Billiard on track for another big accomplishment at Covenant Day
By Jay Edwards
Correspondent
Sarah Billiard, Covenant Day Track: Sarah Billiard has accomplished a lot in her Covenant Day athletic career.
The Covenant Day senior is a three-time, all-state volleyball player and a two-time, all-state basketball pick for the Lions.
Billiard, who is a University of Virginia volleyball signee, was also an all-Charlotte Observer selection in each sport this year.
Billiard had 525 kills and 466 digs last fall for the Lions’ volleyball team, while averaging 17 points, 16 rebounds and five blocks for Covenant Day’s basketball team this winter.
While her Covenant Day athletic career seemed to be over after the Lions’ 56-36 loss at Forsyth Country Day on Feb. 14, Billiard decided to play one last season.
“I had talked to (Covenant Day assistant) coach (Josh) Nguyen a few times about jumping for the track team and he always said to me, ‘Why not give a try your senior year, the worst that can happen is that you won’t place, so you have nothing to lose,” Billiard said.
Despite having to sit out the first month of the track season because of a concussion she suffered in a Carolina Juniors’ club volleyball game, Billiard still wanted to jump for the Covenant Day track team.
In her very first track meet in her life, Billiard won the high jump event at the CISAA conference meet at Cannon School on April 6, setting a school-record by jumping 5 feet. She also finished second-place in the long jump.
Billiard’s high jump also tied for the best jump in the state this season for a NCISAA 3A competitor. The 5-foot mark was also the NCISAA 3A state champion’s jump last season.
Billiard accomplished all of this with less than one week of formal practice, according to Nguyen.
“Honestly, I was really nervous going into the meet because it was the first track meet I’ve even been to, so I didn’t know what to expect,” said Billiard, who said she also didn’t have the right shoes, wearing her tennis shoes instead of spikes. “So, when I jumped (5 feet) and finished first place I was as surprised as anyone.”
Coach Nguyen wasn’t surprised.
“Watching her play basketball and volleyball and seeing how great of an athlete she is, really nothing that she accomplishes will surprise me,” said Nguyen, who was on the track team at Porter Ridge and Guilford College. “The first day she practiced, she cleared 5 feet and looked at me and said ‘Was that good?’ I just laughed. …
“In her first meet (at Cannon, April 6), it was amazing to see how much raw talent she has. You don’t find special athletes like her that often.”
Billiard’s hopes to get in some more practice before she competes again at Cannon on April 12.
She admits both her basketball and volleyball skills have helped her in track because of the constant jumping in volleyball, and she compared high jump to “shooting a left-handed layup and then falling backwards.”
Billiard says she enjoys working with Nguyen and her jumping teammate, sophomore Taylor Weber, who also plays basketball and volleyball for Covenant Day.
As the final few months of her time at Covenant Day tick down, Billiard wants to enjoy every minute of it, including each remaining track meet.
“It would be pretty cool if I could win states (championship) in the high jump,” Billiard said. “But, I’m just trying to get better, and having fun.”
“Sarah is really enjoying jumping,” Nguyen said. “But I know she wants to win every meet. She’s just a great competitor no matter what she is doing. Sarah doesn’t want to just place, she wants to win.”
By Jay Edwards
Correspondent
Sarah Billiard, Covenant Day Track: Sarah Billiard has accomplished a lot in her Covenant Day athletic career.
The Covenant Day senior is a three-time, all-state volleyball player and a two-time, all-state basketball pick for the Lions.
Billiard, who is a University of Virginia volleyball signee, was also an all-Charlotte Observer selection in each sport this year.
Billiard had 525 kills and 466 digs last fall for the Lions’ volleyball team, while averaging 17 points, 16 rebounds and five blocks for Covenant Day’s basketball team this winter.
While her Covenant Day athletic career seemed to be over after the Lions’ 56-36 loss at Forsyth Country Day on Feb. 14, Billiard decided to play one last season.
“I had talked to (Covenant Day assistant) coach (Josh) Nguyen a few times about jumping for the track team and he always said to me, ‘Why not give a try your senior year, the worst that can happen is that you won’t place, so you have nothing to lose,” Billiard said.
Despite having to sit out the first month of the track season because of a concussion she suffered in a Carolina Juniors’ club volleyball game, Billiard still wanted to jump for the Covenant Day track team.
In her very first track meet in her life, Billiard won the high jump event at the CISAA conference meet at Cannon School on April 6, setting a school-record by jumping 5 feet. She also finished second-place in the long jump.
Billiard’s high jump also tied for the best jump in the state this season for a NCISAA 3A competitor. The 5-foot mark was also the NCISAA 3A state champion’s jump last season.
Billiard accomplished all of this with less than one week of formal practice, according to Nguyen.
“Honestly, I was really nervous going into the meet because it was the first track meet I’ve even been to, so I didn’t know what to expect,” said Billiard, who said she also didn’t have the right shoes, wearing her tennis shoes instead of spikes. “So, when I jumped (5 feet) and finished first place I was as surprised as anyone.”
Coach Nguyen wasn’t surprised.
“Watching her play basketball and volleyball and seeing how great of an athlete she is, really nothing that she accomplishes will surprise me,” said Nguyen, who was on the track team at Porter Ridge and Guilford College. “The first day she practiced, she cleared 5 feet and looked at me and said ‘Was that good?’ I just laughed. …
“In her first meet (at Cannon, April 6), it was amazing to see how much raw talent she has. You don’t find special athletes like her that often.”
Billiard’s hopes to get in some more practice before she competes again at Cannon on April 12.
She admits both her basketball and volleyball skills have helped her in track because of the constant jumping in volleyball, and she compared high jump to “shooting a left-handed layup and then falling backwards.”
Billiard says she enjoys working with Nguyen and her jumping teammate, sophomore Taylor Weber, who also plays basketball and volleyball for Covenant Day.
As the final few months of her time at Covenant Day tick down, Billiard wants to enjoy every minute of it, including each remaining track meet.
“It would be pretty cool if I could win states (championship) in the high jump,” Billiard said. “But, I’m just trying to get better, and having fun.”
“Sarah is really enjoying jumping,” Nguyen said. “But I know she wants to win every meet. She’s just a great competitor no matter what she is doing. Sarah doesn’t want to just place, she wants to win.”
