Player of the Year: Arayael Brandner
Class: Senior
School: Heathwood Hall
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Player of the Year: Arayael Brandner
Class: Senior
School: Heathwood Hall
Today's news video
College: Elon
What she did: Set the SCISA record in the discus with a toss of 109 feet, 10½ inches to win the state championship for the second consecutive season. ... Won a second consecutive championship in the shot put (34-6, a school record). ... Scored 21.5 points at the state meet to lead Highlanders to their second title in a row.
The best part of her senior year: “Coming together as a class and bonding with each other. It’s a private school, so you know everybody, but now everything was the last something ... the last football game, the last play, the last concert. I was just trying to make the most of every moment.”
Her best moments in sports: “Winning shot put and discus again and being undefeated all season. And then signing with Elon College to play basketball next year.”
What she does with her free time: “I’m a big beach and pool person, and I have a pool, so I hang with my friends by the pool. But I also like to go to the gym. I don’t like to lounge a lot; I try to stay pretty active.”
In the gym, she hates: “Anything that has to do with core strength, because I have had some back problems, and that means working out my core really kills. But I am getting used to five-minute abs work.”
When she’s lounging, the background music is: “It’s a mix really. I like some alternative, some R&B, some rap. It’s the contemporary songs, whatever music is on the radio.”
She’s always wanted to: “Learn how to really dance, like you see on ‘Dancing with the Stars.’ ”
One of her other talents is: “Acting. I love comedy and making people laugh, so I tend to thrive at that.”
Her future career: “Sports psychologist. I did my senior research project on the body, mind and soul of a champion athlete.”
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THE TEAM
100: Danielle Cantey, Hammond
Placed second in the state (13.06 seconds)
200: Cantey
Placed third in state (27.23)
400: Kristen Dickerson, Heathwood Hall
Finished third in state (1:02.2)
100h: Elizabeth Davidson, Hammond
Placed second in state (17.08)
400h: Emily Carson, Heathwood
State runner-up (1:10.7)
800: Carey Roth, Heathwood
State champion (2:28.43)
1,600 (tie): Mary Clay, Ben Lippen
Finished eighth in state (6:05.66)
Mason Castles, Hammond
Won state championship (5:38.03)
3,200: Brooke Grice, Heathwood
State runner-up (12:52.32
Long jump: Davidson
Finished ninth in state (14 feet, 10 inches)
High jump: Roth
Placed sixth in state (4-8)
Triple jump: Amber Bennett, Hammond
Placed fifth in state (32-11¾)
Pole vault: Madison Kocher, Hammond
State champion (10-9)
Shot put: Arayael Brandner, Heathwood
Won state championship (34-6)
Discus: Arayael Brandner, Heathwood
State champion (109-10½)
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