Wednesday, February 10, 2010
Impressive night for Stevens twins
The sisters record the nation's top two prep times this season in the 3,200 meters.
MARK TAYLOR The Roanoke Times
Joanna (left) and Kathleen Stevens, shown during the cross-country season, helped Blacksburg's indoor track team Monday.
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Blacksburg twins Kathleen and Joanna Stevens were featured this week in Sports Illustrated's "Faces in the Crowd."
Not much of a crowd when you run away from the competition.
The Stevens sisters ran the nation's two fastest times of the 2009-10 high school indoor track season in the 3,200 meters Monday night in the River Ridge District meet at Virginia Tech's Rector Field House, with Kathleen winning in 10 minutes, 19.85 seconds and Joanna placing second in 10:20.64.
"They lapped the field twice," Blacksburg coach James DeMarco said. "They actually ran a lot longer because of that, so it slowed them down."
Both times shattered the previous U.S. best this year of 10:25.66 set by Megan Goethals of Rochester, Mich.
Both girls also ran two 1,600-meter splits that would have broken the old meet record in the 1,600 set by Christiansburg's Kirsten Hagen.
The Stevens twins rank No. 2 and No. 3, respectively, all time in Virginia behind Erin Keogh of Langley, a two-time national champion who ran 9:57.83 in 1987.
Blacksburg won both River Ridge team titles. The girls outscored Cave Spring 158 12 -92 12, while the boys edged Christiansburg 145-118.
Pulaski County's Amber Church won the 55 meters (7.41), 55 hurdles (8.41), high jump (5-2) and long jump (17-9 34), while placing second in the triple jump and fourth in the 300.
Blacksburg's Sarah Dorrell took the 500 (1:22.53) and the 1,600 (5:04.12).
Salem's Scott Campbell won the boys 55 meters (6.73), 300 (36.47) and long jump (22-1 12)
-- Robert Anderson
