Thursday, Jul. 02, 2009

SCISA All-Area Girls Track

Player of the Year: Arayael Brandner

Class: Senior

School: Heathwood Hall

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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