Tiandra Ponteen says that when she loses, she becomes
inwardly angry and works harder to come back with a victory. At
Virginia Tech February 1, she counteracted her only loss of the
year (to Natasha Hastings in New York at 400 meters) resoundingly
by ringing up the 3rd fastest 300 meters ever by a US high school
girl -- 37.85. She also put led Eleanor Roosevelt's victory in
the 4x400 relay with a 55.3 split that put her team in front to
stay. Although third best all time, Ponteen's 300 at Virginia
Tech is is second in the US this season behind Shana Cox's national
record 37.59. Ponteen is also US#3 in the 400and US#2 in the 500.
A native of the Caribbean island St. Kitts, Ponteen
came to New York City in middle school. After one year at Washington
Irving High School, she moved to Maryland in her sophomore year.
Ponteen's long range goal is to run for St. Kitts-Tevis
in the Olympics (the small island nation was represented at Sidney
by Kim Collins, 7th in the men's 100 meters). But first will come
college at the University of Florida next year.
Tiandra
Ponteen past performances
Event Mark Meet Pos
2003 Indoor
G-300 37.85 MR 2/1/2003, Virginia Tech VA, # 1
G-500 1:16.6 1/23/2003, PG County Ch. MD, # 1
G-300 39.35 1/23/2003, PG County Ch. MD, # 1
G-400 55.07 1/11/2003, Hispanic Games NY, # 3
G-500 1:13.88 12/28/2002, Metro Holiday MD, # 1
G-200 25.07 12/28/2002, Metro Holiday MD, # 1
2002 Outdoor
G-200 24.19 4/20/2002, Jaguar Inv MD, # 1
2002 Indoor
G-400 55.54 3/10/2002, PG-NIC MD, # 1
G-400 56.69 2/1/2002, PG-PVA Inv MD, # 1
G-200 24.87 2/1/2002, PG-PVA Inv MD, # 2
G-500 1:13.5 1/24/2002, PG-PG County Ch MD, # 1
G-300 39.04 h 1/24/2002, PG-PG County Ch MD, # 1.
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Reggie Witherspoon is the fastest returning 400 meter
runner in the country (46.08), and he has set monster goals for
his senior year. After winning the 300 at Virginia Tech in 33.31,
US#1 this season and US#3 all time indoors, Reggie said:
"I feel great about my performance in Virginia
but I really wanted to beat the national record. My biggest goal
for this year is to run 44 seconds in the 400 meter outdoor this
year."
Only one US high school runner has ever penetrated
sub-45 second territory -- the US high school record holder Darrell
Robinson 44.69 in 1986.
Here are some more of Reggie's answers to DyeStat's
questions:
What are you doing differently this year?
"I am training harder than I did last year. I'm taking track
even more serious because i'm going to college next year (University
of Florida). I realized this year that you shouldn't take things
for granted because tomorrow isn't guaranteed. I'm very excited
about going to college, and I think that if my work ethic carries
over than so will everything else."
Who has the biggest influence on your life?
"I have a lot of big influences like my family and friends
but my biggest influence is my best friend David Dickens (Wheeler
GA teammate) who never let's me give up and motivates me on and
off the track."
What athlete would you most like to meet?
"I would love to meet Michael Johnson. He has always been my
favorite runner and I want to tell him that some day I want to beat
his 400 record but he is the greatest 400 meter runner ever and
he is my idol."
What do you do for fun when not running?
"I just hang out with my friends (when I don't have to study).
Or I sit in front of the television watching track tapes studying
my mistakes. I'm a track fanatic!!!!!!!"
Reggie
Witherspoon past performances
Event Mark Meet Pos
2003 Indoor
B-300 33.31 2/1/2003, Virginia Tech VA, # 1
B-400 49.44 1/11/2003, LSU Inv LA, # 1
2002 Outdoor
B-400 46.08 7/28/2002, USATF JO YM/YW NE, # 2
B-400 47.26 7/15/2002, USATF regional , # 1
B-400 46.39 7/7/2002, YAC YM/YW FL, # 1
B-400 47.58 5/11/2002, 5A Boys Statemeet GA, # 1
B-400 46.63 4/20/2002, Marietta Inv GA, # 1
B-400 47.55 4/6/2002, Mobile MOC AL, # 4
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