Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SATURDAY, May 27, 1995 TAG: 9505300063
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: BOB TEITLEBAUM STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: CHARLOTTESVILLE LENGTH: Long
The Patriots were gloomy when their when PH's The next minute, But an unknown, Louis Booker, won the 400 to give the Patriots control once again.
This time, PH didn't fumble anything. Dash champion Jamie Price, who admitted he was using the regional meet to warm up for next week's state championships, flashed to a first-place finish in the 200 for PH's 70th point.
When the counting was done, the Patriots had four more points than Roanoke Valley District rival William Fleming and Brooke Point as they became only the second Roanoke area team to win in the 25-year history of the meet.
Cave Spring won in 1992 behind Ronde and Tiki Barber. Fleming's 1985 state championship team settled for second in the Northwest Region.
On the girls' side, no RVD team challenged for first. Gar-Field easily won the title with 104 points, 40 better than Woodbridge.
Still, Franklin County's Leticia Claytor had a big day. She didn't win an event, but qualified for next weekend's Group AAA state meet at Hampton in four events.
Price clearly was the leader for PH's victory. He won the 100 easily and glanced around en route to winning the 200.
Price ran the first leg of the 400 relayand Patrick Henry was ahead of Woodbridge going into the final exchange when Larry Jones, running in the event for the first time after sitting out with an injury, dropped the baton on the handoff from C.J. Walker.
``It was disappointing because a guy who wanted to run in the state [Walker] won't go,'' Price said.
The error will hurt the Patriots' chances at a state title and put more pressure on Price, who was the runner-up in last year's Group AAA state meet in both dashes.
``I'm in great shape. I've been training real hard. I think the potential is there [to win the state],'' the PH senior said.
``In the 200, I ran the curve real well. In the 100, my block slipped because I didn't get anyone to hold it or I might have had a better time.''
It wasn't apparent how important Price's victory was in the 200 because Booker's 400 win had come only three events earlier.
``It's my first year in track. Coach [Jeff] Johnson talked me into coming out,'' said Booker, who is a junior. ``I'm kind of surprised at how well I've done.''
``The highs and lows of a track meet,'' said Johnson, who was given an ice water shower by the victorious team.
``It's bittersweet. I'm happy to win the region, but the 4-by-400 relay was one of our better events. I felt it had a chance to do something in the state.''
Patrick Henry's odd day wasn't quite finished after Price's victory. Mathematically, Brooke Point could have tied or beaten the Patriots by scoring in the 1,600 relay.
Brooke Point nearly didn't make the event. One of the relay members was out of uniform and had to switch shorts with a member of the girls' team to run.
However, PH's 1,600 relay team, while not scoring any points, beat Brooke Point to make sure the lead would stand.
Besides Price, another reason for PH's victory came in the field events. field event with Raheem Barnwell finishing third in the long jump and fifth in the triple jump.
But once again PH experienced disappointment when Richie Mason finished second in the shot put. However, he was throwing with a hand injury that affected his performance.
William Fleming also contributed to the Roanoke Valley District boys' strong performance. Midway through the meet, the Colonels had a one-point lead over PH and two over Brooke Point.
``I'm very happy with the day,'' said Rudy Dillard, Fleming coach. ``I don't know that we can do anything in the state, though.''
Reminded about of the 1985 team's second-place finish before a state title, Dillard just smiled.
Fleming's strong showing was crafted by two very good relay teams. First, the 3,200-meter team of Ron Byers, Juang Lee, Akil Majied and Brent Elliott finished second.
Then the 1,600-meter relay unit of Byers, Waris Wade, Fenn Crutchfield and Charles Burnette did what Brooke Point couldn't, also placing second. Burnette, only a sophomore, held off Woodbridge on the last leg to give Fleming the tie.
Wade, a junior, also won the 110-meter hurdles and placed second in the 300.
``I got ahead on the eighth hurdle,'' said Wade of his victory over Heritage's Marlon Tanner. ``I'd run against him before and he wasn't as fast [today].''
Tanner, however, came back to beat Wade in the 300.
Fleming's John St. Clair won the discus. The senior, who will attend the University of Virginia on a football scholarship, also finished fifth in the shot.
``That was my personal best in the shot,'' said St. Clair. ``My best in the discus is 165 [feet], 5 [inches] and I should do better. But I haven't placed in the state and this is my third year.''
Claytor was the top RVD girls' performer along with Fleming's Yvette Jackson, who finished second in the 400.
``I was surprised,'' said Jackson, a Colonel sophomore. ``I'll get better. My parents talked to me about track and I decided to try it [in seventh grade] to see what it was like.''
Claytor placed in the long and triple jumps as well as the 100 and 200.
``Considering that she hadn't run at all last year, she did real well,'' said Calvin Preston, Franklin County coach. ``As a sophomore, she went in only one event.''
NOTE: Please see microfilm for scores.
by CNB