ROCKINGHAM — It’s been almost three weeks since the Richmond girls indoor track team has faced competition, but head coach Reggie Miller is confident that his group will be ready to go when it travels to Reid Ross Classical School in Fayetteville for the South View Polar Bear No. 3 this Saturday, Jan. 12.
The Lady Raiders have shown a high level of focus throughout practice this week, Miller says, and are eager to perform well in their 2019 debut — which will also be another opportunity for team members to qualify for States.
“I think the kids are very focused, and I think the hard work they’ve put in since we’ve come back off the break is going to pay off for them,” Miller said. “We’ve been able to get some good workouts in these last couple of days.
“We’re going to try and be balanced like we were the last time we went to Fayetteville.”
Working to make sure its handoffs were up to par near the end of Thursday’s practice was the 4x200m relay team, which has already punched its ticket to the 4A NCHSAA State Championship meet. It was the quartet of senior Nyasia Covington and juniors Maddisyn Diggs, Monasia Kearns and Dymond McNeal that ran the qualifying time (1:47.90) in the team’s season opener, but sophomore Aniya Robinson has sinced filled in for Covington.
Although the 4×2 squad is sporting somewhat of a new look, Miller still believes that group has the talent and the work ethic to do something special. He gathered with the girls on the school’s track Wednesday afternoon, when Richmond doesn’t practice as a team, and worked with them on their speed and agility ahead of their return to competition.
“I was actually amazed at what they ran (in the first race) because at the end of last year we ran a 1:47.60 in the regional. So them running (just about) the same time let me know they were already at their peak,” Miller said. “I think they’re focused and they know what the goal is: not just to get to the state championship, but to try and win it.”
Janai Davis has also already qualified for the state competition, doing so in the shot put. The senior threw a meet-best 32 feet and 4 inches when the Lady Raiders’ visited Reid Ross to kick off the 2018-19 season.
“She’s a strong shot putter,” Miller said of Davis.
Looking to join Davis and the 4×2 relay team at States, which will take place at the JDL Fast Track in Winston-Salem in early February, is junior Kibreanna Stewart in the high jump and senior Tasheka Harrington in the shot put.
Stewart just missed out a qualifying measurement at the Patriot Holiday Invitational (Dec. 22, 2018), where she jumped 4 feet, 10 inches. Harrington, the team’s No. 1 shot putter a season ago, threw 29 feet, 11 inches at the same event.
With only two meets left in the regular season, those two are looking to qualify sooner rather than later.
As for the team as a whole, Miller says he’s constantly reminding everyone to give the same amount of effort they would give at an official meet. That way, when it’s time to actually compete, they won’t have any problem getting good results.
“This is probably one of the best group of girls I’ve had. They work hard and they don’t play around,” he said. “It’s cold out here today and they’re out here working. Giving 100 percent. They have zero excuses.”