Louisa sweeps Jefferson meet

By Chip Knighton

Published: May 15, 2008

MINERAL — Tyler Stutzman lost one Jefferson District track record on Wednesday without even getting a chance to defend it. But he walked out of the meet with a new, different mark and a big-time scalp.
The Western Albemarle junior passed Orange County star Logan Collins in the final stages of the boys 800-meter run, setting a district record in the process, at the Jefferson District meet. Stutzman and girls competitors Ashontae Jackson (Orange County) and Christen Rhodes (Charlottesville) were the big individual winners, but host Louisa County swept the district boys and girls titles.
Stutzman had already outpaced classmate Kyle Satterwhite by three seconds in the 1,600 when he went up against Collins in the 800. The Hornets senior’s seed time was four seconds better than the rest of the field, but Stutzman passed his foe on the final lap and held him off at the finish line to set a new district record with a time of 1:56.71.
“I tried to make a move with 400 meters to go, and he held that off,” Stutzman said. “So I settled back in, then with 200 meters to go, I tried to go around him again. I got on the outside and eventually succeeded and outkicked him the last 50 meters.”
Western senior Nick Ward saw his 800 record fall by the wayside but won the day’s other big duel in the boys meet. He finished just over half a second ahead of Louisa’s Kurt Fleming in the 400, setting a new district mark in the process.
“Kurt and I have duked it out the last two years, especially at the district meet,” Ward said. “We had a good one last year, and I beat him at Gus Lacy in the first week of the season and he got me back at Dogwood. You know it’s going to be close — I was happy to get the best of him.
“He’s got the good kick at the end. The last 200 meters is his specialty. I knew if I was going to beat him, I had to break him in the first 200.”
Despite the efforts of Stutzman, Ward and Satterwhite — who broke Stutzman’s record in the 3,200 with his time of 9:35.33 — Louisa had an easy time of it in the team competition. Dante Davis (300 hurdles) and Michael Allen (triple jump) were Louisa’s only individual winners, but the Lions finished 42 points ahead of second-place Western by virtue of their depth.
“I didn’t get the chance to see a whole lot of the meet,” said Louisa coach Jerry Cutright. “We had some computer problems today, so I tried to work those out. I got a little sick, so maybe it was better I stayed in the press box away from the team and just let them do their thing.”
Rhodes won four events and Jackson won three in the girls meet, but Louisa finished 18 points ahead of second-place Orange behind senior Nicole Gilliam — who won the discus and the shot put — and the district-best 4x100-meter relay team of Isobel Harris, Kierra Morris, Tara Twitty and Kia Christmas.
Western Albemarle was third and Charlottesville finished fourth — due mostly to the effort of Rhodes, who won the triple jump, high jump and both hurdles events.
“Christen’s having a very good year,” said Charlottesville coach Ron Green. “She’s been solid for us all year long. She’s the mainstay of our track team … She’s having a really good day in the hurdles, the high jump and the triple. She has a pretty full day.”
Charlottesville’s Jessica Jordan staked her claim as the fastest girl in the district with her time of 12.87 seconds in the 100. Orange senior Kevin Pearson won the event in the boys meet.
Jackson won the long jump, 200 and 400, setting a district record in the latter. Her time of 58.05 seconds was more than three seconds better than second-place Imani Dugger of Louisa.
The Hornets team of Jackson, Nicole Walters, Kayla Jones and Lynnie Bresnahan also set a record in the 4x400 relay. Walters also out-dueled top seed Jordan Haws of Western Albemarle in the 800, pulling away on the second lap to win by nearly six seconds.