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Three team members were named regional champions and overall as a team, Cumberland earned Top Five finishes in both the men’s and women’s competitions. The regional meet was a great one this past week for the young Cumberland High Dukes, as the track team earned a spot in the state championship coming up. 

First, we need to give individual credit. Three Cumberland athletes are now regional champs in their respective events. It was Jayla Augustin earning the title in the girls shot put, with Kamira Holman winning the girls pole vault. This was also another showcase for Kameron Brown. The Cumberland High senior picked up regional wins in both the boys long jump and the triple jump competitions. 

A showcase for Kameron Brown

Earlier this year, Brown told The Herald he wanted to finish strong and he’s doing just that. Dedication is a word you’ll hear often associated with Kameron. It’s how his coaches describe everything from his work ethic to his goals for the future. He wasn’t able to play football for his senior year, since the district shut down the varsity team, due to a lack of players above the freshman class. But that didn’t stop him from working on his skills and trying to get in front of college scouts.

The way Kameron saw it, if he couldn’t compete on the football field, he would work on his skills in different ways. That’s part of why he joined up with basketball and track, competing and practicing in both sports to help him hone the skills he had and learn to develop new ones. 

Track, he said, makes him disciplined. 

“So proud of Mr. Kameron Brown,” Cumberland Head Coach Kenneth Jasey said of his senior. “What a great way to go out with a bang by winning the boys regional titles in long jump and triple jump. The young man has fought through a great amount of adversity.” 

Cumberland High team keeps developing 

Overall, the Cumberland girls finished with 114 points as the regional runner-up. Brunswick girls won overall with 174 points, with Galileo in third with 107.50, Rappahannock in fourth with 52.50 and Altavista in fifth with 40 points. The Cumberland boys also finished with a Top Five result. On the boys side, it was Brunswick winning there as well with 157 points, Galileo in second with 123, Sussex Central with 93, Altavista at 92 and Cumberland in fifth with 73. 

One of the most impressive parts about this year’s track and field at Cumberland High is how young the group members are. The only senior in the group is Brown. And that leaves an extremely young core group. 

“The youth of our program has tremendous talent and potential,” Jasey said. “Our coaching staff is very pleased that they’re learning to compete mentally as well as physically the right way,” Jasey said.

He added that it’s been good to see the program develop and move into a new phase. 

“A program is in one of three stages,” Jasey said. “Either a participatory program, a competitive program or a championship program, which we look to be back in. I’m proud to say there’s been a lot of learning with such a young, competitive program. Soon we’ll be turning the corner back to a championship program.” 

Members of the Dukes track and field team will now compete at the 2025 Virginia High School League Class 1 State Championships. That’ll take place on Friday, June 6 and Saturday, June 7 at James Madison University in Harrisonburg.