Keenan Raiders are a young but talented track and field team
By Neill Kirkpatrick
Special to the HSSR
Columbia – The Keenan Raiders finished in the top 11 (B-7/ G-11) at the class AA state track and field meet last season with a mix of senior and young talent and as they head to AAA that young talent looks to step up.
Head coach Zachary Norris is fresh off another state basketball championship, has seen his team get off to a good start in the meets they have had to date.
Leading the team is sophomore Jonathan Davis, who placed in both the 100 and 200 as a freshmen. He finished sixth in the 100 in a time of 10.93 which was just off his personal best to 10.90. In the 200 he placed fourth setting a new personal best of 22.12.
Junior Kenyan Robinson, sophomores Jordan Wilson, Timothy Johnson, Tylynn Brown, and freshman Russell Sutton are other sprinter that look to get better as the year goes on. Robinson and Wilson run the 100 primarily while Johnson is a 200-meter runner.
Brown and Sutton run the 400 meters with Brown already setting a new personal best at 55.96.
Senior Terrell Lee is the top returning 800-meter runner with freshman Jamauri Johnson joining the team this year. At the Eau Claire both posted new personal best with Lee running a 2:14.68 and Johnson ran a 2:27.92. They finished third and fourth at that meet in the event.
The Raiders are solid in the hurdles with Xzeavier Collins. At the Eau Claire meet he placed first in the 400 hurdles. He has a personal best of 1:01 in the 400 hurdles and 16.14 in the 110 hurdles.
Two sophomores are heading up the high jump and long jump events for coach Norris in Marcus Simpson and Deion Hollis.
Victor O’Neal, another sophomore, leads the throwers and set a new personal best in the shot put at the Eau Claire meet with a put of 41.56 feet.
The Lady Raiders are also led by a young group with junior Zarya Mines. She brought home a silver medal at the state meet last season in 800 and finished fourth in the 1600. She has personal best of 2:24.72 in the 800 and at time 5:29.55 in the 1600. She will look to add to her medal total this year.
Sophomore Camille Saunders and freshmen Shanyia Taylor will be running the 100, 200 and the 400 meters.
In the jumpers are senior La’Niyha Belin and sophomores Aniyah House-Barr and Khloe Williams.
