THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Saturday, April 13, 1996 TAG: 9604130479
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C8 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY KEITH POMPEY, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: NORFOLK LENGTH: Medium: 56 lines
All eyes at the Norfolk Invitational Relays were glued to Jessie Grant on Friday.
Fans on the sidelines at Norfolk State wondered if the Indian River long jumper was as good as advertised.
``I felt the pressure to perform,'' said Grant, this week's Virginian-Pilot male athlete of the week. ``I noticed that everybody was looking at me. People were saying, `How did he get athlete of the week. He hasn't done anything.'
``I had to go out there and prove that I wasn't a fluke.''
And so, he did.
Grant won the long jump with a state-best leap of 23 feet, 7 inches - shattering Indian River's school record by one foot.
``I got my respect,'' Grant said after quieting the crowd. ``But I have to keep it. Everybody is gunning for me since I'm on top now.''
One person looking to defeat Grant was Granby's Anthony King, who finished second at 23-3.
King also won the high jump (6-2), qualified for the 100-meter final (10.7) and anchored Granby's qualifying 4x100 relay (43.5)
``Anthony's performance was outstanding,'' Granby coach Hank Sawyer said. ``He rose to the occasion and was a real spark for our team.''
While Grant and King were a two-man show, Green Run displayed an overall team effort.
Sevend Mason won the 400. Teammate Plaxico Burress took first in the 400 hurdles.
Then the two teamed up with Jerry Wilson and Cedric Warren, producing the fastest qualifying time in the 4x100 (42.30).
And Cody McNabb finished second in the pole vault.
In the girls competition, Norcom's Missy Bank's and Great Bridge's Chandra Lewis finished 1-2 in their events. Both of them.
Lewis won the discus (127-9) followed by Banks (127-2). Banks won the shot put (42-9), while Lewis finished second (38-3).
Other South Hampton Roads performers who stood out:
Booker T. Washington's Alex Laws won the pole vault (10-6).
Maury's Dallas Williams took first in the unseeded section of the boys' 1600.
Great Bridge's Kim Gibbs won the girls' 400 (60.1).
Maury's Thomasena Showden won the 400 hurdles (1:05).
Salem's Jonelle Collins won the girls' 800 (2:27.7). ILLUSTRATION: MOTOYA NAKAMURA\The Virginian-Pilot
Norcom teammate Nina Melton, left, watches Missy Banks work on
winning shot-put form in the Norfolk Invitational Relays.
by CNB