By Mike Schoeffel
On Dec. 19, on a chilly night at Courtland High School, the Caroline boys 4×200 relay team achieved something it hasn’t done in recent memory.
It placed first.
Not only that, it did so by running a new personal best of 1:37.90 and out-running second place King George by nearly two full seconds.
Simply put, it was an emphatic victory, and it impressed Caroline head coach Sansberry Harvey, who’s been at the helm of the program since 1980.
“That’s the first time in a long, long time that we’ve won that relay,” he said.
The boys 4×200 relay team’s strong finish propelled the boys to a third-place finish at that early-season Battlefield District meet last Tuesday. Caroline’s 95 total points put it behind Chancellor (107) and Courtland (115).
Other highlights for the Caroline boys included senior Davion Easter’s first-place finish in the 300-meter. His time of 37.20 was a personal best. Sophomore Donovan Bastidas took first in the triple jump, and senior Daniel Dolvin placed second in the pole vault.
Harvey said he’s been impressed with Easter, a newcomer who has had to split time between academics, a job, and athletics, which the coach said is “difficult to do.” He highlighted seniors Tyler Smith (third in the 55-meter) and Emrique Romero-Baker (third in the high jump) as two guys he hopes will lead what is a fairly inexperienced group.
“Sometimes the stats don’t show what they [Smith and Romero-Baker] do. They’re in here, working hard every day,” said Harvey. “We’re young as a unit, but I think we ran well at Courtland and I think we’ll be able to surprise some people this season.”
The girls finished fifth out of sixth teams at the Courtland meet. Highlights included a third place finish in the 500-meter by freshman Mykayla Davis and a third place finish in the 1,600-meter by junior Guinevere Unterbrink.
Harvey called Unterbrink “one to watch,” as she’s already shaved nine seconds off her time in the 1,600-meter. Harvey is hoping she’ll be able to break the school indoor track record by season’s end. The coach also mentioned freshman Deja Pankey (seventh place in the 300-meter, fifth place in pole vault) as someone who may leave a significant mark on the program by the time she graduates.
“She’s going to be good,” said Harvey. “We’re just trying to figure out where to put her so she can be most effective.”
Harvey, who is in his 37th season, offered no specific win totals or titles as his ultimate goal this season. Instead, he hopes to see his team build on mistakes and grow more competent with each meet.
“Each time you step on the track, your goal should be to improve,” he said. “I want them to go out there and improve their work habits with every practice and every meet.”
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