Waccamaw’s Sherman stars as area claims eight state track and field titles

Waccamaw’s J.J. Sherman spent most of his day on the podium at the Class AA state track and field meet Saturday.

The senior won both the 100 meters (10.75 seconds) and long jump (24 feet, 1 inch) while placing second in the 400 meters (49.29) and third in the 200 (22.01) to highlight a day in which he was one of four area individuals to win state titles at Spring Valley High School in Columbia.

Despite qualifying for state several times in his high school career, Saturday was the first time Sherman earned gold.

“It was good. I liked it because every year I progressed and every year I got better,” Sherman said. “I peaked at the right time. It was a good high school career.”

Fellow Waccamaw performers Amelia Jones (3,200 meters, 11:59.99) and Briley Arnold (400-meter hurdles, 1:03.96) claimed AA titles, while Carvers Bay’s Desaree Green (high jump, 5-2) earned gold in the Class A competition.

Three area relay teams won as well.

Waccamaw’s 3,200-meter relay team – Jamie Barnett, Mary Butler Despain, Jones and Arnold – won in 9:59.94, and the Warriors’ girls 1,600-meter relay team – Jazmyn Torrance, Arnold, Brianna Brooks and Alexis Grove – won in 4:10.49.

Carvers Bay’s girls 400-meter relay team – Tiera Young, Melissa Jefferson, Zaria Blain and Angel Holmes – won in 50.0.

Class A

Green’s win in the high jump wasn’t her only podium finish.

The Carvers Bay senior also was runner-up in the long jump (16-10) and helped the Bears’ 1,600-meter relay team – which also included Young, Blain and Holmes – finish second (4:14.52), while Blain was runner-up in the triple jump (35-8 1/2), helping the squad to a fourth-place finish.

Carvers Bay’s boys 400-meter relay team – Toronto King, Kelvin Waites, Aaron Cochran and Tyrell Richard – placed second (43.63), and Richard rounded out the Bears’ podium finishes with a second-place showing in the 400 meters (48.35) as the squad finished 10th.

Other Carvers Bay boys results: Laterence Davis (400m hurdles, eighth, 1:02.77); Xavier Drayton (800m, sixth, 2:22.35); and James Milton (800m, seventh, 2:27.68). The Bears’ boys 3,200-meter relay team – Davis, Tyrek Gamble, Joshua Bolden and Drayton – placed fifth (9:03.71) and Carvers Bay’s boys 1,600-meter relay team – Daronn Clark, Bolden, Richard and Drayton – finished fifth (3:38.81).

Other Carvers Bay girls results: Tyesha Wilson (100m hurdles, seventh, 17.95); Young (800m, fifth, 2:38.68); Anatashia Bromell (triple jump, fifth, 33-4; long jump, seventh, 14-6 1/2); and Tierra Coles (discus, seventh, 79-2).

Green Sea Floyds’ Tavares Brown placed eighth in the long jump (18-8), and the Trojans’ Brianna Holmes (shot put, fourth, 31-6 1/2) and Zhane Richburg (shot put, fifth, 31-5 1/2) also contributed points. The Trojans finished 16th and 29th in the girls and boys standings, respectively.

Class AA

Sherman credits first-year Waccamaw coach Bill Peterman for helping him get over the hump.

Peterman, who has had success in recent years at Carvers Bay and Andrews, gave Sherman a new game plan that helped him take his game to a new level.

“Last summer he gave me workouts and we worked [almost every day],” said Sherman, who noted that he quit playing football to focus on track and field. “He gave me the smaller things to look at to bring my times down. He came up with different strategies to help me achieve things. Having him made it a lot easier to get to where I am today.”

Peterman – who was plenty familiar with Sherman and the Warriors and the success they had had in recent years – was happy to see Sherman finally climb atop the podium.

“I’m real happy for J.J.,” Peterman said. “He’s been to states for a few years now and each time he came up a little short. He was well overdue for a first-place finish.”

Sherman led the way in helping the Warriors to a third-place team finish. Still, he left the meet wanting more.

“I wanted to get four golds, but sometimes [it just doesn’t happen],” said Sherman, who has college offers from Coker and North Greenville. “I got a little tired in the 200. But it was all right. It was a good day, but I wanted to do better.”

Jones, a junior, and Arnold, a freshman, both earned their first track titles as well.

“Amelia out-kicked a girl from Academic Magnet down the stretch. She did a great job and I’m real proud of her,” Peterman said. “Briley did a great job in the 400 hurdles. Coming down the backstretch she was in second. She passed the girl coming off the second hurdle. It was a strong race and she set a personal record.”

Arnold was a member of both winning relay teams, while Jones helped the 3,200-meter squad to a victory while also placing seventh in the 1,600 meters (5:41.87).

“Waccamaw had never had a state championship relay team. It was nice to have two relay teams win state,” Peterman said. “It was one of those days where every kid stepped up.”

Waccamaw’s girls team placed fifth.

Peterman was pleased to continue the success of the Warriors’ program in his first year on the job.

“In the first year just the main thing is the same as every year where you want to get as many kids as you can,” Peterman said. “You want to create opportunities for those kids. I kind of knew what kind of kids they had at Waccamaw before I got there. Coaching was the easy part because most of them are such hard-working and dedicated kids.

“It’s just a matter of putting the work in and giving them an opportunity to succeed. Then you just sit back and watch them take advantage of those opportunities.”

Other area boys finishers: Loris’ Desmond Dozier (100m, sixth, 11.07); Aynor’s Joey O’Neil (1,600m, sixth, 4:46.85); and Waccamaw’s Jackson Junkins (200m, seventh, 22.91; pole vault, sixth, 11-0).

Loris finished 13th and Aynor placed 33rd in the boys standings.

Class AAA

St. James had a pair of boys and girls earn points in the Class AAA competition.

On the girls side, Alexus Alston (100m, seventh, 12.79; 100m hurdles, seventh, 16.83; 400m hurdles, fifth, 1:08.59) and Felicity Weber (pole vault, fifth, 8-6) provided scores on the girls’ side.

“Both of them are sophomores and they did just fantastic,” Sharks girls coach Ken McSorley said.

With both coming back next year, he hopes the program can build on their performances.

“I just like what we’re doing,” McSorley said. “I like how the team performed and supported each other. It was a real nice year.”

In boys action, St. James junior Jelin Bellamy (400m, fourth, 49.77) and sophomore Trey Myers (400m hurdles, sixth, 55.56) scored points.

Sharks coach Steve Brunty believes the program can reap the benefits of having both back next season.

“Those two guys are the nucleus and we hope to surround them with some existing and new athletes,” he said. “We hope to be back.”

St. James’ 1,600-meter relay team – Cody Webster, Myers, Louie Salin and Bellamy – finished fifth (3:30.80).

“Just hard work in practice,” Brunty said of his team’s key to success. “Even with all the rain we don’t take days off. We run inside. We don’t let the weather dictate whether we practice or not – inside or out, rain or shine. We were fortunate enough to have some state champions in years past. Our kids look up on the wall inside the front doors of the school and see state championship pictures. They want that to be them. We’ve been fortunate enough to have kids who want to work hard and see themselves up there one day. And I’ve got some great assistant coaches that help them do that.”

North Myrtle Beach’s girls 400-meter relay team – Medinah Williams, Allyiah Hemingway, D’Andrea Gore and Ingrid Edge –finished seventh (51.24) and the Chiefs’ girls 3,200-meter relay team – Lauren Linta, Caroline Rewalt, Justice Green and Wilson Jenerette –finished eighth (10:49.09).

St. James’ girls finished 15th in the team standings and North Myrtle Beach placed 32nd. The Sharks’ boys team finished 17th.

Class AAAA

Michael Pieterse (1,600m, sixth, 4:34.49) was the lone Class AAAA qualifier and earned three points to give Carolina Forest a 36th-place finish.

This story was originally published May 16, 2015 at 10:30 PM with the headline "Waccamaw’s Sherman stars as area claims eight state track and field titles."