Chargers' Byrd Sprints to Meet of Champions 100 Title

In last year’s NJSIAA Meet of Champions 100-meter dash final, Timber Creek’s Damiere Byrd held the lead halfway through the race only to watch Long Branch’s Miles Shuler zoom by him at the finish to take the title.

That proved to be a hard memory to shake.

“It was pretty much was on my mind for a couple months after the race, to be honest, but I finally was able to put it behind me,’’ Byrd said.

Now he has a memory he can savor, as the Timber Creek senior and South Carolina football recruit pulled away from Shuler in the final 30 meters to take home this season’s MOC 100-meter crown on Thursday at Old Bridge with a time of 10.41 seconds. Shuler took second in 10.55, followed by Snyder’s Zamir Thomas in 10.57.

“Damiere, he worked really hard for this,’’ said Shuler, who is headed to Rutgers to play football. “He's been training, and he got the better of it today.’’

Byrd didn’t decide whether he was even going to run until Tuesday because he tweaked his left hamstring in the sectional meet nearly two weeks ago, holding him out of several events in last week's state Group III championships. He had been trying to recover in time to toe the line in the MOC.

“I was pretty much just thinking about trying to get my leg right,’’ he said.

He worked with the Timber Creek athletic trainer, whom he said determined that his hips weren’t aligned properly, which resulted in his left leg being longer than his right leg and stretching his hamstring. He said he still was not 100 percent healthy even after beating Shuler to win one of the spotlight races of the day.

Byrd had a little bit better start than Shuler, but did not think the start would ultimately determine the race.

“Whoever was going to win the race was going to be whoever got to top-end speed and was able to transition out of the drive phase,’’ Byrd said. “I usually try to hold my transition as long as I can.’’

At about 65 meters, Byrd hit top speed and started to pull away with 35 meters to go. He had entered the day with the fastest 100 time in the state this spring, a 10.36 that he ran in the South Jersey Group III meet in which he injured his hamstring. That is his personal best, but Thursday was more about avenging the loss to Shuler more than putting up a great time.

“Usually when it comes to running, if you shoot for a specific time it never really happens,’’ he said. “You really psych yourself out, so I just pretty much wanted to go out here and win and if the time came, it came, and if it didn't, I'm not really upset about that.’’

With about 30 meters to go, Shuler was right on Byrd’s left shoulder, but he would not let Shuler pass him like he did last year.

“I felt him,’’ Byrd said. “I just said to myself to stay relaxed and try to hit top speed.’’

“Me and him were neck and neck,’’ Shuler said. “When we came out of our drive phase, he dug away from me. I'll give it to him. He had a great race.’’

It was vindication for Byrd, who has had a brilliant career but did not have an outdoor MOC title to show for it. During the indoor season, he ran a 6.74 to win in the 60-meter race to win the national title at the New Balance Indoor Nationals.

“I just wanted one (MOC title) this year,’’ he said. “This outdoor season was a struggle with me trying to come back from injury, but I did it and I won, and that's all that matters.’’

One other Timber Creek athlete had a top-eight finish, as junior Josh Gray took eighth in the triple jump with a leap of 44-7 ½.

Highland Regional senior Brandon Harper, who won the Group III title last week in controversial fashion when two other throwers with better distances were disqualified, finished 12th on Thursday with a throw of 177-10.

On the girls' side, Timber Creek junior Bryanna Williams headlined the action by taking third in the 100 with a time of 12.23 to finish behind Paramus Catholic’s Myasia Jacobs (11.47) and Montville’s Julia Rizio (12.12). That was an improvement on the 12.31 that Williams ran in last season’s MOC.

Thursday's MOC action ended prematurely because of a thunder and lightning storm that forced it to be postponed. There is a possibility the rest of the events could be canceled and not contested if a suitable date and venue is not set by early next week, meet director Don Danser, of the NJSIAA, said.

The boys' and girls' 3,200, the boys' and girls' 4x400 relay, the boys' and girls' pole vault, the boys' long jump, the girls' triple jump, the boys' shot put, and the girls' javelin were all postponed because of the storm.

If rescheduled, Highland senior Megan Venables would be considered the favorite to win the girls' 3,200 despite her surprising second-place finish in last week's Group III state final.

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