Arrington wins two at Gar-Field Invitational
Jeff Mankie/For the News & Messenger
Gar-Field’s Lindsi Arrington, center, won the girls’ 1600 and 3200-meter runs at the Gar-Field Invitational.
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Published: May 4, 2008
Once the lead runners crossed the start/finish line for the final go-around, the Gar-Field sopho-more surged to the front to win the mile run at Saturday’s Gar-Field Invitational.
“My coach [Gar-Field coach Jeff Custer] tells me to run the third lap hard,” said Arrington, who won in 5:13.21. “He said you’ll always have energy for the fourth lap, so if I run the third lap hard and have strength to pick it up on the fourth lap, I try to.”
Arrington’s success did not end there. She won the girls’ 3200 in 11:29.39.
Both victories earned Arrington the meet’s female MVP award for running events.
Top-notch finishes from Gar-Field and team victories by Osbourn Park’s girls’ team and Poto-mac’s boys’ team highlighted the meet, held at Gar-Field’s track.
The boys’ 3200-relay was won by Gar-Field in 8:14.62. Gar-Field’s Kevin Aaron took first in the boys’ triple jump (45-08.00), fourth in the long jump (20-04.00). Celina Vanegas placed second in the pole vault (9-00.00) and Noelia Ramirez threw 30-06.75 to finish second in the girls’ shot put. Gar-Field also was second in the girls’ 1600-relay in 4:02.49.
“We always want to come up big at Gar-Field and show what we can really do,” said Gar-Field senior Michell Clark, a member of the 3200-relay team.
Osbourn Park and Potomac’s athletes also flexed their muscles.
Osbourn Park won the 1600-meter relay (3:57.49) and twin sisters Bethany and Brittany Hyter won the 400-meter dash (56.44) and 300-meter hurdles (44.17), respectively. Bethany placed second in the girls’ triple jump (36-03.50) and Brittany got second in the girls’ long jump (17-06.25) to help the Yellow Jackets win the girls’ title with 95 points.
Sophomore Amanda Nocera ran 12.75 to take second in the 100-meter dash and helped the Yellow Jackets place second in the 400-relay (51.28).
“We all did well and ran for each other,” Brittany Hyter said.
Potomac’s Wesley Jones won the long jump (22-01.50) and was second in the triple jump (45-04.00) to win the meet’s male MVP award for field events. Jones also finished second in the 200-meter dash (22.26).
The Panthers used Eric Gyamfi’s 400-meter run victory (49.19), wins in the 400-relay (42.86) and 1600-relay (3:20.81) to finish with 66 points and tie Stafford for first place.
Now comes the challenge of using this momentum to prepare for the Group AAA state meet and what meets remain until the postseason begins.
“We just want to use it as a tune-up meet for states,” Gyamfi said. “We don’t have that many meets left until the championship season.”
Damien Thigpen celebrated victories in the 300-meter hurdles (37.96) and 200-meter dash (22.11) and received the meet’s male MVP award for running events.
Those wins were the climax to what has been a hectic time for the Stonewall Jackson junior. He gave the University of Tennessee a verbal commitment to play football and took his SATs on Satur-day morning after preparing for the exam for several weeks.
“Everything’s good,” Thigpen said. “I got everything out of the way — the Tennessee thing and my SATs. I’ve been doing tutoring for [SATs] for the past six or seven weeks. I’ve got that out of the way.
“My grades are really good, so I can just focus on track right about now.”
RESULTS (LOCAL WINNERS AND LOCAL TEAM FINISHES ONLY)
Girls team scores
1. Osbourn Park 95, 4. Gar-Field 48, 5. Potomac 36, 6. Brentsville 26, 7. Stonewall Jackson 24, 10. Woodbridge 15, 17. Hylton 4, 18. Freedom 3, 18. Forest Park 3.
High jump: 1. Pearl Bickersteth (Potomac) 5-06.
400-relay: 1. Stonewall Jackson 51.05.
1600-meter run: 1. Lindsi Arrington (Gar-Field) 5:13.21.
400-meter run: 1. Bethany Hyter (Osbourn Park) 56.44.
300-meter hurdles: 1. Brittany Hyter (Osbourn Park) 44.17.
200-meter dash: 1. Yvonne Amegashie (Potomac) 24.88.
3200-meter run: 1. Lindsi Arrington (Gar-Field) 11:29.39.
1600-meter relay: 1. Osbourn Park 3:57.49.
Boys team scores
1. Potomac 66, 3. Gar-Field 52, 4. Woodbridge 51, 7. Osbourn Park 30, 10. Brentsville 24, 11. Forest Park 22, 13. Stonewall Jackson 14, 17. Freedom 5, 18. Hylton 4.
High jump: 1. Melvin Villalta (Osbourn) 6-04.
Pole vault: 1. John Brennen (Forest Park) 12-06.00.
Long jump: 1. Wesley Jones (Potomac) 22-01.50.
Triple jump: 1. Kevin Aaron (Gar-Field) 45-08.00.
110-meter hurdles: 1. Paul DeVito (Osbourn Park) 14.61.
400-meter relay: 1. Potomac 42.86.
400-meter dash: 1. Eric Gyamfi (Potomac) 49.19.
300-meter hurdles: 1. Damien Thigpen (Stonewall Jackson) 37.96.
800-meter run: 1. Andrew McGreal (Woodbridge) 1:58.54.
200-meter dash: 1. Damien Thigpen (Stonewall Jackson) 22.11.
3200-meter run: 1. Cameron Shaver (Forest Park) 9:44.78.
1600-meter relay: 1. Potomac 3:20.81.
3200-meter relay: 1. Gar-Field 8:14.62.
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