Brentwood resident Abbie McKinney, a Virginia signee from FRA, led after 4 of 5 events and was DII state pentathlon runner-up a second straight year.

Brentwood junior, FRA senior are summer training partners 

By CAROL STUART
For Brentwood Home Page
Brentwood resident Abbie McKinney, an FRA senior, was spent after finishing runner-up in the Division II state pentathlon a

second straight year, but she got up to cheer on her friend, Brentwood High junior Holly Van Grinsven.  

Van Grinsven finished .03 in second place in the final 800-meter event to capture third place in the Class AAA pentathlon, then sought out McKinney for a big hug. Van Grinsven, who gave the Lady Bruins 6 points in the team track chase, trains with McKinney in track and field with KinderSports.

“We run everything together. She really helps push me and she really motivates me, because I look up to her a lot,” Van

Grinsven said. “I really consider her like a big sister on our team, and she really pushes me to be the best I can.”

McKinney, also a cheerleader since she was 4, had led through the first four events, but University of Georgia basketball recruit Marjorie Butler, a Knoxville Webb junior, blistered the 800 meters with a personal-record 2:19.80. A University of Virginia track signee, McKinney had only a 14-point advantage (or one-second lead) going into the 800 where she was third at 2:30.08 at MTSU.

“Marjorie made a 10-second PR so that’s hard to top, for sure,” said McKinney, whose cheerleading career ended after Franklin Road Academy's football season.

“I’m a little disappointed that my senior year I couldn’t pull out the win. There’s nothing I can do now; it was a good day.”

In AAA, Van Grinsven – in only her second pentathlon ever – finished just 11 points out of second place with 3,241 points and was only 80 points behind champion Maddie Treasure of Knoxville West. Tennessee High junior Jennifer Cannon nipped Van Grinsven 2:25.01-2:25.04 at the finish line in the 800 to hold on to runner-up.

“I wish I could have done a little bit better, but I’ll get them on Wednesday and Thursday hopefully,” Van Grinsven said.

The Brentwood junior now turns her attention to Wednesday’s AAA prelims in the 100 hurdles and the 100, 200 and 400 meters. McKinney will also run the 100 and 300 hurdles in DII Thursday's running finals, plus competes in the individual triple jump and long jump.

 “I’m just glad I could get some points and actually contribute before the meet actually starts,” Van Grinsven said.

Lady Bruins junior Holly Grinsven had a sub-15-second 100-meter hurdles. (Photos by Peg Fredi)

Van Grinsven smokes field in opening 100 hurdles

Both won the opening hurdle events in their respective divisions. Van Grinsven had the day’s highest total with 850 points by running the 100-meter hurdles in 14.94. She went into the final race in fourth at 2,485 –109 points behind then-leader Jasmine Johnson of Arlington.

Van Grinsven, who missed most of last season with a stress fracture, felt really strong in the hurdles and the 800, but said her shot put and high jump need improving. The Lady Bruin high-jumped 4-9.75 (588 points), threw the shot 28-9.25 (449 points) and long-jumped 5.14 meters (598 points).  

“It’s difficult. It’s more about mind,” she said about the multi-event. “It’s really hard on your mind because you can’t think ahead ever because it’ll really throw you off. …. I tend to look ahead.”

She said she has tried all the other sports, but is strictly track and field now. Last year she did end up running the lead leg of the 4x400 relay to place third in the state despite her injury.

“I did the best I could today so I’m just going to have to learn from this experience and move on,” Van Grinsven said.

McKinney's score would have won other 2 divisions

Despite running into a head win, McKinney had a solid 15.2 in the 100 hurdles (815 points) – the fastest in the DII field. She then had a solid long jump on 17-6 (654 points) again in a harsh head wind.

The FRA senior got a personal-record 5 feet, 4 inches (759 points) in the high jump – usually one of her weaker events. But her shot put was a disappointing spot with 35 feet (597 points) – after throwing a PR 36.3 two weeks ago.

McKinney’s second-place total of 3,499 points (to Butler’s winning 3,619) was better than the champion’s total in A/AA, which FRA competed in her freshman and sophomore years as a non-financial aid school, and in AAA.

Just two years ago, McKinney scored only 2,400 points as a 10th-grader, which she called “a joke,” and then improved that to 3,100 last year and now 3,499.

“I’m proud of the hard work I’ve put in,” she said.

Brentwood Academy junior Carlyn Harvey moved into fourth place (2,790 points) in DII with her second-place finish of 2.23.41 between Butler and McKinney in the 800. BA, which got five points for the girls team, also had sophomore Valerie Griffin total 2,188 points.

In A-AA, Christ Presbyterian freshman Megan Roach finished in sixth place with 2,648 points. East Literature junior Kanellar Carney won with 3,164 points.

McKinney had a personal-best 5-4 in high jump.	BA's Caylyn Harvey clears a hurdle.

Harvey, in hurdles, finished fourth after a fast 800	Van Grinsven high jump	Van Grinsven shot put