Home > Forums

[Lynn Burke]

Record gone ... and still friends

By Lynn Burke | lburke@dailypress.com

It’s a good thing Denbigh’s Jaymes Brooks and Woodside graduate Ryan Gordon are friends.

A year ago, Gordon set the Peninsula District boys discus record with a throw of 163 feet, 9 inches. Gordon’s throw broke a 25-year old district record, but the new record lasted just one year.

In last week’s district meet, Brooks – using Gordon’s discus – thew 172-9 to lengthen the record by nine feet.

And on Friday, Brooks reached 162-5 to win the Eastern Region championship.

“I saw Ryan use it last year and it cut through the air better,” said Brooks. “It’s thinner and more compact, and with my big hands, I can make it spin tighter.”

Brooks nearly missed doubling when he finished second in the shot put. His 56-4½ put led the competition until Oscar Smith’s Frede Spellman went 56-9½ on his final throw. Brooks fouled on one attempt that was unofficially measured around 58-10.

Gordon doesn’t need that discus now. He throws for Christopher Newport University and uses a 2-kilogram discus. High school implements are 1.6 kilograms (about 3½ pounds.)

BETTER LATE ...

Friday night was prom night at Denbigh. It was also the first day of the Eastern Region track meet, which meant the girls shot put was on the agenda.

Denbigh’s Lakisha Carney quickly left Todd Stadium after her last attempt thinking she had finished second to Bethel’s Kayla Campbell.

As it turned out, Carney’s 38-5½ heave nipped Campbell by a half-inch.

“We couldn’t hear when they called the extra half-inches,” she said. “I thought she had won.”

After a long night at the prom, Carney awoke Saturday morning to find that she had, indeed, won the shot. She celebrated by winning the discus, then went home for some much-needed sleep.

JUST SHY
Now that the team is intact, Hampton’s girls 400-meter relay team is poised to run well at the state meet next weekend.

Hampton finished third in the regional, running 48.01 to winning Bethel’s 47.89. The Crabbers hadn’t done much in the relay earlier in the season since leadoff runner
Brittany Lassiter, a junior, played for the school’s soccer team.

Now that she’s back with the track team full-time and she’s matched up with sophomore Quaniqua Jones and seniors Kristina Chapman and Tierra Brown.

“Three hurdlers and a soccer player,” joked coach Ron Bayton.

WILL HE?

Denbigh sprinter Jaron Peters missed the regional meet with a broken jaw. Coach Juan Jackson said he would know Wednesday if Peters will be able to run at state.

Peters had the best time of all 35 runners entered in the 100 meters and had qualified for the 200.

IMPROVING
Hampton’s Lavell Handy won the triple jump Saturday morning, going 46-8½. He can add that to the Peninsula District title he won a week ago.

Handy, a junior, just began competing last year. Besides the triple jump, he’s involved in the 110- and 300-meter hurdles.

“He’s very competitive and he hates to lose,” said Bayton.