THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, May 31, 1996 TAG: 9605310649
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY PAUL WHITE, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: VIRGINIA BEACH LENGTH: 85 lines
The queen of area sprinters usually doesn't like to call attention to herself, preferring to let the official clock do her talking for her.
That's why it was particularly surprising Saturday when, just prior to the Eastern Region 100-meter final, Bayside's LaShonda Cutchin casually popped open a shoebox and began donning a pair of the gaudiest florescent-yellow spikes known to man.
``They're new,'' the Marlins' junior said. ``I just want to break them in.''
The other runners openly stared as Cutchin carefully laced up her new kicks. Then again, they really hadn't seen anything yet.
First, Cutchin sprinted through the 100 in 11.98, the fastest time in the state this year. Then, she anchored a meet-record performance by the Marlins' 4x100-meter relay team. About five minutes later, Cutchin whipped the field in the 400 by nearly two seconds.
Finally, after receiving her customary hug from 7-year-old brother C.J., Cutchin plopped herself down in the track's infield and began removing her eye-catching footwear.
``Was it the shoes?'' some guy wondered.
That guy must have been a stranger to these parts. For while the shoes may have been different, everything else about Saturday's performance was the same old Cutchin.
It's been two years since Wilson sprinter Latasha Colander packed up her 12 Group AAA state titles and headed to the University of North Carolina, and Cutchin has proven to be a worthy heir to Colander's throne.
The defending 100-meter state champion, Cutchin hasn't lost to anyone in Virginia at that distance in two years - or since Colander herself did the honors. She also owns the state's fastest time in the 200, and is a favorite in both events at the Group AAA state meet Friday and Saturday at Newport News' Todd Stadium.
``I don't really want to talk about how I think I'm going to do. I think it's bad luck,'' Cutchin said. ``I'm trying to treat this like any other meet. I just want to go out and run my fastest.''
History sides with Cutchin in her bid to win both events. The same girl has won the 100 and 200 nine times since 1982, including Colander in 1993 and '94.
Cutchin, who will also run in the 4x100, will not compete in the 400, an event in which she also holds the area's best time. Ironically, it is the 400 where she may ultimately make her biggest mark. Walt Green, who coached Cutchin during the summer out of the Atlantic Coast Track Club, says he has twice clocked her in just over 54 seconds, times which would rank among the five best by a high school girl in the country.
For now, however, Cutchin selects her races based on team needs and personal preference. And she has about 300 reasons why she likes the 100 more than the 400.
``I don't really like those curves,'' Cutchin said with a laugh. ``I just like running straightaway.''
Genetics - Cutchin is 5-foot-7 1/2 and much of that seems to be legs - explains some of the Marlin star's ability to dominate area sprinters. But according to Green and Bayside coach Keith DeLong, the main secret to Cutchin's success is really no secret at all.
``Her work ethic is just amazing,'' Green said. ``Sometimes during the summer, I won't want to work them too hard because we have so many races. But then, we'll finish a workout and LaShonda will go, `Is that all you want us to do?' ''
The irony is that Cutchin makes things look so easy during her races. Rarely the quickest out of the blocks, Cutchin strides with an almost regal presence - upper body upright, arms pumping with machine-like precision.
``Some say she might run too upright,'' DeLong said. ``But she stays relaxed, comfortable. She doesn't let herself get tight.''
Midway through a race, Cutchin taps into a fifth gear which allows her to separate herself from the quicker, more explosive starters.
``She tends to pull away at the 60-meter mark,'' DeLong said of Cutchin's 100 running style.
Cutchin may not want to speculate on this weekend's meet, but she won't hesitate to talk about her future track goal.
``The 2000 Olympics,'' Cutchin said. ``I don't even know where its going to be, but that's what I'm shooting for.'' ILLUSTRATION: Color photos
D. KEVIN ELLIOTT/The Virginian-Pilot
``The 2000 Olympics. I don't even know where it's going to be, but
that's what I'm shooting for.''
LaShonda Cutchin, left, is favored in the 100- and 200-meter events
at this weekend's state meet in Newport News. by CNB