THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, June 5, 1994 TAG: 9406050253
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: D9 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY ED MILLER, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: 940605 LENGTH: HAMPTON
For the second week in a row, Brown and Lassiter brought the Darling Stadium crowd to its feet with a record-shattering performance in the 1,600.
{REST} Last week, Brown chased Lassiter into running an Eastern Region record of 4:09.1, while running a personal best of 4:11 himself.
Saturday, it was the state record that fell, as Lassiter held off to Brown to win in 4:08.76, breaking the 14-year-old mark of 4:12.3.
Brown ran 4:09.19, and then recovered to win the 800 90 minutes later.
Lassiter's time was the second-fastest in the nation this year, while Brown's was third.
``I kept saying to myself, `If Seneca beats me today, he's going to have to PR,'' Brown said.
Lassiter hit the 800 mark in 2:06 with Brown right on his shoulder. They went through lap three in 3:08.
Lassiter picked up the pace on the gun lap, and Brown went with him.
With 50 meters to go, they were in a dead sprint, with Lee's Robbie Pearce a close third.
``I knew it would be faster than last week,'' Lassiter said. ``I knew (Brown) was coming after me, I knew he was going all out.''
Until last week, Brown had never run faster than 4:16. But chasing Lassiter has brought out the best in him.
Still, he said: ``After I ran that 4:09, I thought I was through.''
He wasn't, outkicking Matt Barber of Mills Godwin to win the 800 in 1:53.7.
Lassiter came back to win the 3,200 in 9:26.2.
Brown and Lassiter will race again in two weeks at the National Scholastic Outdoor Meet in Raleigh, N.C.
GREEN SPRINT: The Green Run 400 meter relay team has had some trouble with its exchanges this season, getting disqualified from a couple of meets because of illegal handoffs.
But Saturday, when it counted most, the Stallions were flawless.
Spencer Tracy, Cedric Warren, Glenwood Ferebee and Donald Samuel sprinted to the state title in 41.60, narrowly missing the state record of 41.57, set in 19.85.
``That's all we do now is work on our handoffs, trying to perfect them,'' Tracy said.
Last week, at the Eastern Region meet, Green Run won despite a shaky exchange between Warren and Ferebee.
They had no such problems Saturday.
``Perfect,'' Ferebee said.
POWER OF PRAYER: Salem triple jumper Sherlane Armstrong showed last week that she does well under pressure, nailing down the Eastern Region title on her very last jump.
Saturday, Armstrong also saved her best for last.
In fifth place heading into her final jump, Armstrong lept a career-best 39-5, which turned out to be good enough for second place.
``It's just prayer, that's what it is,'' Armstrong said.
``That's the best ever by someone from the Beach,'' said Salem coach Sherlane Armstrong.
``She's got a 40-foot-jump in her.''
MARLINS MAKE A MARK: The Bayside girls got on the state map with a couple of second place performances, good enough for 16 points and a top 10 finish in the team standings.
The Marlins 400 meter relay team of Twylite Pope, Michelle Thompson, Tamika Williams and Denise Felton finished second, narrowly losing to Centreville.
Williams came back to take second in the 200, behind Wilson's LaTasha Colander.
TEAM TOTALS: The Centreville girls, largely on the strength of their distance runners, piled up 66 points to claim the girls title.
In the boys competition, Menchville - helped by 20 points from shot put/discus man Robert Hunt - won with 41 points. by CNB