THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, January 25, 1996 TAG: 9601250533
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C7 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: ATHLETES OF THE WEEK
SOURCE: BY BILL LEFFLER, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: PORTSMOUTH LENGTH: Medium: 53 lines
If Norcom should win its first-ever Southeastern District girls indoor track title, the difference could be Tieshia Pickett. And she may not win a single event in the district meet.
Norcom coach Vincent Pugh is hoping the versatile Pickett will rack up the points the Greyhounds need to move to the top from last year's fourth-place finish. ``It's the second and third-place points we must have to move up the ladder,'' he explained.
Pickett provided just such points in last week's victory by the Greyhounds, 11-1 in district meets, over Great Bridge, Deep Creek and Churchland in a quad-meet.
Pickett registered 15 points with a second in the 300 meters, third in the 55-meters, second in the long jump, third in the high jump and ran on a runner-up relay.
The senior's achievements, particularly a 15-4 1/4 long jump on the first time she ever tried the event, earned her The Virginian-Pilot female athlete of the week award.
Brandi Smith, the Greyhounds' star long jumper, was playing basketball Wednesday and unable to participate.
``Working with Brandi, I think Tieshia can move up to 16 feet easily, and 17 feet isn't out of the question,'' said Pugh. ``We have a standing broad jump test for everybody on the team and we look at those who go over six feet. We must have had six or eight. Tieshia went about five feet.
``So we never looked at her as a long jumper. Then, last week when we knew we wouldn't have Brandi, we had the team members jump on a mat inside the gym. Tieshia beat everybody. So we asked her to jump and it was the difference when we beat Deep Creek by just 3 1/2 points.''
Pickett, who has passed her SAT, has good grades and wants to attend college, is the school's first female to compete in indoor track for four years. As a freshman and sophomore she ran on relays. Last year she ran the 300 and high jumped.
Through most of her track career she wasn't interested in jumping, preferring to run. But now that second in the long jump last week has her thinking otherwise.
``This is something new,'' said Pickett. ``I know I can do better.'' ILLUSTRATION: Tieshia Pickett
by CNB