South Lake High School's Ballard Runs State-Qualifying Time In 400 Meters

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PHOTOS: Devyn Jones (in blue); Emily McGrath; Timiebi Ogobri.

Led by junior Skander Ballard’s performance in the 400 meters, more than 20 South Lakes High School track athletes qualified for post season meets at the =PR= Northern Virginia Invitational April 10-11 at James Robinson Secondary School in Fairfax, according to a news release from Fairfax County Public Schools.

Ballard finished third in the 400 meters with a state-meet qualifying time of 49.35. He also qualified for the Liberty Conference 6 meet in the pole vault (11-00.00, 7th) and long jump (20-03.00, 6th). Ballard, juniors Alex Rudison, Eric Kirlew and sophomore Timiebi Ogobri finished fourth in the 4x100 meter relay with a Northern Region 6-qualifying time of 44.40.

Rudison, Kirlew and Ogobri also qualified in individual events: Rudison in the pole vault (10-06.00, 10th, conference), Kirlew in triple jump (43-05.00, 2nd, region) and 100 meters (11.66, 11th conference), Ogobri in the 100 meters (11.64, 10th, conference) and 200 meters (23.61, 22nd, conference).

Senior Nathan Stone qualified for the region meet in both the 100 high hurdles (15.76, 3rd) and high jump (5-10.00, 6th). Fellow senior Sam Arpee ran a region qualifying time of 50.67 in the 400 meters (10th) and qualified for the conference meet with a 23.48 in the 200 meters (17th). Arpee, senior Collin Weirick, junior Nikolai Waithe and sophomore Ashton Reinhold finished sixth in the 4x400 meter relay in 3:31.30, meeting the region standard.

On the girls team, senior Claire Nieusma qualified for the region meet in both the 400 meters (59.98, 5th) and 300 meter intermediate hurdles (47.94, 4th). Sophomore Devyn Jones met region standards in the finishing second in the long jump (16-08.50) and third in the 100 meter hurdles (15.47). She also qualified for the conference meet with her 48.89 (7th) in the 300 meter hurdles.

Freshman Olivia Beckner (2:26.82, 9th) and senior Augusta Durham (2:29.18, 12th) qualified for the conference meet in the 800 meters. Senior Samantha Webb did the same in the 300 hurdles (5.56, 14th) and 400 meters (1:02.16, 17th). Natalie Schauer, also a senior, conference qualified in both throw events with a 27-10.50 (19th) in the shot and 78-04.00 (11th) in the discus.

Other conference qualifying performances at the meet:

• Jeremiah Norman, discus, 128-11.00 (4th)
• Abby Wickman, pole vault, 7-00.00 (17th)
• Mckenzie Walsh, pole vault, 7-00.00 (17th)
• Madison Carrens, pole vault, 7-00.00 (17th)
• Kristian Gendron, pole vault, 10-00.00 (19th)
• Nikolai Waithe, 400 meter, 51.92 (17th)
• Maya Rodriguez, 300 hurdles, 49.53 (9th)
• Emily McGrath, 3200 meters, 12:02.21 (9th)
• Morgan LaRow, 3200 meters, 12:04.58 (10th)
• Sean Miller, 3200 meters, 9:53.97 (9th)
• Andrew McCool, 3200 meters, 9:55.31 (12th)