Indian Land’s Rodman wins 1,600-meter title

Despite a small contingency between both Fort Mill and Nation Ford High schools, both local schools represented well in the 4A track and field championships Saturday at Spring Valley High School.

The biggest local winner of the day was for Indian Land High eighth-grader Kaitlyn Rodman, who won the 1,600 meters in 5:26.53. Rodman also placed seventh in the 800 meters in 2:32.10 and seventh in the 3,200 meters in 13:35.09. Sophomore Mikayla Wallace finished fourth in the 100 meters in 12.27 for the Lady Warriors.

Fort Mill had five representatives, four girls and one boy, and Nation Ford had three girls and one relay team in the 4x400 meters. Wando girls won the 4A team title with Fort Mill finishing 13th and Nation Ford finishing 21st.

Sophomore Jessica Brewer of Fort Mill came into the meet as one of the favorites to win the pole vault after having already set a school record twice this season and bringing with her a personal best of 11 feet, 9 inches. Brewer, who made All-State, said she was happy with her second-place performance after clearing 11 feet, 6 inches behind James Island senior Hailey Sweatman, who cleared 12 feet. Sweatman holds the state record with a 12 foot, 8 inch vault last year.

“Hopefully, the future will treat me well,” Brewer said, regarding her two more years in the sport. “By the end of my senior year, I want to be clearing 13 feet.”

Brewer’s sister, Anna, also a sophomore, finished seventh in the 400 meter hurdles with a time of 1:05.69, a personal record for her. Like her sister, Anna Brewer earned All-State honors in the event.

Fort Mill freshman Kaj Campbell finished eighth in the shot put with a throw of 31 feet, 11 inches. Yellow Jacket senior Sharae Redmond finished tied for second in the high jump clearing 5 feet, 2 inches. Nation Ford sophomore Laura Manning also participated in the high jump and finished seventh at 4 feet, 10 inches.

Nation Ford sophomore Angelnique Bryant finished sixth in the 100 meters with a time of 12.46. Falcons’ freshman Elaine Griffith placed seventh in the 400 meters with a time of 59.29.

In the 4x400 meters, Nation Ford finished eighth in the event with a time of 4:02.61.

The only boy in the field for either school was Fort Mill senior Ian Murray, who finished tied for sixth in the high jump after clearing 5 feet, 10 inches.

In the 2A state track and field championships, Indian Land’s boys’ team finished 11th and the girls team finished 14th. The Lady Warriors girls’ 4x800-meter relay finished eighth in 11:17.04, while the boys’ 4x100-meter relay team finished third in 44.03.

Individually for the boys, Indian Land senior Markese McCleod finished seventh in the shot put with a throw of 42 feet, 8 inches. In the 110 meter hurdles, junior John Gregory finished fourth in 15.55, second in the 400 meter hurdles in 57.87 and seventh in the triple jump with a total of 41 feet, 4.5 inches. Senior Joshua Jacobs finished seventh in the 400-meters in 50.88.

This story was originally published May 16, 2016 at 3:53 PM with the headline "Indian Land’s Rodman wins 1,600-meter title."