Boys 400-DeSean Cunningham(CA) 48.56
Results

by Pete Cava and Ricky Quintana

Finals

DeSean Cunningham (San Diego, CA), an unknown commodity when it comes to indoor 400 meter racing, scored a mild upset Saturday with a win over Drew Eckman (Oxford, PA).

Cunningham appears on the current U.S. prep list as the year’s fastest 500-yard leader with a 59.3 at last month’s Los Angeles Invitational. Injured for much of the last two seasons, he presented an enigma for meet statisticians and reporters covering the meet.

Eckman came in with more of a pedigree. His father, Greg, ran for Villanova’s distance medley squads three decades back, and Drew’s 47.65 earlier this season made him the year’s second-fastest quarter miler on a banked track.

Marvin Stevenson (Houston, TX) took the field through the first lap in 22.1. Cunningham, biding his time, trailed coming off the final curve. The Californian took the lead on the homestretch and stayed in front the rest of the way. He finished in 48.56 with Eckman second in 48.68 and Stevenson third with a time of 48.80.

“I didn’t think I was going to be able to catch him,” said Cunningham. “I just hoped he would get tired at the end. I just kicked it in. At first, I just wanted to make the final. To win is just great. I’m speechless!”

Prelims

Out of Saturday’s eight heats, the six fastest runners advanced to Sunday’s final. All six qualifiers advanced with sub-50 second performances.

Drew Eckman (Oxford, PA) led the parade with a time of 48.71. He’ll face a field that consists of DeSean Cunningham (San Diego, CA), Adian Sanderson (Ewing, NJ), Marvin Stevenson (Houston, TX), Anthony Weaver (Falls Church, VA) and Frankie Pavelka (George West, TX).

Qualifying times were 49.26 for Cunningham, 49.41 for Sanderson, 49.49 for Stevenson, 49.93 for Weaver and 49.97 for Pavelka.

Local standout Randy Lee of Washington’s Archbishop Carroll HS, a freshman competing in his first Nike Indoor Championships, won the first heat in 50.60 but failed to advance.

Results
names highlighted in blue qualify for DyeStat Elite 2003 indoor national rankings

 C.F.P.I. Timing & Data 
    Nike Indoor Championships 2003 - 3/15/2003 to 3/16/2003     
            Prince Georges Sports & Learning Complex            
                       Landover, Maryland                       
 
Event 5  Boys 400 Meter Run
================================================================
    National: N 46.84  2/22/1986   William Reed, CentralPhiladel
        Meet: M 47.49  3/10/2002   Kelly Willie, Sterling, Houst
    Freshman: F 48.76  1985        William Reed, CentralPhiladel
   Sophomore: R 46.84  2/22/1986   William Reed, Central, Philde
      Junior: J 47.69  1987        William Reed, Central, Phila,
      Senior: S 46.97  1995        Jerome Young, Prince Tch,Hart
    Name                    Year School                  Finals 
================================================================
Finals                                                          
  1 DeSean Cunningham         03 San Diego, CA            48.56F
  2 Drew Eckman               03 Oxford, PA               48.68F
  3 Marvin Stevenson          03 Houston, TX              48.80 
  4 Frankie Pavelka           03 West, TX                 49.96 
  5 Anthony Weaver            04 McLean, VA               49.97 
 -- Adian Sanderson           04 Ewing, NJ                  DNS 

Nike Indoor Championships