THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, April 27, 1995 TAG: 9504250118
SECTION: NORFOLK COMPASS PAGE: 19 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY ED MILLER, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Medium: 88 lines
NOT MANY PEOPLE believed Lake Taylor coach Floyd Conley last year when he said his Titan track team would finish no better than third or fourth in the Eastern District.
But Conley was right. His team, which had finished first or second every year since 1981, dropped all the way to fifth, picking up just 34 points at the district meet.
Since Conley was right about last year, we'll let the veteran coach handicap this year's race.
``It's going to be a dogfight for first place between Norview and Maury,'' Conley says. ``I would say Norview, Maury, Granby, Booker T. Washington and Lake Taylor.''
Conley picked Booker T. and Norview as the teams to beat last year and the Bookers edged the Pilots by three points at the district meet. Booker T. is rebuilding, while Norview is young but talented and Granby should improve.
As usual, the district looks wide open. A look at the teams:
NORVIEW
Coach: Alan Williams.
Last year's record: 2nd in district
Top returnees: Billy Strickland (sprints); John Cherry (pole vault); Wayne Bacon (sprints); Basley Carlisle (shot put, discus); Dwayne Potts (sprints).
Top newcomers: David Martin (triple jump); Eric Hines (400). Outlook: The Pilots are young but talented, and could wrest the district title away from Booker T. Norview has good depth, but must overcome the graduation of Jimmie Foster, who scored 36 points at last year's district meet. Bacon is one of the district's top sprinters and Potts and fellow sophomore Larry Austin should challenge in the 400. Carlisle should be heard from in the shot and discus.
MAURY
Coach: Joe Thornton.
Last year's record: 4th in district.
Top returnees: Jeremiah Bell (sprints/jumps); Dallas Williams (middle distance); Anthony McDaniel (sprints/jumps); Jeffrey Smallwood (shot/discus). Top newcomers: Jacob Huges (1,600/3,200). Outlook: Thornton says the team's success depends on the performance of its seniors. The top ones are McDaniel, who was fourth in the district in the long jump last year, and Smallwood, a shot/discus man. Bell and Williams, both juniors, placed in the district meet last year.
BOOKER T. WASHINGTON
Coach: Larry Stepney.
Last year's record: 1st in district.
Top returnees: Chester Jones (400, 800); Brian Hundley (sprints); Delvin Young (jumps); John Leigh (400); Cheron Fowler (hurdles). Top newcomers: Shawn Minter (sprints); Dexon Blair (middle distance). Outlook: Stepney is calling it a rebuilding year due to graduation losses and the ineligibility of several of last year's top performers. The Bookers don't return any individual district champions, although Jones was second in the 800 last year.
GRANBY
Coach: Hank Sawyer.
Last year's record: 3rd in district
Top returnees: Anthony King (sprints, jumps); Raymond Martinez (shot put, discus); Lorenzo Thompson (sprints); Reuben Waites (pole vault); Deonte Hundley (sprints, jumps). Top newcomers: Mack Hall (sprints, jumps); Charles Bank (800). Outlook: Sawyer is optimistic, and says there is a ``rededication of the old Granby spirit'' sweeping through his program. Participation is up, because coaches from other sports are sending him athletes. The best athlete on hand is King, a 6-6 high jumper and 10.8 sprinter. ``King will be our sparkplug,'' Sawyer says. King is also a capable long and triple jumper and will anchor the 4x100 and 4x400 relay teams.
LAKE TAYLOR
Coach: Floyd Conley.
Last year's record: Fifth in district.
Top returnees: Warren Collins (1,600/3,200); Richard Johnson (sprints/hurdles); Larry Johnson (800); Otis Sumler (hurdles/jumps); NaShawn Taylor (400/800). Top newcomers: DeShawn Hendricks (400,800); Anthony Horton (400). Outlook: ``I've got a team full of newcomers,'' Conley says. ``Everything is raw, and very, very thin.''
Not a good combination. But Lake Taylor does have the district's best middle distance runner in Collins. ILLUSTRATION: Staff photo by D. KEVIN ELLIOTT
Anthony King, left, getting the hand-off from Lorenzo Thompson, is
Granby High's best athlete. He does long and triple jumps, sprints
and anchors the 4x100 and 400 relays.
by CNB