The William Byrd outdoor track team will take to the oval in competition
for the first time this spring when the team hosts the “Terrier Team Challenge” on
Saturday at Robert A. Patterson Stadium in Vinton. The first events begin at 9 am
and 20 schools have signed up to attend the all-day invitational.
Two Byrd boys are hoping to continue the success they had in the recent
indoor season. Senior Wyatte Bailey and junior DeShawn Austin won state Class
3 championships at Liberty University in February. Bailey won the pole vault and
Austin won the 55 meter hurdles.
Bailey recently committed to participate in track at William & Mary
University. He runs sprints and relays for the Terriers but the pole vault is where
he dominates. Wyatte cleared 14 feet to win the state indoor and his career best is
14’6”. Last spring he was second in the state outdoor meet when three vaulters
cleared 13 feet and he was the second to successfully clear the bar.
“I think I can go 15 plus,” he said. “In outdoor track the weather can be a
factor. If it’s windy it can blow your pole when you run, or tilt you one way or
another in the air. The best case would be if the wind is behind you, or no wind at
all.”
Austin won the state indoor in the 55 meter hurdles with a time of 7.69,
his best time ever in that event. In the outdoor season the hurdle events are longer,
and DeShawn will compete in the 110 and 300 meters.
“I enjoy the longer distances,” he said. “Last year in outdoor I was third in
the state in the 300 and 10th in the 110.”
Austin, Bailey, Cooper Minnix, and Noah Thompson combined to finish
third in the indoor state 4×200 meter relay, setting a new school record of 1:31.24.
Minnix and Thompson both play baseball but may be available to run track as
well on days that don’t conflict.
Austin won’t be on that relay early in the season, as he is currently
sidelined with a stress fracture in his back. He’s hoping to return before the big
meets in May. The team will need him as DeShawn is also a big scorer in the
jumping events. He was third in the state indoor triple jump and long jump.
The Terriers finished third in the state as a team in the indoor meet and
they have their sites on finishing as high, or better, in the outdoor meet. Western
Albemarle won the state indoor meet and Heritage, Rustburg and Liberty
Christian Academy also are among the the top teams to contend with for state
honors in the outdoor season.
“I think we can place pretty high, and possibly win it,” said Bailey. “We
have more people coming out for the outdoor team, and some pretty good
athletes.”
