make it to the state meet,” Washington-Saunders said. “But this wasn’t just for me; it was for my grandfather. Now, I’m ready to move on to the next stage, so I can keep going forward with my career in track.”