Hanahan’s Chris Brown named Post and Courier’s male track and field performer of the year
Chris Brown’s performance in last month’s state track and field championships lacked the “wow” factor of the year before when he set a state record in the triple jump, but he still managed to steal the show in Columbia.
All-Lowcountry boys track and field team
Michael Thomas, Summerville; Diamonte Evans, Cross; Davon Anderson, Summerville; Layne Mather, Porter-Gaud; Gabe Theising, Bishop England; David Salley, Porter-Gaud; Michael Pendley, Pinewood Prep; DeAndre Daniels, Goose Creek; Kelby Bryant, Goose Creek; Domonique Harris, Stratford; Guy McCarter, Stratford; Jacy Almes, Wando; Hampton Harvin, Wando; Demonte Reid, Berkeley; Ki’Jana Brown, Lincoln; Rashawn Lowery, Burke; Ben Acrum, Charleston Charter; Jalen Frazier, Cross; Josh Roper, St. John’s; Stuart Walters, Academic Magnet; LaQuan White, Woodland; Rameak Smith, Woodland; Grant Kelly, Hanahan; Parkwood Griffith, Bishop England; Mario Gates, Hanahan; Jhuadon Chandler, Woodland; Lee Mayes, Timberland; Nathan Leach, Bishop England; Christian Widenhouse, Bishop England; Andrew Furmanchik, Bishop England.
The Hanahan senior scored 34 points, a number topped by only seven of the 29 teams that competed in the state meet.
Brown repeated as the state triple jump champ with a leap of 49 feet, 5 inches, which was well off the record of 51-2˝ he set last spring. He finished second in the 100- and 200-meter dashes, as well as the high jump, to repeat as The Post and Courier’s male track and field performer of the year and head up the All-Lowcountry team.
“He didn’t have that state record like he did last year,” Hanahan coach David Pratt said. “He set the bar pretty high for himself last year. He set the bar high for him the week before (the state meet) when he high jumped 6-10.
“His time of 21.60 in the 200 was the sixth fastest time overall at the state meet. The guys who had faster times were strictly sprinters. Chris is a sprinter and jumper. You don’t find too many Carl Lewises walking around today.”
Brown said he was somewhat disappointed with his effort. “I did well, but I didn’t do great. I didn’t do as well as I expected. I’d give myself a B.”
Brown, who was the Gatorade state track and field performer of the year in 2011, will play football at Notre Dame and plans to be a member of the track and field team.
“Notre Dame won the Big East meet, and Chris would have placed high in the jumps,” Pratt said. “They promised him a chance to run track and he plans to do it.”
Said Brown: “I can play two sports. The key is taking care of your body and having your head on straight. It will be a challenge, but I like challenges.”
Brown is one of four athletes to earn All-Lowcountry honors for the second time. The others are Dezmon Venning of Wando, Drew Buehring of Fort Dorchester and Chris Gaddist of Woodland.
The rest of the team includes Kenny Waring, Wando; DeAngelo Stephenson, Bishop England; Michael Reamer, Wando; Brent Demarest, Porter-Gaud; Brandon Gourdine, Stratford; Griffie Loy, Bishop England; and Shiloah Burbage, Berkeley.
Tony Colizzi, who led Bishop England to the Class AA state championship, is the coach of the year.
Follow Philip M. Bowman on Twitter: @pandcphil.
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