ROCKINGHAM — The last time the Richmond Senior High School boys’ and girls’ track and field teams competed, it was the same afternoon the North Carolina High School Athletic Association announced it was postponing spring sports amid uncertainty surrounding COVID-19.
Both Richmond teams won that meet at Scotland High School, and now nearly 14 months later, the Raiders and Lady Raiders begin their new season this week.
Head coach Reggie Miller returns to coach both squads for the first time ever, and it’s his first time coaching the boys since 2012. He’s spent the last eight years as the Lady Raiders’ head coach.
Chris Campolieta, due to football’s spring season, did not return to coach the boys this spring. Assisting this spring are James Tindell, the girls’ assistant and conditioning coach, and Travis Byers, who will do the same for the boys’ team.
“It feels great, this was the longest in 13 years of coaching that I was away from coaching and team competition,” Miller said. “We shut down last March, the NCHSAA canceled indoor track, and now the NCHSAA is allowing us to have outdoor track starting April 28.
“It feels great to get back doing what you love,” he added. “I am so excited to be able to coach both the boys’ and girls’ track teams. I have some great help with me in Coach Tindell and Coach Byers and together we are one unit, we help each other.”
The 2021 season will feature six regular-season Sandhills Athletic Conference meets, two at Richmond, and close with the SAC championship at UNC Pembroke ahead of regionals and states.
Unlike past years, there is an overlap of other spring sports that has impacted this year’s track and field teams. Miller noted that every school in the state is dealing with the same issue, but it was decided ahead of time to reduce Richmond’s rosters to 20-25 athletes this spring.
Miller said roughly 80 percent of the boys team is composed of football players, and with the high school football season wrapping up this past Friday for Richmond, much of the team has not been able to practice track and field.
“We are going to stay competitive by our hard work, determination and commitment,” Miller said. “Our main goal is to work together as a team and improve every day.
“We have 20 hard working girls and 24 boys hard working boys on our roster, and we wanted the quality of the athlete versus the quantity of athletes on our roster,” he added. “The cons to that is hoping your athletes don’t get any injuries because of the low numbers.”
Junior Rayana Shubert prepares to throw a discus during practice last week.
Highlighting the Lady Raiders will be senior Jakerra Covington, who competes in the high jump and long jump. This pre-season, she’s cleared the bar a 5-6 and posted a mark of 17-6 into the sand pit. Sophomore Isis Covington is a leading sprinter, running the 100-meter in 12.7 seconds.
Senior Jamiya Bryant will compete in the 100-meter hurdles (18.3 seconds) and 300-meter hurdles (51.7 seconds). Sophomore Andrea Ellerbe will contribute to middle distance in the 400-meter (1:01.2) and junior Maylyn Wallace will run the longer distance races.
Junior Rayana Shubert will also return for another season as the team’s leader in the throwing events.
Miller added that the girls’ 4×100-meter and 4×200-meter relay teams “are really strong” and will use a five-girl rotation. They’ve been practicing every Saturday on handoffs, exchange zones and mechanics.
“The girls’ strong areas are sprinting, jumping, distance and hurdles,” Miller explained. “We have great sprinters and jumpers in Isis, Jakerra, Andrea and Akeya Harrison.
“Maylyn had a great cross country season making first-team all-conference and she is a great strong distance runner,” he added. “We also have three great hurdlers in Jamiya, Jay’da Williams (sophomore) and Aniya Tanksley (freshman).”
The boys’ team will look different from past seasons, with most of the roster made up of newcomers to the sport. Of the 24 male track and field athletes, only two juniors are returners, while the other 22 have never competed before.
Junior Ke’Sean Ingram is one of those returners, who will compete in the discus event, while fellow junior Trey Thomas will participate in the triple jump and long jump.
“We wanted to build a young team and there are no seniors on the boys’ roster at the present moment,” Miller said. “So, this is a brand new boys’ team, but they are learning and they are working very hard.”
Richmond’s first meet will be Wednesday at host Scotland High School, with fellow Sandhills Athletic Conference teams Purnell Swett and Seventy-First also competing. Events will get underway at 4 p.m.
“We just want to continue working hard at the highest level we can to improve daily,” Miller closed. “If we can do that, success will take care of itself.”
