Boys’ Track and Field Athlete of the Year Aaron Lewis, L.C. Bird
Aaron Lewis, a junior at L.C. Bird helped lead a Skyhawk team loaded with talent in all facets.
Lewis ran some sprint events and was part of the 1,600-meter relay team throughout the year, but he shone brightest in hurdling events, particularly the 300.
At the Conference 12 championship meet, Lewis impressed by finishing fifth in the 110-meter hurdle finals. However, he turned heads by running a 38.99 in the the 300-meter hurdles, finishing first and taking the top spot on the podium by .34 seconds. It was a terrific start to the postseason, and Lewis was not done yet.
Lewis did not race as well as he would have wished in the 110 hurdles at the 5A state championship, but he put together a stellar run in his signature event the 300 hurdles. Lewis finished second in the 5A state championship with a scorching 38.26, falling only to Burnell Pulley out of Hampton by a small margin. On top of that, his relay team finished fifth at the meet.
L.C. Bird track and field coach Adam Canning, loves Lewis’s dedication to his craft.
“He’s a first person at the track, last to leave kind of guy,” said Canning. “Hes begun to take the younger hurdlers under his wing, and he’s a great team leader.”
Lewis will look to return next year and vie for an individual state title in the 300-meter hurdles.
Girls’ Track and field Athlete of the Year Titiana Marsh, Thomas Dale
Titiana Marsh continued this spring to solidify her reputation as one of the best track-and-field athletes the area has ever seen.
Known nationally for her jumping ability, Marsh has broken record after record in the triple jump, but still had an impressive year for Thomas Dale in other events.
At the Conference 3 championship meet, Marsh took home first in the 100-meter hurdles, high jump, long jump, and triple jump. At the 6A South regional championship, Marsh finished first in both the long jump and triple jump, and she set an all-time Virginia state record in the triple jump with a jump of 43 feet, 4 inches, shattering the record from 1987.
At the 6A state championship, Marsh once again delivered and won both the long and triple jump. Her triple jump of 43-5 was good for the U.S. high school No. 1 ranking. To put her dominance and overall talent into perspective, that jump would be ranked 21st in the NCAA this season.
Coach Jay Price at Thomas Dale has said before, “She was made to jump,” and she has done nothing more than continue to prove that this spring.
At the New Balance Outdoor Nationals, Marsh finished second in the nation, and was a foul away from possibly finishing first. Disappointed, but certainly not discouraged, Marsh has one more year to tear up the record books at Thomas Dale and take another crack at a national title.
