ROCKINGHAM — The Richmond Senior High School girls’ track and field team got its season off to a fast start with a first-place finish in Tuesday’s season opener.
After rain postponed the Lady Raiders’ first two meets of the season, they tallied 107 points to defeat visiting Hoke County and Southern Lee high schools.
Hoke County took second with 53 points, and Southern Lee failed to register a point in any event.
Head coach Reggie Miller said it was the first time in his coaching career Richmond has ever shut out an opponent.
The Lady Raiders scored 23 points in sprints, 20 points in hurdles, 19 points in distance, 16 points in relays, 15 points in throwing and 14 points in jumps.
Richmond swept the top three spots in two events — the 100-meter dash and the 100-meter hurdles.
I’liyah Hailey (left) and Aniyah Tanksley (right) helped sweep the 100-meter hurdles. (Kyle Pillar/The Richmond Observer)
Winning the open 100 was Andrea Ellerbe (12.30 seconds), followed by Akeya Harrison (12.60 seconds) and Isis Covington (12.80 seconds).
In the hurdles, the top three were Aniyah Tanksley (18.08 seconds), I’liyah Hailey (20.05 seconds) and Jamaya Fuller (20.07 seconds).
As a team, Richmond totaled 12 first-place finishes on the day, and added six events that were one-two finishers.
Ella Munn (6:56) and Juliane Weigand (7:55) took the top two spots in the 1600-meter run, and I’liyah Hailey (56.39 seconds) and Anayjah Dumas (1:00) finished first and second in the 300-meter hurdles.
Also taking first and second in their respective events were Jocelyn Hunter (long jump, 14 feet, 3 inches) and Miccah Wall (long jump, 12 feet, 11 inches), Rayana Shubert (shot put, 27 feet, 5 inches) and Honesty Horne (shot put, 24 feet, 11 inches).
Wallace took first in both the 800-meter race (2:37) and 3200-meter run (14:03), Shubert also won the discus with a throw of 73 feet, 1 inch, and the girls’ 4×100 and 4×200 relay teams both took first with respective times of 49.17 seconds and 1:48.44.
Aniyah Tanksley clears the high jump bar during Tuesday’s meet. (Kyle Pillar/The Richmond Observer)
Richmond’s final first-place finish was Ellerbe in the open 200-meter, clocking in with a time of 25.60 seconds. Harrison finished third in that event with a mark of 28.08 seconds.
Helping collect points were the 4×400 and 4×800-meter relay teams, which ran race times of 5:18 and 13:30.
The Lady Raiders also earned second and third place in the open 400-meter dash and the high jump. In the 400, it was Wall in second (1:03.22) and Alexia Watson (1:15.22) in third.
Tanksley cleared the high jump bar at 4 feet, 8 inches for second and Dumas placed third with a height of 4 feet, 6 inches.
With the win, Richmond will prepare for the Union Pines Relays meet on Saturday, which will begin at 9 a.m.
