DCIAA Outdoor Championships
May 23-25, 2006 - Sprinarn HS, District of Columbia
Team titles to Woodrow Wilson boys, Dunbar girls
Top Highlights:
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Wilson's Nick Burant (left) won four events, including this 800. |
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Wilson Boys, Dunbar Girls Capture D.C. Public School Titles
Going into the last event of the day, the Dunbar girls trailed the defending champion Lady Knights from Ballou by three points. When the teams lined up for the 4x400 relay, Ballou could not run because they did not have enough runners to make up a relay team. With only four teams in the race, all Dunbar had to do was to finish and victory was assured. They not only finished but finished with a gold medal relay race that brought the first title to the school since 2000.
First-year coach Marvin Parker and his staff were elated that the championship would come to them in their first year at the helm. “I was very honored to have been able to take over a historic program like Dunbar’s from Coach Fletcher Tinsley, who gave me the opportunity to coach in the DCIAA,” Coach Parker said. “I am especially proud of the TEAM who worked very hard at accomplishing their triumphs this year.”
Sophomore Deanna Brown, who won the 100 and 200-meter dashes, led Dunbar. Ballou finished a close second with Wilson coming in third.
Mid-way through the outdoor season, Coach Ronald Jenkins of Woodrow Wilson announced his retirement from coaching after twenty-six years at the northwest D.C. school. As Wilson moved through the season, it became known that Coach Jenkins’ boys and girls teams had won every championship in track and field except one. The boys outdoor track & field championship had eluded him for his entire coaching career.
The team made him a promise and when the time came, they did not let him down. With senior captain Nick Burant dominating all of the distance races with four gold medals, the Tigers edged defending champion H.D. Woodson 158 to 152.5! Burant, who will attend Wisconsin next year, won the steeplechase, 3200, 1600, & 800-meter runs. Sprinter Allen Evans added needed points by finishing second in the 100 to Illinois-bound Vontae Davis and third in the 200 meter dash. Junior Gary Barnes also came through with a gold medal in the triple jump, but it was the total team effort that gave Coach Jenkins his going away present – a present that he will cherish for a lifetime.