THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, June 1, 1995 TAG: 9505310175
SECTION: SUFFOLK SUN PAGE: 25 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY PAUL WHITE, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Medium: 69 lines
WITH A HANDFUL of individual medals and a state top-10 team finish locked up, there figured to be an upbeat mood among the Lakeland boys track team Saturday as the Group AA meet wound to a close.
But there was little joy among the Cavaliers as they sat glumly in the bleachers at James Madison University's Bridgeforth Stadium, each going on about what might have or should have been.
``I could have done better,'' said Lakeland's Melvin Frazier, fourth in the state in the 110 hurdles.
``We should have done better,'' said Cavalier relay man Reginald Wiggins, fourth in the 400 relay.
``I'll take it, but I should have done better,'' added Dwayne Wiggins, fifth in the shot put.
These guys must have showed up in Harrisonburg with some pretty unrealistic notions of what was likely to take place.
In other words, no guys, you did just about as well as could reasonably be expected.
No one should show up at the state meet and expect to have the race of their lives. It happens occasionally, apparently enough to make many think it will happen to them. But in fact, most athletes performed Saturday at pretty much the same level they performed during the season.
An 11.3 100-meter man doesn't pop a 10.9 just because it's the state meet. Factor in the pressure that comes with the Group AA championships, and he may just do an 11.5.
During the season, several athletes talked about working towards peaking at state, but how much training towards that end actually goes on is another matter. Most coaches agree that with the relatively short season, no indoor track campaign and athletes filtering in from other sports, there simply isn't enough time for programs designed to have one peak at the big meets to have much affect.
Other athletes may have had their perspective skewed by one outstanding performance. Southampton's talented Rodney Darden had an impressive 6-7 high jump during a meet at Lakeland earlier in the season. But since he was by far the class of area high-jumpers, Darden didn't need a 6-7 to win most meets. All he usually needed was a 6-4.
Problem was, 6-4 was all he could clear at the state meet. Six-four at the state meet didn't place.
Finding their rightful, albeit less-than-satisfying, place on the state pecking order Saturday came as a sobering reality for Darden and several other area stars, who seemed to descend on Harrisonburg expecting to add a state title to their Region I title.
But that's what happens when one puts much stock in Region I titles. This region, typically among the weakest in Group AA for track, was the weakest this year. And anyone who compared the winning Region I times and distances with those of the top performers from around the state didn't need a crystal ball to forecast a dreary afternoon for the local contingent.
No area athlete had the best qualifying standard in his/her event. Should it come as any revelation that no area athlete won a state title?
This isn't to say that the Lakeland athletes weren't being sincere in their comments. Who knows? Maybe they should have done better.
It's just that, under the circumstances, no one should be surprised they didn't. ILLUSTRATION: Staff photo by MICHAEL KESTNER
Southampton's Rodney Darden had an impressive 6-7 high jump during a
meet at Lakeland earlier in the season.
by CNB