Labor-Koroma Leads Chargers to Regional Glory
The winter has been a special one for the Chantilly Charger track teams. Both the boys and the girls have experienced post-season success, culminating with the first district title (for the boys) since 1996, and a 3rd place finish for the girls, also the best team since 2004’s 2nd place. The Chargers qualified 24 athletes for regional competition, in 38 events, and entered the Northern Region Indoor Track Championships, last Saturday, February 19th, at George Mason, full of motivation for increased success.
With such a strong contingent entered to compete at regionals, the Chargers had high hopes for a strong team finish. With so many athletes scheduled in so many events, and seeded to do well, the Chargers were tasked with matching or even exceeding their intensity from the district meet. In the end, both the boys and the girls teams had some of the best team scores in team history. The boys scored 53 points, good enough for 3rd place. Their point total was best in team history, while their placing was tied for 2nd best. The girls had their second highest point total with 34.33, while their 5th place team finish was also tied for the second best finish in team history.
BOYS TEAM
The boys were led throughout the competition by their team MVP, senior Mohamed Labor-Koroma, Jr. Nearing the end of a distinguished high school career, Labor-Koroma enjoyed perhaps his best meet. Entered in four events, he placed in three of them. He started the competition off strongly for his team, taking a very strong 2nd place in the high jump. His personal best mark of 6’ 4” established a new CHS record. It was not his last record of the day. In the afternoon, Mohamed ran in the 500m dash, his personal favorite. Having won the regional title the last two years, he became one of those rare athletes who captured regional gold three time in a row, in a strong time of 1:06.10. He returned to the track less than an hour later, and earned his second silver medal of the meet, in the 300m dash. This race also saw him run a personal-best 35.21, and take his second individual school record. His 26 points represented approximately half of the team total, and justified his attention as one of the top athletes in the Northern Region, if not in all of Virginia AAA.
Sophomore Sean McGorty had shown that he has grown up fast, winning three individual distance races at the Concorde District meet. At regionals, he faced slightly better competition, in both the 1600m and 3200m runs. He opened his meet with a brave race in the 1600m, leading the pack from the first lap, and making a bid to break away from the field. He led through the 5th lap, until being caught with roughly 500m to go. Despite his efforts, he lost ground, and kicked it home for 3rd place, after being passed in the last 10 meters by a hard charging rival from Lake Braddock. His time of 4:24.24 was a personal and seasonal best time. He returned to run in the difficult 1600m/3200m double, and ran a smart race, following the top seed through the first mile. In the second mile, though, he lost ground on the leader, and despite the disappointment of falling short, he held on for a solid 2nd place regional finish, the best of his young career.
Senior Arthur McDuffy was another multiple district champion, winning the long and the triple jumps. In this meet, he also showed that he has matured as an athlete, placing in the top six in both events, earning valuable points with his 5th place finishes (20’ 5”- Long Jump) and (44’ 10.75”- Triple Jump). Arthur will travel next weekend for his first trips to the state championships.
In addition to Labor-Koroma, McGorty and McDuffy, the Chargers also celebrated the All-Region success of two other athletes. Junior Miles Ransom earned his first state meet berth with his 6th place finish in the High Jump (5’ 10”). Sophomore Logan Miller did not qualify for the state meet, but did earn All-Region honors in the 3200m (9:55.07), with an inspired race for 8th place.
GIRLS TEAM
The girls team did not enter the meet with the same depth as the boys team, but still came in with their fair share of weapons. Several athletes competed strongly, contending for titles, and while they did not earn any gold medals this year, they did qualify nine athletes for state meet competition in five events.
Senior Nina Ullom is the most experienced member of the team, qualifying for state competition in three seasons since her sophomore year. She has earned multiple district championships in the pole vault in 4x100m relays. This year, she has been regarded as one of the region’s best pole vaulters, and she entered the meet dreaming of continuing the Chantilly run of pole vault success. By all measures, she did not disappoint. Her jump of 10’ 0” equaled her personal best, and helped her win her career-best regional finish of 2nd place, qualifying her for yet another state meet.
The Chargers distance girls squad enjoyed another strong regional meet. The afternoon started off brilliantly for the girls, entered in the 4x800m relay. The team had won a very narrow victory in the event at the Concorde District meet, running 9:54.99. Coming in seeded fifth, they knew they needed to run 9:44.98 (an automatic state qualifying time) or finish in the top-three, in order to go to the state meet. The team, comprised of senior Hannah Strub, sophomore Elise Kinsey, freshman Megan Toole, and sophomore Kendall Cowne, ran an inspired race to finish third overall, also achieving the automatic state qualifying time in the process, with their 9:44.64 time. Cowne showed that she is well on her way to becoming the next in line of Chantilly distance stars when, running in her first regional meet, she ran a blistering 2:59.91 in the 1000m run, taking a strong second place.
The Chantilly girl sprinters also have a legacy of their own to uphold, and this meet proved to be no different. Running in the second of three heats of the 4x200m relay, the girls team finished second overall, and earned a trip to states for senior Tiffany Mitchell, sophomore Samantha Lull and Rachel Reinhardt, and junior Jacki Sieder. Mitchell also took individual honors, moving up to take a solid 6th place in the triple jump (34’ 9”), as well as 8th place in the 55m Dash (7.67). The final Charger medal came from Lull, who tied for 8th place in the High Jump (4’ 8”).
The Charger coaching staff is pleased to have been represented so well by all of their athletes this weekend, and are looking forward to a strong state meet.
Full results can be found at: www.chargercctrack.com/wtresults.html
ALL REGION HONORS
- Mohamed Labor-Koroma- REGIONAL CHAMPION- 500m Dash (1:06.10); 2nd Place- High Jump (6′ 4″- NEW SCHOOL RECORD); 2nd Place- 300m Dash (35.21– NEW SCHOOL RECORD)
- Sean McGorty- 2nd Place- 3200m Run (9:43.41); 3rd Place- 1600m Run (4:24.24)
- Kendall Cowne- 2nd Place- 1000m Run (2:59.91)
- Nina Ullom- 2nd Place- Pole Vault (10′ 0″)
- Arthur McDuffy- 5th Place- Long Jump (20′ 5″); 5th Place- Triple Jump (44′ 10.75″)
- Tiffany Mitchell- 6th Place- Triple Jump (34′ 9″)
- Miles Ransom- 6th Place- High Jump (5′ 10″)
- Samantha Lull- 8th Place (tie)- High Jump (4′ 8″)
- Logan Miller- 8th Place- 3200m Run (9:55.07)
- Girls 4x200m Relay- 2nd Place (1:49.85) (Tiffany Mitchell, Samantha Lull, Rachel Reinhardt, Jacquelyn Sieder)
- Girls 4x800m Relay- 3rd Place (9:44.64) (Hannah Strub, Elise Kinsey, Megan Toole, Kendall Cowne)
