HOPKINS – Small but mighty – that’s what the Griffin girls showed on Saturday at the SCHSL 2A State track and field meet.
With only six girls qualifying to compete, three seniors and three seventh-graders worked to finish third at the state meet. Seniors Sharmelle Holmes, Essence Terry-London and Katriel Moore paved the way.
Fairfield opened the day with a podium finish in the 4×100 relay.
“Look for Fairfield Central and Marion in the middle of the track here to be really quick,” the announcer said before the girls 4×100 relay began.
The Griffin girls, Essence Terry-London, Katriel Moore, Brintney Mack and Sharmelle Holmes, were a favorite to win, working in lane four.
“This relay is so fast,” he said. “And there’s the gun. Those baton transfers are so important. Marion and Fairfield Central are out early. Everybody’s handoffs have been pretty good. Marion struggled a little bit on the handoff there,” he said as they made the second handoff.
“That’s Fairfield Central in four – the black and gold there in the middle. They look very strong. Marion’s right on their heels, but they’re on the outside, which makes it a little tougher. As long as Fairfield has a good exchange here, I like them.”
“So it’s Fairfield Central,” he continued as Holmes took off in the fourth leg. “She’s gone, forget it. She is flying with lots of heat down the homestretch.”
The Griffin girls claimed the team’s first medal of the day with a 48.17 first place finish ahead of second place Gray Collegiate at 48.98.
Fairfield’s girls would snag more hardware on the day.
Essence Terry-London finished second behind Holmes in the 20 meter dash with her season-best time of 25.57 seconds. Terry-London also came in fourth in the 100 meter dash at 12.46 seconds, also her season-best.
Katriel Moore finished in fourth place in the 400 meter dash at 1:00.18, her fastest time of the season.
The girls 4×400 meter relay team of Katriel Moore, Aaliyah Tribble, A’laya Lawry and Brintney Mack placed seventh at 4:22.62, their season best time.
Senior Sharmelle Holmes ended her Griffin career on the highest note she could reach, breaking two South Carolina records and bringing home three individual state titles, along with a shared 4×100 relay title, from the SCHSL 2A State Championship track and field meet on Saturday.
Holmes finished first in the 100 meter dash, the 200 meter dash, and long jump. Read more about Holmes’ legacy-cementing day in her feature story here.