Beaufort High among favorites for girls’ track championship

Herbert Glaze endured a 13-year wait to deliver another girls’ track championship to Beaufort High until last year’s squad finally brought home the Class 3-A trophy. He may not have to wait nearly as long to hit double digits.

After capturing seven events at last week’s Lower State qualifier, the Eagles placed themselves back among the favorites as competition began Friday night at Columbia’s Spring Valley High.

“It’s just a matter of them performing like they did (last) Saturday and not taking anything for granted,” said Glaze, completing his 41st season since founding the Beaufort program during the 1975-76 school year.

The Eagles, though, aren’t the only Beaufort County team in the spotlight as several spring sports head to their crowning moments Saturday. As many as four other trophies also could be headed back to the Lowcountry if events fall right.

Hilton Head Island could bring back two, with its girls’ soccer team seeking to put its stamp back on the Class 3-A title after seeing its four-year reign end last year. The Seahawks also have a chances in boys’ track, led by its strong pack at distance running.

Battery Creek’s girls also have a shot on the track in the Class 2-A meet, and Beaufort Academy will seek a third consecutive SCISA 2-A boys’ soccer crown when the Eagles take on Northwood Academy in Columbia.

Lowcountry schools already have claimed three state titles this spring, with Hilton Head Prep taking SCISA boys’ titles in both tennis and golf and Beaufort Academy also winning in tennis.

TRACK

Not only did Beaufort’s girls take seven wins from the Lower State qualifiers, they’ll have six other opportunities to build their point total.

“I think they can do well,” said Glaze, for whom another title would be his 10th. “They know what the expectations are. They know that no one is going to give them anything. They just need to do what they’ve been doing all year to try and achieve.”

Seniors Bre-Anna Heyward-White and Tamara Shields and junior Savionna Glover will hold the biggest keys. Glover and Heyward-White are part of four events, while Shields will run in three.

Glover was the top qualifier in both the long jump and triple jump, and owns the second-best time in the 100 meters. Heyward-White topped the qualifying list in both the 200 meters and 400 meters. Both also are part of the 4x100 relay that was nearly a second faster than the next-best qualifier.

Shields qualified in both the 100 hurdles and 400 hurdles and is part of the Eagles’ 4x400 quartet, as is Heyward-White.

Pole vaulter Jackie Barnes also is favored to win her event, and Taylor Johnson is among the co-favorites in the high jump.

Hilton Head Island’s boys are poised to pile up points at the longer distances, with three qualifiers in both the 800 and 1,600 meters. Ben Gilman topped all qualifiers at both distances, along with the 3,200 meters, in which the Seahawks qualified two.

John Baty also was a double qualifier at both the 100 hurdles and 400 hurdles, and the Seahawks are heavy favorites to run off with the 4x400 relay.

Battery Creek will look to Daje Bartley and Diamond Smith in the Class 2-A girls meet, with Bartley winning the 800 meters at Lower State and finishing second in the 400. Smith turned in top-three finishes in both the 100 meters and 200 meters.

GIRLS’ SOCCER

After the shock of not coming home with a trophy last season, Hilton Head Island needed a little time to find its pace. The end destination remains the same, though — a sixth consecutive 3-A final, facing a strong Chapin squad.

“From the beginning of the season to now,” coach Ernie Suozzi said, “it’s day and night. They’ve come together individually and as a group. We have a lot of young players. Just believing in themselves, that’s the biggest thing.”

The Seahawks have won 10 straight, coming together after back-to-back losses to a pair of strong Midwestern visitors in Wisconsin’s Catholic Memorial and Illinois’ North Wheaton. They also have been resilient, winning a pair of one-goal playoff encounters over North Myrtle Beach and Myrtle Beach in the Lower State final.

“It took time to put it together,” Suozzi said. “We have to keep our mistakes down. Our girls can play. It’s the mental errors that can keep us in the game or put us out of the game.”

BOYS’ SOCCER

Ryan Muniz, named Player of the Year on the SCISA All-Region team, leads Beaufort Academy in their quest for a third consecutive title.

Muniz has had a hand in five of the Eagles’ seven goals in the playoffs, scoring twice and assisting on three others. Striker Jacob Dalton tallied two goals in BA’s semifinal victory over Oakbrook Prep.

This story was originally published May 13, 2016 at 8:15 PM with the headline "Beaufort High among favorites for girls’ track championship."