December 19, 2022
On Sunday, December 18th Team VA returned to the Armory -NYC for the second competition of the year, the Armory Youth Winter Solstice Classic, and improved on their record performances from the first competition.
Although F. McKenna ran a new personal best in the 55mH (8.64s) at a dual meet this past Wednesday, she was under the weather and could not compete at the Winter Solstice Classic. However, even as a heptathlete, McKenna’s performance in the 55mH ranked her within the top 50 HS hurdlers in the US (12/19/2022).
Team VA entered the Winter Solstice Classic with 4 athletes (A. Diem, A. Flanigan, M. Demeo, and T. Taggert) and returned with five 1st place medals and two second places.
In the pole vault, A. Flanigan picked up her second gold medal for the season while A. Diem would have a big break through in his vault improving his PR to 3.20m / 10’ 6” for second place in his division.
While M. Demeo was unsatisfied with his performance in the 55m, he balanced out in the long jump just a few inches shy of his indoor best. Demeo picked up a silver medal with a lot waiting in the reserve. On his best jumps he was off the board by a foot indicating jumps over 20’ soon.
Demeo closed the day with a 1.85m / 6’0.75” performance in the high jump for a first place and new personal indoor best.
Finally, 10-yr old T. Taggert continued to set fire to the track winning 3 gold medals while dominating her age group, and even beating a few high schoolers. The meet announcer broadcast her name throughout the facility regarding how she was dominating her competition.
Taggert first lit the track in the 55m where she blazed to the finish line in 8.36s, almost half a second faster than her previous best. Her 55m performance is within the US Top 50 in her age group.
In the 200m Taggert continued the heat streak and medal count with a new personal best of 29.03s, more than a second faster than her previous best.
Finally, in the 400m T. Taggert raced to a final gold medal with a lifetime best of 1:05.58. which is within the top 20 US performances in her age group this year.
Team VA will return to competition next Wednesday at the Armory Youth Holiday Classic at the Armory in NYC.
Live Results Link: https://www.athletic.net/TrackAndField/meet/478015/results