From: [email protected]
McClymonds Boys Team Rolls into LA,
Long Beach Wilson Girls Squad Highlights fine Pasadena Games
The 1999 outdoor season really got into "rolling" mode at
the March 27th Pasadena Games in Eagle Rock, with "Mack" (that's
what it says on the front of the McClymonds of Oakland"s Boys
squad uniforms) heading south to test the waters with a potential
state championship squad, and the always strong Long Beach Wilson
group starting their local outdoor season at a very high quality.
A number of state leading efforts emerged from the competition
on a very nice spring evening on the Occidental College facility
noted for its nice wide turns that is very quick up through one
lap.
The action started early on the Boys' side, with the 400
relay blowing into the last exchange with Dorsey (LA),
McClymonds, and a good group from University City (San Diego)
about even. Haddon Weatherspoon, who would later take the 200 in
a fine 21.51 (wind legal) for Dorsey, blazed the anchor for
Dorsey, with the Dons winning 41.61 over McClymonds 41.76 and
University City 41.77. Lamont Long (University City) took the
100 over teammate Stephen Hayes 10.77-10.88 in the next dash
showdown. In the 110 Highs, Chucky Ryan, last year at Elsie
Allen (Santa Rosa) with a horrendous knee brace while racing a
14.06 best, looked very sharp, snapping down quickly on the way
to a big 14.04 win over Muir of Pasadena's Terry Jenkins (14.30).
The 400 continued the battle of the main combatants, with
McClymond's Land Adams winning with a fine 48.23. In the 200
Weatherborne (above) was tough in the late going to win 21.51
over Stagg of Stockton transfer to McClymonds, Maurice Washington
21.71. To shut the evening down, "Mack" cranked a 3:15.57 4x400
off of 49.6 legs by Ryan, 50.2 by Mark Johnson, 47.7 by
Washington, and 48.1 by Adams. Weatherborne anchored Dorsey (2nd
3:18.33) in 47.4. It was a breathtaking set of races!!!
Over on the Young Ladies' side it was Wilson of Long Beach
all over the place. It is kind of a "farewell tour" year for the
senior group of Latrice Borders, Joni Smith, and Kim
Gildersleeve, with that trio adding soph Lashinda Demus to record
a nation-leading 46.30 4x100 to start the action on the track.
Borders next showed up in the 100, with the University of Texas-
bound star racing 11.81 to take Rio Mesa's Porchea Carroll
(12.02). Kim Gildersleeve of Wilson showed real determination in
charging back to take Canyon (Canyon Country) star, Lauren
Fleshman, and the field in the 800 at 2:15.72. Fleshman later
would gain revenge, coming from far back for her squad in the
Distance Medley with a 5:01.5 leg in nipping Wilson and
Gildersleeve (5:14) 12:47.79-12:47.96. JW North of Riverside
star, Nichole Denby, would take the 100 hurdles in a fine 14.07,
with Demus 14.24 for Wilson in second. The 400 would mark the
first outdoor match-up of latest Los Angeles area one lap star,
Lalonie Anderson (another athlete who we would like to really
figure out how to spell her first name!!!) against Joni Smith of
Wilson. Anderson was in Lane 3 and Smith in Lane 4, with
Anderson up to and even with Smith down the backstretch. The
Wilson star could not match Anderson's run over the last 150
meters, with Anderson racing a fine 54.89 to Smiths 56.17.
Anderson last year attended St. Mary's of Inglewood as a ninth
grader, but was in a singing group and did not have enough time
to run regular prep season track--she did race 55.88 in the
summer in Junior Olympic action. She gives Southern California
another in an awesome line of one lap runners this spring! In
the 200 Latrice Borders continued the Wilson string of victories,
blasting 24.06 over Carroll (24.65). In the 300 Lows, Lashinda
Demus was headed for a frightening clocking (at least in the low
42's) as she severely blasted the last hurdle and crashed to the
track, causing great concern among all in the stadium before she
was raised up and walked away from the finish line area. Demus
and the rest of the crew returned for a good 4x400 solo effort in
the relay, as Lashinda 55.3, Borders 54.9, Gildersleeve 57.8, and
Joni Smith 55.1 raced 3:42.32 for a meet record.
Again, the speed half of the Girls' meet left one kind of numb
with the high quality of action!
There were some other good performances! Joe Weber
(Pacific, San Bernardino) was given the Male Athlete of the Meet
award for his double win in the Shot Put (58-06) and Discus (167-
00). Jeff Arnold (St. Francis, La Canada) took soph Tom Kubler
(Viewpoint, Calabasas) 9:31.21-9:31.74 in a spirited 3200. Shane
Hackett (Verdugo Hills) Pole Vaulted 14-06.
On the Girls' side, Lauren Fleshman added an 11:18.65 3200
win to her 2:16.26 800 and 5:01.5 1600 relay leg, for a big
evening for the Stanford University bound star. Bridget Pearson
(Hoover, Glendale) added an 11-06 Pole Vault win. Cari Soong
(North, Riverside) continues her fine weight season, tossing the
Discus out to 148-01.
It was a great evening, with these and many other stars from
around the state and nation heading in two weeks to the same
general area for the Thirty-Second Annual Arcadia Invitational.
Off of this evening, with quality that would hardly qualify as a
"warm-up" it should be a great show!
