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Wilkins overcomes injury to claim title
GREENSBORO - Brittany Wilkins thought her hip issues were behind her.
The Cummings High School junior track and field standout battled an injury in the joint for much of last season but kept the pain under control for most of this season.
So when the pain returned a few days before last week's Class 2-A championship, it was profoundly unwelcome.
"She was doing well until last week she aggravated it long jumping," Cummings coach Donnie Davis said. "It started bothering her this week of all weeks."
Wilkins felt the pain in Friday's championship meet.
It hindered her in the long jump, where she took third, and the triple jump, where she finished sixth. In the 100 meters, Wilkins finished seventh.
"Things happen," Wilkins said of her early struggles.
Her day ended in triumph as she cruised to a victory in the 200 meters.
"I just can't be too rough on (my hip)," Wilkins said. "It hurt all day, it still hurts right now. But the (first place in the 200) makes it worthwhile."
Her perseverance didn't go unnoticed by her team.
"Brittany toughed it out," Davis said. "She ran well, but on every jump she was in pain. That's a testament to what the team means to her. We don't win without Brittany and she understands that."
MORE INJURIES: Wilkins wasn't the only Cummings athlete to deal with aches and pains.
Senior Lacreasha Jones pulled her hamstring after completing the 300 hurdles.
Teammate Jadda Jeffries pulled her right hamstring in the first curve of the same race. She pressed on, taking fifth while Jones took second.
"It didn't slow me down," Jeffries said. "I fought through it and finished the race."
Davis said it's not unusual for his athletes to fight through adversity.
"They don't give up, Davis said. "They don't give up on each other. Everybody understands that they have a role to play."
NO RUST: Sherice Walker rolled to a victory in the 300 hurdles in 44.75 seconds.
Not bad for someone who really doesn't practice it much.
By her own count, Walker works on the event about once a week. She said her coaches prefer to have her focus on the 100 hurdles and her jumps.
With championships in the 100 hurdles, long jump and triple jump, that work paid off. The 300 hurdles title proved to be a nice bonus.
"I just come to the meet and run (the 300 hurdles)," Walker said. "But I felt pretty comfortable running."
FLYING SOLO: Graham's Rod Clark was the lone competitor for the Red Devils in Friday's meet. Unlike his counterparts from Cummings, Clark had a minuscule cheering section, consisting of his coaches due to the fact that his friends and teammates, none of which qualified, were in class.
"It's kind of bad because I don't have a bunch of support from my friends and everyone," Clark said. "I just have to represent my school. ... I'm glad I got the day off."
Clark made the most of it, qualifying for the finals in the 400 before finishing eighth in 52.01.
"I just gave it my all and was trying to do my best," Clark said.
SOLID NUMBERS: Cummings' third consecutive girls' team title added to an impressive legacy for the Cavaliers program.
Among the other accomplishments: Cummings has had a boys' or girls' hurdles champion every year since 1993. ... Cummings has claimed 14 team indoor and outdoor championships since 1987. ... Friday's sweep of the top three spots in the 100 hurdles by Walker, Jones and Kourtney Williams was a first for the program. "We've gone 1-2-4, but we've never gone 1-2-3," Davis said.
