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GIRLS' TRACK AND FIELD

Northwestern High girls' track star endures crippling headaches

Northwestern High's Brittney McCord excels in sprints and relays despite crippling migraine headaches.

Northwestern senior Brianna Rollins, 17, a favorite in both hurdles and the triple jump, will compete at the state championships.
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Northwestern senior Brianna Rollins, 17, a favorite in both hurdles and the triple jump, will compete at the state championships.
MARICE COHN BAND / MIAMI HERALD STAFF

IF YOU GO

• What: The 94th annual state track and field championships.

• Where: Showalter Field at Winter Park High, 2525 Cady Way, Winter Park.

• When: Friday (Class 3A) and Saturday (Class 4A).

• Meet schedule: Field events start at noon; Running prelims at 4 p.m., followed by finals at 7 p.m.

BREAKDOWN

Top seeds in each event

BOYS

CLASS 4A

• High jump -- Dade: Antron Jackson (Carol City) 6-6; State: Jordan Clark (Wekiva), 6-8; Pole vault -- Dade: Eric Evans (Columbus) 12-0; State: Drew Marcello (Taravella) and Sean Zuppke (Lake Worth Park Vista), 15-0; Long jump -- Dade: Kentrell Sanders (South Dade) 23-10; State: Neamen Wise (Altamonte Springs Lake Brantley) 23-10 ¼; Triple jump -- Dade and state: Kentrell Sanders (South Dade) 47-5 ½; Discus -- Dade: Travis Smith (Carol City) 150-10; State: Austin Gamble (Cypress Bay) 193-0; Shot put -- Dade: Calvin Darling (HML) 49-3; State: Demetre Baker (Orange Park) 57-6 ¼.

3,200 relay -- Dade: Columbus 8:07.25; State: Tampa Sickles 7:50.28; 110 hurdles -- Dade: Patrick Graham (Carol City) 14.86; State: Andre Booker (Riverview) 13.98; 100 -- Dade: Lamar Miller (Killian) 10.74; State: Dentarius Locke (Tampa Chamberlain) 10.31; 400 relay -- Dade: Central 43.09; State: Deerfield Beach, 40.82; 400 -- Dade: Akeem Williams (Carol City) 48.31; State: Quincy McDuffie (Orlando Edgewater) 46.02; 300 hurdles -- Dade: Michaelee Harris (Northwestern) 37.72; State: Neamen Wise (Lake Brantley) 36.81; 200 -- Dade: Akeem Williams (Carol City) 21.57; State: Dentarius Locke (Chamberlain) 20.81; 1,600 -- Dade: Armando Del Valle (Columbus) 4:19.02; State: Derek Wehunt (Tampa Sickles) 4:18.19; 800 -- Dade: Jimmy Florestal (Central) 1:56.75; State: John Mitchell (Durant) 1:55.91; 3,200 -- Dade: Armando Del Valle (Columbus) 9:55.60; State: Derek Wehunt (Tampa Sickles) 9:20.33; 1,600 relay -- Dade: Northwestern 3:19.80; State: Flagler Palm Coast 3:17.41.

CLASS 3A

• High jump -- Dade: Lyndon Trail (Booker T.) 6-4; State: Donnie Jennert (St. Cloud) 6-8; 400 relay -- Dade: Booker T. Washington 42.61; State: Orlando Oak Ridge 41.88; 1,600 relay -- Dade: Booker T. Washington 3:22.31; State: Northeast 3:19.06.

GIRLS

CLASS 4A

• High jump -- Dade: D'Yolanda Pineda (North Miami Beach), 5-2; State: Maya Pressley (Coconut Creek), 5-10; Pole vault -- Dade: Gabriela Herrera (Ferguson) 9-0; State: Morgan Scherschel (Tampa Gaither) 11-0; Long jump -- Dade: Kededra Middleton (Northwestern) 18-2; State: Leah Fisher (East Lake), 18-4; Triple jump -- Dade and state: Brianna Rollins (Northwestern) 39-1 ¾; Discus -- Dade: Janee Mickens (Southridge) 125-9; State: Wilamena Hopkins (Gainesville Buchholz) 142-9; Shot put -- Dade: Janee Mickens (Southridge) 42-5; State: Wilamena Hopkins (Gainesville Buchholz) 43-7 ¾.

3,200 relay -- Dade: Northwestern 9:30.95; State: Boyd Anderson, 9:24.05; 100 hurdles -- Dade and state: Brianna Rollins (Northwestern) 13.95; 100 -- Dade: Marcia Williams (Southridge) 12.35; State: Albreynia Walker (Palm Beach Lakes) 11.90; 400 relay -- Dade: Northwestern 47.96; State: Kissimmee Osceola 47.72; 400 -- Dade: Ebony Eutsey (Southridge) 56.18; State: Eva Pierce (Boyd Anderson) 55.52; 300 hurdles -- Dade and state: Brianna Rollins (Northwestern) 43.50; 200 -- Dade and state: Ebony Eutsey (Southridge) 24.00; 1,600 -- Dade: Skyler Wallen (Northwestern) 5:06.51; State: Mandy Perkins (Spruce Creek) 5:03.77; 800 -- Dade and state: Skyler Wallen (Northwestern) 2:11.83; 3,200 -- Dade: Natalie Concepcion (Ferguson) 11:45.61; State: Shelby Hayes (Winter Park) 11:16.48; 1,600 relay -- Dade and state: Southridge 3:49.79.

CLASS 3A

• Long jump -- Dade and state: Robin Reynolds (Jackson) 19-3; Shot Put -- Dade: Anisha Jenkins (Booker T.) 38-0; State: Jessica Ramsey (Boynton Beach) 44-5; 100 -- Dade: Robin Reynolds (JAX) 12.26; State: Tatianna Fisher (Oak Ridge) 11.80; 400 -- Dade: Robin Reynolds (Jackson) 57.04; State: LaShae White (Tampa Bay Tech) 56.24; 300 hurdles -- Dade: Juliette Normil (JAX) 46.85; State: Amani Bryant (Tampa Wharton) 43.39; 200 -- Dade: Robin Reynolds (JAX) 24.69; State: Tatianna Fisher (Oak Ridge) 24.26; 1,600 relay -- Dade and state: Jackson 3:55.74.

BY ANDRE C. FERNANDEZ

a1fernandez@MiamiHerald.com

There are obvious story lines involving Northwestern's girls' track-and-field team at this weekend's state championships in Winter Park.

The senior-laden Bulls are trying to win their fourth state championship in the past five seasons.

Senior Brianna Rollins, a favorite in both hurdles and the triple jump, is looking for redemption after getting injured at last year's state meet.

But the most courageous plot might be the one played out by Northwestern senior Brittney McCord when she runs the anchor leg of the Bulls' 1,600-meter relay.

McCord, once a regional champion sprinter and a state champion relay runner for the Bulls, has been hindered all season, and often during her prep career, by intense migraine headaches and vertigo-like dizziness.

''I get them almost every day, and they're really paralyzing,'' McCord said. ``I feel nausea and I constantly have a headache.

``I'm dizzy all the time when I run. If I don't look straight to a landmark like a tree or a post when I'm running, I'm scared I might lose my balance.''

McCord did not qualify for state in any individual events, something that hadn't happened during her first three years of high school. She will only run the 400 and 1,600 relays at the Class 4A meet Saturday.

But McCord will run.

All season, that by itself has been a personal victory for an athlete once touted as one of the state's best.

And perhaps a strong performance could mean the difference between victory and defeat for Northwestern in what is expected to be a tight race for the team title between the Bulls and Lauderdale Lakes Boyd Anderson.

''I've told Brittney the whole year, keep praying and keep having faith and good things will come,'' Northwestern coach Carmen Jackson said. ``Despite all she's been through, she's never complained. She always gives it her all.''

McCord said the migraines began her sophomore season, but eventually stopped. But this season, McCord began feeling them again.

''I think it could be stress,'' McCord said. ``The doctors have given me stronger medication than the usual headache or migraine medicine, but it doesn't take it away completely. They say it should pass, but they don't know exactly why I get them.''

McCord might not have been able to win a major individual title this postseason, but she's still been an inspiration to her teammates. Rollins said McCord often coaches some of the younger athletes on the team and gives them advice on how to improve their performances.

McCord's perseverance has helped her earn a scholarship offer from the University of Central Florida that she plans to sign next week.

And in the classroom, McCord has always been strong.

McCord is an Honors student with a 3.92 GPA and a 1,510 on her SAT. She ranks fourth in her senior class.

And one thing her teammates agree upon is no matter where she places at Saturday's meet, the Bulls wouldn't be the same without her.

''Brittney means a whole lot to this team,'' Rollins said. ``She's had times when she's been frustrated and down, but she's always praying, and we tell her not to give up.''

The Miami Herald

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