Eleanor Roosevelt MD
takes another bite out of the Big Apple

by John Dye

"The 4x200 is the signature event at the Armory," track announcer Ian Brooks says as the girls final lines up. "This is the race that gets them going."

When they "get going" at the Armory, it means rock music, feet stomping, banners waving, fans screaming, and Brooks' high energy announcing that shake the walls of the old fortress at 168th Street and upper Broadway. Usually, the energy is fuelled by fierce rivalries of New York metropolitan schools that run against each other all year. But invaders from Maryland have entered the mix this year in the shape of the blue-clad speedsters of Eleanor Roosevelt HS, Greenbelt MD, just outside Washington DC.

"It's New York vs. Maryland," Brooks shouts as the battle is joined.

And Maryland wins. Repeating their heroics at the Hispanic Games 2 weeks earlier, Eleanor Roosevelt adds the boys 4x200 and the girls 4x400 for a terrific triple. Eleanor Roosevelt leads the nation in all three events in DyeStat Elite rankings for the 2002 indoor season. Eleanor Roosevelt will have another go at the Armory March 1-2 in the High School Invitational Relays portion of the USATF Indoor National Championships.

In the 4x200, Eleanor Roosevelt girls ran 1:38.20, US#5 all-time according to Jack Shepard's High School Track 2002, and the boys ran 1:28.62 for 10th fastest. The combination is one of the best feats ever for a US high school.

With her team improving by a second and now within 1.65 of Wilson Long Beach CA's national record 1:36.55 (1997), coach Ameerah Bello would not speculate whether Roosevelt has room for improvement in March on the Armory's fast banked oval. "I just want my girls to execute properly, and the times will take care of themselves," she said. Bello grew up in the US Virgin Islands and ran the 200 and 400 for Morgan State in Baltimore, graduating in 1998.

Eleanor Roosevelt MD's 4x200 double hits all-time top 10 chart in both events
	Girls 1:38:20 US#5 all time Left, Anchor Renee Clark gets the baton after 1718 Tiandra Ponteen's 23.9 leg and brings it home ahead of Natasha Hastings' 23.7 anchor for A. P. Randolph 1:39.53 US#2 in 2002.
(splits by Walt Murphy)	Boys 1:28.62 US#10 all time Left, Joshua Cotton sends off 1735 Josh Allen with a roar on 2nd exchange. Below, anchor Kyle Postell crosses finish line. This is a very balanced team, with splits ranging from leadoff Sammie Sesay's 21.9 to Postell's 22.3

Roosevelt girls - Three runners are on both squads: Tiandra Ponteen, Romona Modeste, and Renee Clark. Kaprice Williams completes the 4x200 team and Crystal Anyanwu the 4x400.

Tiandra Ponteen

Romona Modeste

Renee Clark

Kaprice Williams

Crystal Anyanwu

Eleanor Roosevelt boys 4x200

1 - Sammy Sesay	2 - Joshua Cotton
3 - Josh Allen	4 - Kyle Postell

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