gwinnettdailypost.com
FRIDAY, MAY 9, 2014 • 5B
BOYS STATE TRACK & FIELD NOTES
Lanier’s Valentine wins third triple jump crown By Ben Beitzel
Actually, he admitted, he didn’t practice it at all. Unlike last year, where McDuffie jumped in two separate events and ran one hurdles race, this year he plans to race in both hurdles and decided to just focus on the triple jump. Without practicing, the focus was relying on muscle memory and past practice. It didn’t get him a personal best, but it did win him a state title. Buford’s Dequavious Picou competes in the Class AAA With a jump of 49 feet, discus during Thursday’s track & field state championMcDuffie won by nearly a ships at Jefferson Memorial Stadium. (Photo: Kyle Hess) foot over Lovejoy’s Preston Williams and was also head of North Gwinnett’s Devante’ Kershaw, who finished fifth. But with the jump over, McDuffie left Jefferson on Thursday hoping to live up to his top billing in both the 110 and 300 hurdles. “Now I can just focus on the hurdles and get what I can get,” McDuffie said.
ben.beitzel@ gwinnettdailypost.com
JEFFERSON — Devin Valentine owns the perfect hat to wear to the Georgia boys state track and field meet. Well now, he owns three. Calling it a small bit of “intimidation” the Lanier senior wore his 2013 state champion hat before and after he competed in his signature triple jump event this year. A two-time winner already, the hat didn’t cause Valentine’s early trouble, it was his shoes. He modified his worn track shoes with new soles prior to the meet and scratched in an early jump and limped into the finals against as tough a field as the Louisville-bound Valentine has seen with a jump of 47 feet, 4.25 inches. “It was really rough,” Valentine said. He removed the soles for the finals and turned in final jumps of 48-08 and 4809, an inch away from his best jump, but far enough for his third straight state title in the triple jump, this year in Class AAAA. On the victory podium, he swapped his faded white 2013 white hat for a crisp 2014 red version. “It’s humbling every time,” Valentine said. “This year, I knew there was tough competition. I knew it wasn’t going to be easy.” Valentine bested the runner up Chris McBride of Redan by less than nine inches. Teammate and classmate Simon Shafack finished fifth with a best jump of 45-07.5. “They made me work for it,” Valentine said, “which hasn’t happened in a long time.” Relief, victory by an ankle Bailey Vitatoe sat with
Buford’s Picou sees
Parkview’s John Patterson competes in the Class height of competition Lanier’s Devin Valentine competes in the Class AAAA tri- AAAAAA discus during Thursday’s track & field state During one of the day’s ple jump during Thursday’s track & field state champion- championship meet at Jefferson Memorial Stadium. most impressive displays, ships at Jefferson Memorial Stadium. (Photo: Kyle Hess) (Photo: Kyle Hess) Buford’s Dequavious Pi-
the perfect angle to see the high jump bar. The Brookwood senior had just missed his third and final attempt at besting seven feet and, along with North Gwinnett’s John Paul Harley, watched Newnan’s Joshua Hill make his last past. “I had the perfect angle, I saw his shoulder get over and then his butt, that’s the hardest thing to get over, I was hitting it with my butt all day,” Vitatoe said. “Then his ankle hit (the bar).” Hill’s miss sent the championship to previous misses and with just two in the competition, Vitatoe claimed his first state title in the last event of his high school career. “This was my goal all
year,” Vitatoe said just following the announcement by the official. Once the event reached 6 feet, 10 inches, there were just three remaining, adding intensity to the championship. They all hit the height on their third try. For Harley it was a personal best and he celebrated accordingly. “I couldn’t believe I got over it,” said Harley, who finished third. “I don’t think I’ve ever been so excited high jumping.” Vitatoe was more reserved, at least in the moment, but promised he was thrilled. “I don’t know why I didn’t (act excited),” he said. “I’m definitely excited.”
Patterson survives slight trepidation John Patterson thought, perhaps, nerves played a role in his first few throws. The Parkview senior, headed to Wofford to play football next season, tossed his first two discus attempts less than 160 feet, well below the expectations. “It was a little bit of nerves,” Patterson said. Patterson, a two-time state placer in discus, was runner-up a year ago at the state meet. The success set his sites higher this year. Patterson reached the finals and, sufficiently calm, unleashed a throw of 175-01, breaking his own school record and winning the Class AAAAAA discus
state title by more than five feet. “I am going to college to play football, I thought this is my last opportunity with track,” Patterson said. “I wanted to end on a good note.” Not only did Patterson win and set a new personal mark in the discus, earlier in the day he finished fifth in the shot put with another personal best throw of 5307.25. “That showed a little want-to,” he said. “I knew time was dwindling down to put it all together.” Bigger hurdles ahead for Shiloh’s McDuffie Shiloh’s Jeremy McDuffie didn’t spent much time practicing his triple jump this past week.
cou watched from up close. The Buford junior was in the same Class AAA discus final flight as St. Pius X’s Daniel Haugh while the eventual champion threw well past all of his competition. Picou didn’t set a new personal best, but finished seventh in the event with a throw of 133-07, 61 feet shy of Haugh. “It just shows you there is room for improvement,” Picou said. “Lot’s of improvement. “You just have to be yourself. You can’t be anyone else. You just have fun.” Picou also competed in the shot put, coming short of placing, but near his goal distance. “I felt good today,” he said. “It was a good day.”
Getting to Know … Kimberlee Hajiric An individual coming back to coach at one’s alma mater is hardly unusual. To do so at the young age of 23, as new Collins Hill volleyball coach Kimberlee Hajiric will begin doing this summer, is. The former Eagles standout and 2009 Collins Hill graduate isn’t a total newcomer, having coached the school’s junior varsity team last fall. She recently spoke with staff writer David Friedlander about the challenges of being such a young coach and returning to coach a program which she played for just some five years ago under her maiden name, Kimberlee Mankin. DF: Did you ever imaging getting a varsity head coaching opportunity this early in your career? Was coaching even in your plans when you graduated high school? KH: I think that in the back of my mind, I always wanted to coach. Obviously, when you’re going to (college) and trying to decide on a degree, you choose a career, and then if your passion falls into place, then great. I think that coaching is a passion of mine. So I’m not surprised to do that on top of teaching. But no, I never imagined being able to coach at 23.
for a few years after you graduated. Does it seem strange to you that one of your former coaches is now working with and for you? KH: Yes. (Laughs) It’s strange, but it’s great at the same time. She and I have developed a friendship through all of this, which I think you never imagine in high school that you’re ever going to be friends with your assistant coach and working alongside her. So it’s neat, and I’m excited. We both have the Collins Hill grad Kimberlee Hajiric was recently named same passion and we’re the head volleyball coach at her alma mater. (Staff Photo: very similar in how we David Friedlander) coach. been so welcomed here. DF: While this is your first varsity head coaching job, it’s not like you’re being thrown into the fire, right? KH: This past year, I was the JV coach. And then throughout college, I was doing skill camps and mostly side coaching stuff.
DF: It’s still an enormous responsibility for anybody of any age. Is that something that you thought about when you were interviewing for the job? KH: Yes. People keep telling me I’m going to discover this. I think my lack of hesitation just comes from — I think I just kind of take things as DF: Did you ever imag- they come to me. Is this ine yourself coming back job a big responsibility? to your former school to Yes. Do I think I’m totally teach and coach? capable? Absolutely. KH: No, I never thought that I would be back at DF: Inevitably, quesCollins Hill. Now that I’m tions about your age will back, I don’t really imagcome up, likely from parine myself at (another) ents, or even colleagues, school just because I have who are skeptical that
you’re ready to handle this job yet. I get the feeling you’ve got an idea of how to answer those questions. KH: Yeah, I think being in education helps with that. I would say as a teacher, you’re given the responsibility of educating somebody’s child. That’s a huge responsibility in itself. I have dealt with parents on that kind of level. So I would say there are going to be people who doubt me and doubt my ability because of my age. I think that (Collins Hill administration has) given me this position, but they haven’t given it to me alone. I have a supportive staff that’s really helped. Scarlett (Straughan), my assistant, is going to be a big help. DF: Which leads to the inevitable next question. Scarlett was an assistant coach with the program when you were playing here and eventually took the head coaching job
DF: It’s got to be nice to have someone with her experience to lean on in the early days as you get your feet wet, so to speak. KH: Yeah, it is really great. … She’s been a head coach and she knows what to expect, and I think should there be anything in front of me that I can’t handle or I’m not really sure about, she’ll be there. DF: Now, when Scarlett stepped down, she moved over to help softball coach Paul Pierce as an assistant to his staff, which, if I remember correctly, is something she was really looking forward to doing at the time. I guess the fact she’s willing to put that aside to come back to help you with the volleyball program says a lot, doesn’t it? KH: Yes, and I appreciate her for that, too. She’s the type of person that she’s going to do whatever benefit the most people. I think softball is something she really wanted to do,
but she’s willing to come back, and I think that says a lot about her character. DF: That said, not only is your top assistant going to be familiar with you, I’m sure some of these players will be, too. Some of these older ones, in particular, you probably know not only from the JV program last year, but as they were growing up in neighborhood. KH: Yeah, a couple of them. Our setter Jen Ahlswede, I actually played with her sister (Katherine). She was a freshman when I was a senior. So you get that a little bit. I’m teaching some of my friends’ siblings now. DF: I’m thinking you might have already worked with some of them through neighborhood junior camps. Do you think that’s going to help you work with them now on the high school level and maybe relate to them, since they already know what you’re like? KH: Yeah, and what’s nice is the girls that I’ve coached on the JV level, the girls that do move up to varsity, they know what to expect from me. So I think that’s a good position to be in coming in. They know what to expect from me as a coach already. DF: The other really big challenge you face coming in is competing in an area that has been dominated by the likes of North Gwinnett and Mill Creek in recent years, and in a state in which outside areas like North Fulton and Cobb County
have dominated. While the program has had its share of success of the years, what do you think you need to do to help bring it up to another level? KH: I think that the middle school program that (outgoing coach) Ashley (Watson) started two years ago … is going to be essential. What we’re finding is, in order for even Gwinnett County schools to compete with the rest of the state, … we’ve got to build a feeder program. We need girls coming up playing volleyball from young ages. You see that with all the other sports except volleyball. DF: It seems like Gwinnett County has just been getting started with that in recent years. KH: I’t’s interesting because every other sport, … a lot of the younger programs already have that in place. But I think with volleyball, because you need a facility, it’s not just outdoors on a field, it’s been a little tougher. And we compete with gym space with basketball and other sports. DF: Have you developed a plan yet on how you plan to build the team on the court? KH: I like to build well-rounded players. Obviously, in volleyball height plays a lot into it, but I would like my girls to be able to play all the way around (the court). I want them to play front row and back row and really be scrappy, dynamic players who can adjust to whatever (situation).