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Hamilton Doesn't Stay Down For Long

LP Junior Rebounded From Fall To Earn All-Heartland Honors

Kathy Waters/Highlands Today

Lake Placid's Kaneisha Hamilton was the area's lone female qualifier for state, finishing 14th in the 100-meter hurdles.

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By Christopher  Hoffman | Highlands Today

Published: June 6, 2008

LAKE PLACID — All Kaneisha Hamilton wanted to do was to get back up and prove herself.
The Lake Placid junior had a chance at the Class 2A state finals in the palm of her hand during her sophomore season, but a collision with another runner dashed those hopes of state glory in an instant.

This season, Hamilton came back with a passion and never let up to become the Green Dragons' lone state qualifier, where she finished 14th in the state in the 100-meter hurdles and in the process earned the 2008 Highlands Today All-Heartland Girls Track Athlete of the Year.

"I was so disappointed last season [after falling] that I promised myself that I'd make it to state," Hamilton said. "I worked so hard and was so happy to finally make it."

But Hamilton's success isn't solely due to her own talent and hard work. Teammate Julie Shrewsbury runs many of the same events, and Lake Placid coach Scott Morgan says the battles they go through in practice are a sight to see.

"Kaneisha and Julie are like bread and butter," Morgan said. "They are always pushing each other and its a huge plus for both runners to have someone of the same caliber to run with. Their practice runs are just as intense as any in competition."

Hamilton agrees that it helped to achieve her goals with Shrewsbury running step-for-step.
"We always want to beat each other," Hamilton said. "She really pushes me if she feels I'm not giving my all. But we're friends, and we got better together."

Morgan feels that Hamilton has speed she hasn't even tapped yet and expects an even better performance in her senior season.

"She's just an outstanding athlete," Morgan said. "Her work ethic and her intensity and desire made her stand out. I expect that she'll be back next year and I wouldn't be surprised with an even better showing at state."
For Hamilton, her goals are in line with her coaches, but she plans to go one better.

"I watched and took notes of my competition at state," Hamilton said. "I saw in what areas they were better than me and how they prepared. I'm going to work even harder this year to drop a second from my time and go back as their equal."

The Team
TIA NOBELS, FRESHMAN, AVON PARK Coming out of nowhere, Nobels made quite an impression on the track community, and especially her coach.
"Tia was a pleasant surprise for our team," said Avon Park track coach Angel Harris. "She was one of the hardest workers on our team — boy or girl — and was a self-motivated athlete. Tia knew what she had to do each and every day and went out and did it.
"The good thing is that she's only going to get better."
Nobles took fourth place in the discus throw with a toss of 73-feet-9 inches to qualify for regionals and was in the top 10 in the shot put with a throw of 26-feet-6 inches.

LISA ONTERMAA, FRESHMAN, SEBRING Ontermaa and the 4x800 relay team turned some heads by finishing fourth in the finals with a time of 11:41.56 — shedding 20 seconds off their personal best time to race into regionals.
"Lisa dropped the most from her time during the season," said Sebring coach Belinda Frazier. "She didn't run at all before the start of track, so she was a bit behind the times of the other kids. But her times just kept dropping while most of the other kids would stay consistent."
Ontermaa ran a 3:06 in the 800 meters at the beginning of the season, but the Blue Streak freshman ran a best 2:42 in her split in the relay and 2:48 in an open 800-meter run for a personal best.

ZAKIA HART, FRESHMAN, AVON PARK The Red Devils track team qualified 12 athletes for regionals and Hart led the way.
The AP freshman won the pole vault with a leap of seven feet — a foot higher than her competition.
"The surprising thing about Zakia winning the pole vault is that she didn't take up that event until mid-season," Harris said. "That is what's amazing to me. She didn't even get a full season in the pole vault and came in with her natural ability and took over."
Harris attributes Hart's success to her natural strength and determination.
"I can't wait to see what she'll be like come next season," Harris said. "It's going to be exciting."

MAX COPELY, JUNIOR, SEBRING Copely was a key ingredient for the Blue Streak girls distance team.
She earned top-10 finishes in the 3,200-meter distance run with a time of 13:40.05 and was a member of the 4x800 relay team that finished with a time of 11:41.56 at districts and earned a trip to regionals.
"Max works so hard every day at practice," Frazier said. "She is the type of athlete that gives it all she had in every race she's in.
She would never give up, and that's all you can ask for as a coach."

JULIE SHREWSBURY, JUNIOR, LAKE PLACID A fierce competitor on the soccer field or on the track, this LP junior placed second in the 100 meter hurdles with a 17.01 and finished second in the 300-meter hurdles with a time of 52.53 — finishing second in the 100 with running mate Hamilton and earning a regional final berth.
"Julie finishes only tenths of a second behind Keneisha at every meet in the 100-meter hurdles," Irwin said. "She's been a three-year track letterman and she has all the talent to advance to state next year."
Shrewsbury competed in four events nearly every meet, which included the 200-meter dash, 100 and 300-meter hurdles and the pole vault and should be an anchor for the Green Dragons next season.
"Julie is such an intense competitor," Morgan said. "If someone is not performing like they should, Julie is on them before the coaches are. She really feeds on competition and is just an awesome leader for us."

CHQUEN WILMONT, SOPHOMORE, AVON PARK There isn't much this AP sophomore can't do on a track.
The natural-born sprinter placed second in the 200 meters with a time of 26.66, third in the 100 meters in 12.95 and finished fourth in the long jump with a leap of 14-feet-9 inches in just her second year of competition.
"Chquen was our MVP in the running events, and she deserved it," Harris said. "She generated a lot of points because of her success in so many events.
"I'm expecting an even better junior season from her."

AMY BREWINGTON, JUNIOR, LAKE PLACID A fixture on the Green Dragon relay teams, Brewington placed third as a member of the 4x800 relay team at districts.
The LP junior then teamed with Casey Walton, Katie Brown and Yuribia Torrones to bring another bronze medal finish home in the 4x400 relay, which clinched a second-place finish for the Green Dragons in the team competition.
"Amy was by far the most improved girl athlete on the team this season," Irwin said. "Her maturation process was excelled this year by her participation in the relay events. We're looking for her to make it to regionals again this year anchoring a great 4x800 relay squad."

JA'MEE HAWTHORNE, JUNIOR, AVON PARK This two-sport athlete put her stamp on Red Devil track this season and turned into a team leader with her guts and determination.
"Ja'Mee is just a great leader and all around good kid," Harris said. "She's always upbeat but is so intense during competition.
"She just loves to win."
Hawthorne, who was also a standout on the Red Devil basketball team, qualified second in the long jump with a leap of 15 feet, finished fourth in the 100 meters in 13.59, placed second in the 4x100 relay at districts.

SHWONDA HOLDMAN, SOPHOMORE, SEBRING Lightning in a bottle is a good way to describe Holdman, who continues to impress her coaches with her talent.
"Shwonda has the natural ability to be a solid sprinter for us in the coming years," Crenshaw said. "Experience is going to be her biggest asset as a junior, and I expect she'll be knocking on the door to the state finals."
The Blue Streak sophomore placed second in the 100-meter dash with a time of 13.07 and placed in the top 10 in the 200-meter dash with a time of 28.66.

THALIA ESPINOSA, FRESHMAN, LAKE PLACID As a first-year distance runner, Espinosa was a key member of the Green Dragon relay squads.
"[Thalia] really impressed us being so young," Irwin said. "Yet, she was competing and excelling against seniors at every meet. She wasn't afraid of any challenges."
Espinosa was a regional qualifier in the 4x800 relay and 800-meter run and the smart money is on the freshman to make it to state sooner than later.

AMANDA GREGORY, SENIOR, SEBRING One of the top middle-distance runners for the Blue Streaks during her career, Gregory has exemplified the blue collar work ethic that was a trademark for the Sebring girls track team.
"Amanda was a solid athlete," Frazier said. "She always wanted to improve on her last outing and displayed a great work ethic throughout the season.
Gregory ran a 1:03.26 in the preliminaries of the 400-meters — a personal best — and then placed second in the finals with a time of 1:03.54 to move on to regionals.

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