2016 DCSD Track and Field Champions — Chamblee Lady Bulldogs

A year ago the Chamblee Lady Bulldogs made school history with the programs first ever DCSD Track and Field Championship over perennial championships contender Redan.

The Lady Bulldogs wanted a repeat in 2016 and fueled by a big first day in the field events held off the Tucker Lady Tigers 114-98.50 to collect their second consecutive DCSD title.

The Lady Bulldogs piled up 50 points on the first day of action, 43 of which came from the field events.

Tucker opened quickly in the first event on Monday by taking gold in the 4×100 meter relay (47.69), but Chamblee was right behind in second with a time of 47.93.

Chamblee opened an even larger margin (76-49.5) with a 1-2 finish in the 400 meter dash by Venida Fagan (55.77) and Rachel Elder (57.90).

Tucker freshman Kaylah Lumsden (far right) races to her first of two gold medals in the sprint events. Druid Hills’ Keaghan Peppers (red) finished just behind in second. (Photo by Mark Brock)

Tucker began its climb back into contention as freshman Kaylah Lumsden won the 100 meter dash (11.89) and fellow freshman Emoni Coleman won her second gold of the day by taking the 800 meter run in 2:16.47 and senior teammate Kiera Washington took fourth to close within 77-67.5.

Lumsden won her second gold medal of the meet by taking first in the 200 meter dash in 24.34 with Chamblee’s Venida Fagan (last year’s champ) in second at 24.90.

Chamblee clinched the title with 9 points in the 3200 meter run to go up 106 to 88.5 with just the 4×400 meter relay left to be run. Dunwoody’s Ansley Heavern won the 3200 with a time of 11:12.03.

Tucker won the relay in a time of 3:52.76 with Chamblee once again right behind at 3:56.41 to take the silver.

Senior Elena Brown-Soler defended her country titles in the long jump (18-05.00) and triple jump (37-08.50) to account for 20 of the 50 points for Chamblee on the opening day.

Chamblee’s Venida Fagan aided the Chamblee title defense cause with a win in the 400 meter dash. Dunwoody’s Madison Beecher (red shorts) trails in the race to the finish line. (Photo by Mark Brock)

Senior Sydney Holmes captured the gold in the pole vault (8-06.00) moving up one spot from a year ago.

Tucker was in second place of the girls’ standings at 34.50 behind a gold medal by freshman Emoni Coleman in the 1600 meter run (5:10.51) and a pair of silver medal finishes by junior Antonia Frazier in the high jump (5-02.00) and long jump (18-02.00).

Stephenson was in third with 26.40 points behind Timberly Molden’s repeat gold medal in the shot put (38-04.00) and her second place finish in the discus (125-05).

Cedar Grove’s Amani Taylor repeated as the gold medal winner in the discus (127.09.00).

Other winners include Destinee Rocker of Arabia Mountain winning the 100 meter hurdles (14.36) and Redan’s Shequilla McClain defending her 2015 title in the 300 meter hurdles (44.95).

Chamblee’s best finish in the previous 37 DCSD Championships prior to 2015 was a runner-up spot in the 2001 meet. Chamblee was the first repeat winner since Southwest DeKalb’s six-year run from 2007-2012.

Dunwoody the 2013 DCSD champ finished a distant third with 61 points.