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Rocky Mount High’s Detrell Revis, right, passes the baton to Tyrese Gilliam during the 4×200 meter relay Wednesday during the Big East Conference Track & Field Championships at Rocky Mount High School.
©TELEGRAM PHOTO / ALAN CAMPBELL
Nash Central’s Byron Hawkins, right, and Rocky Mount High’s McKenzy Wright compete in the 110-meter hurdles Wednesday during the Big East Conference Track & Field Championships at Rocky Mount High School.
©TELEGRAM PHOTO / ALAN CAMPBELL
Brandon Richardson had a hamstring injury almost knock him out of running in the Big East track meet on Wednesday.
But another hamstring injury required him to run anyway, and he was fine with it by the end of the day.
The Northern Nash junior claimed the long jump title, finished second in the triple jump and helped his 4×200 team relay squeak by for a victory as the Knights claimed second place at Rocky Mount High.
The Gryphons won the event for the fourth consecutive season. Nash Central and Wilson Hunt tied for third place, followed by Southern Nash and Wilson Fike, respectively.
Richardson and the 4×200 unit had already qualified for the 3-A regionals, which will be held in Swansboro on May 12. The Knights ran down the Gryphons in the final stretch of that race, and Richardson was happy to be part of it.
“I wasn’t even supposed to run today,” Richardson said. “My friend was actually supposed to run the second leg (of the 4×200), but he hurt his hamstring today, so I had to fill in for him.
“I just did the best I could.”
Richardson qualified already in the long jump as well. He notched a 42-foot, 10-inch triple jump, which was actually a personal best. But it was two inches short of the NCHSAA’s qualifying requirement.
The junior pulled his right hamstring on Monday. He said he wasn’t nervous running on the tender leg, but he tried to work on it all day to be ready to perform.
“I just keep stretching,” Richardson said. “I just stretched all class period, even while I was doing my work I just stretched my leg.”
Richardson wasn’t the only runner nursing a hamstring. Southern Nash’s Nadir Thompson, the defending 3-A state title winner in the 200-meter dash, hasn’t run in the last few weeks after tweaking one of his.
Southern Nash boys coach Brian Batchelor said the coaches targeted the Big East meet for Thompson’s possible return, but they opted to rest him. The plan is for him to come back for regionals, which he had already qualified in the 100, 200, 400 as well as the 4×100 and 4×200.
Batchelor stressed to Thompson that he didn’t need to rush back. The hamstring wasn’t too serious, but there was no need to risk making it worse. The coach said his runner is ready to be back in his running uniform.
“He wasn’t very frustrated that first week because that thing was hurting,” Batchelor said. “He has responded to his therapy and rehab really quick.
“He is chomping at the bit now though.”
Rocky Mount High earned another stellar showing from Sherrod Greene. The South Carolina football signee and defending state champion in the shot put earned the conference title, as well as finished second in the 200 and the discus. He was two points short of winning the boys conference runner of the year, which went to Northern Nash’s Malcolm Wade.
Gryphons boys coach Sonya Pickett said the senior is a lock to contend for any event he is in.
“He ran a 22.68 today, which was a PR,” Pickett said. “You don’t generally get runners that run that fast.
“It is rare that you find that combination between the two.”
By ETHAN JOYCE
Sports Writer for Rocky Mount Telegram
Wednesday, May 3, 2017
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