THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, January 6, 1995 TAG: 9501040114
SECTION: PORTSMOUTH CURRENTS PAGE: 11 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY BILL LEFFLER, CURRENTS SPORTS EDITOR
LENGTH: Medium: 61 lines
ON THE CORRIDOR wall outside the guidance office at Wilson High School stands testimony to the achievements of the school's greatest track star.
The ``LaTasha Colander Wall'' has been established, displaying a large picture of the former Wilson hurdler and several of the many awards she won before her June graduation.
Colander just completed her first semester as a freshman at the University of North Carolina and is home for a visit until this weekend.
She will be springing into competion for the Tar Heels in a weekend indoor quad meet at George Mason. She will run the 55-meter hurdles.
The records Colander established in her four-year career at Wilson may never be equaled. She won six national championships, 12 state titles, nine region crowns and 16 individual district championships. She was even chosen as the school's Homecoming Queen in 1993.
A two-time high school All-American, she was picked by Track and Field News as the female indoor track athlete of the year in 1993.
Earlier this year Colander had the third-fastest time ever recorded by a high school girl in the 55-meter hurdles with a 7.75 clocking while winning the East Coast Invitational.
With all her victories - 77 - she says her most thrilling moment was a race in which she finished second. She won a silver medal in the IAAF World Junior Championships last July in Portugal.
``That meant so much to me because I had worked so long and so hard for it,'' said Colander.
Recently Colander has been training to build her endurance by running long distances. She also has practiced the hurdles with Ayo Atterberry, North Carolina's ACC champion who graduated in December.
An honor graduate at Wilson on a full scholarship in track, Colander is majoring in mass communications.
``I don't know if it's going to be broadcasting or if I'm going to go into journalism,'' she said. ``I thought it would be very, very hard adapting to the school work and being away from home, but it was nice. I adapted very well.
``My classes this semester included history, English and math. I even got into modern dance. That was really nice. That was a class I could relax in to release some of the stress. Another class I took was a geology lab and the lecture course.''
And what about the future in track?
``My goals right now are to win the ACC and to finish in the top six in the NCAA Nationals,'' she said. ``And most definitely a long term goal is the Olympics.'' ILLUSTRATION: Photo by GARY C. KNAPP
LaTasha Colander, Wilson's greatest track star, stands in front of a
wall dedicated to her achievements.
FOR THE RECORD
[For a copy of the graphic, see microfilm for this date.]
by CNB