ROCKINGHAM — The Lady Raider track and field team’s athleticism was on full display on Thursday, helping Richmond notch its first meet victory of the season.
Using an impressive eight first-place finishes, the Lady Raiders coasted to a win with 76 points.
Taking second and third in the Sandhills Athletic Conference meet were Hoke County (39 points) and Southern Lee (18 points) high schools.
Richmond secured the win after taking second in last week’s season-opening contest. The Lady Raiders dominated in jumps (22 points), hurdles (16 points), and throws (13 points), while splitting the 33 sprinting points evenly with 11 points.
The top four finishers in each event recorded points and the Lady Raiders secured the win with 40 points in their eight wins. Richmond added seven second-place tallies (21 points), and five third and five fourth-place marks (combined 15 points).
Taking all four spots in the 100-meter hurdles and earning 11 total points, Ja’Mya Fuller started her 15-point day with a win, crossing the finish line in 16.88 seconds.
Right behind Fuller in second, third and fourth place were Anayjah Dumas (19.48 seconds), Fallon Little (19.56 seconds) and MaKhia Burch (21.07 seconds).
The only competitor in the 300-meter hurdles, Fuller picked up an easy five points and the win with a time of 54.44 seconds.
A strong outing in the triple jump saw the Lady Raiders take first, third and fourth place for eight more points. Dumas won the event with a final distance of 29 feet, 0 inches, and Fuller (26 feet, 4 inches) and Nyla Stroman (24 feet, 6 inches) rounded out the podium.
A pair of one-two finishes in the discus and high jump combined for 16 more points for the Lady Raiders. Shadea Harrison (83 feet, 4 inches) won the discus, followed by teammate Aniston Griggs (70 feet, 7 inches).
Ka’Mora Watkins, who had already qualified for regionals, won the high jump by clearing the bar at 4 feet, 8 inches. Sharonda Henderson took second place (4 feet, 2 inches).
Other first-place finishers were Honesty Horne in the shot put (30 feet, 8 inches), the 4×100-meter relay team (50.66 seconds) and the 4×200-meter relay team (1:48.20).
The 4×100 was run by Akeya Harrison, Isis Covington, Tenaziah McNeil and Watkins, while the 4×200 win was secured by Harrison, Covington, Taylor Newton and McNeil.
Akeya Harrison (12.47 seconds) and Covington (12.60 seconds) added five points with second and third-place finishes in the 100-meter dash behind Gaines Scarborough (12.45 seconds).
Watkins placed second in the long jump (13 feet, 6 inches) as Fuller (13 feet, 4 inches) and Stroman (12 feet, 8 inches) took third and fourth. Olivia Brown impressed with a second-place time of 27.61 seconds in the 200-meter dash, followed by Newton in fourth (27.94 seconds).
Closing out the points were Stroman in the 400-meter race (third, 1:13.37) and Loralye Veach (third, 3:31.00) and Ladayja Cole (fourth, 3:34.00) in the 800-meter run.
Richmond will compete again next Thursday at Southern Lee High School, starting at 4 p.m.
