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In the first meet of the indoor track and field season, Parry McCluer High School senior Kovyk Chandler broke his own school record in the boys’ 3200-meter run, finishing in 9:28.12 at the Liberty Flames High School Invitational on Saturday at Liberty University.
In March, Chandler had set a school record when he won the Class 1 and 2 state title in the 3200-meter run in 9:46.72. On Saturday, he placed second of 33 runners, only trailing Gainesville’s Trent Daniels, who won in 9:19.29. Abingdon’s Rives Boltwood finished third in 9:28.67.
Also competing in the race was freshman Kebryl Chandler, Kovyk’s younger brother, who placed fifth in a personal-record of 9:46.69, also faster than the previous school record. Last month, Kovyk won the Class 1 state cross country meet to lead the Blues to their third team title in five years, and Kebryl placed second.
All of the PM boys who ran cross country, along with the two PM girls, are running indoor track.
Kovyk looks to defend both his 3200meter and 1600-meter run titles.
Josh Cooper and Logan Wheelock are both sophomores who ran cross country and both track seasons last year. Also running are freshman Samuel Carpenter and sophomore Caden Mason. Mason was a member of both outdoor and indoor track teams last year as a sprinter.
For the PM girls, sophomore Kyra Lee and senior Jasmine De Souza will run distance races.
As a freshman, Lee placed sixth in the 3200-meter run in the Class 1 state outdoor track and field meet, just ahead of seventhplace De Souza. Last month, Lee placed 21st at the state cross country meet.
Going into his 17th year as PM’s head track and field coach, Chris Poluikis says that one of his fundamentals as a coach is consistency. “I’ve never treated the program like a club team,” he said, “We practice almost every day. If it’s a little rainy or cold outside, the kids are never waiting on a text from me to say practice isn’t going to happen. The growth of the group I’ve had isn’t fast, but it’s continuous. The consistency to keep going is what’s been key.”
Poluikis expects the Chandler brothers to focus on the 3200-meter run but also to double in the 1600-meter run at times. Wheelock will primarily focus on the 3200-meter, while Cooper’s main event will be the 1600meter run, while Mason’s focus will be on the 800-meter. As it is Sam Carpenter’s first season on the team, his main event is undecided. For the girls, Poluikis said Lee and De Souza will focus on the 3200-meter run.
Danny Cole will be returning for another year as the Blues’ throwing coach. The Blues return three throwers for this year’s indoor season: junior Rayshan Richards and sophomores Griffin Harlow and Kamilah Richardson. Joining the group will be sophomore Vincent Wilson, who threw during the outdoor season.
For the girls last winter, Kamilah Richardson placed eighth at the state meet, and she followed up by placing 10th at the state outdoor meet.
“Kamilah’s newfound explosiveness and aggression in throwing should help her have a great year, along with her experience,” said Cole.
For the boys, Cole expects Harlow and Rayshawn Richardson to push for state qualification this season, and he likes the promise Wilson has shown. “Vincent is showing a good desire to be a thrower that can contend and is willing to learn all the techniques to get him there,” said Cole.
Before the holiday break, the Blues will travel to Liberty University on Saturday for the Liberty High School Christmas Invitational.
