THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, May 19, 1996 TAG: 9605190199
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C10 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY KEITH POMPEY, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: PORTSMOUTH LENGTH: Medium: 72 lines
The Western Branch boys and Great Bridge girls used different methods to win the Southeastern District track meet Saturday at Churchland.
The Bruins relied on sprinters and distance runner Billy McGlaughan for their first district crown. Western Branch's 109 points locked up the team title going into Monday's pole vault event at Great Bridge. Second-place Oscar Smith (105 1/2 points) doesn't have any pole vaulters competing. And Deep Creek is third with 77.
The Wildcats girls, however, used an overall team effort to score 170. Norcom - the district indoor champion - took second with 113. Oscar Smith (88) was third.
``You really couldn't pick out just one strength today, it was our balance that won the meet,'' Great Bridge coach P.J. Banks said. ``We got one of the best balanced teams in the (East) Region. We have sprinters, jumpers and middle-distance. We knew Oscar Smith and Norcom would be tough. But with our overall balance we knew we could score at least 160 points.''
Norcom stayed close for a while. The Wildcats led the Greyhounds 112-97 with four events left.
The turning point came when Kim Gibbs and Hannah Gerloff took first and third in the 800 meters.
With that, Great Bridge won eight events and took second place in three to win its second consecutive district title.
Denita Eason and Tracey O'Neal both won two individual events.
Eason took the 100 meters (12.20 seconds) and 200 (25.00). O'Neal won the 1,600 (5 minutes, 27.8 seconds) and the 3,200 (12:07.6).
But Banks said the highlight of the meet was the 4x400 relay. The team of Alesha Spellman, Eason, Pam Garrett and Gibbs won in 3:59.70, setting a meet record.
``We had the meet won but they still went out there and ran a record-setting pace,'' Banks said. ``That's the special part of this championship. That was the true sign of a champion.''
In the boys events, Western Branch needed a third-place finish in the 4x400 to nip Oscar Smith for the overall title.
The Tigers won the event and got 10 points. However, the Bruins were awarded six, giving them a 3 1/2-point lead.
Kenny Mosley won the 110 hurdles (14.82) and 300 hurdles (38.86).
McGlaughan won the 3,200 (10:10.45) and took third in the 1,600 (4:31.61).
Darren Walton stole the 100 (11.03). Malik Cook won the 200 (22.38). And the Bruins ran away in the 4x100 (41.57).
Other standouts were Great Bridge's Jason Buckley, Oscar Smith's Shawnas Moore and Norcom's Brandy Smith.
In only his second 1,600, Buckley out-kicked McGlaughan and Wilson's Kenya Edwards to win in 4:29.67. Then he came back and did the same thing to Connell Williams of Deep Creek to win the 800.
Moore anchored the Tigers' winning 4x100 Five minutes later, she won the 400 meters.
Smith set a meet record in the triple jump (37 feet, 5 inches), took second in the 100 hurdles (15.52) and second in the 300 hurdles (45.08).
The Deep Creek boys 4x800 relay of Connell Williams, Willie Hinton, Jamain May and Justin Howe broke the meet record with a time of 8:15.
The top six individual performances and top three three relays compete in next week's Eastern Region meet at Todd Stadium. ILLUSTRATION: Photos
MARK MITCHELL/Virginian Pilot photos
TOP: Western Branch's Kenneth Moseley gets a hug after winning the
300 intermediate hurdles. BOTTOM: Great Bridge's Denita Eason, who
won the 100 and 200 meters, watches the action at the Southeastern
District track championships Saturday.
by CNB