Despite injury, Clipper shines

Thursday, May 31, 2007

Despite injury, Clipper shines

Oxon Hill triple jumper leads boys’ team to top-five finish at state meet

by Derek Toney | Staff Writer

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Raphael Talisman⁄The Gazette

Oxon Hill senior Warren Gray won the boys’ 4A triple jump with a distance of 46 feet, 8.75 inches at Saturday’s state track and field championships in Baltimore.

Warren Gray didn’t think he could compete in the boys’ 4A triple jump with a strained calf muscle that was worsening with each passing minute. But the Oxon Hill High School senior, who claimed the state title Saturday, gained inspiration from the stands at Morgan State University’s Hughes Stadium.

It wasn’t his teammates or coaches that motivated Gray, but a spectator who has become a pseudo fan favorite at meets in Baltimore City and has appeared at some competitions in Prince George’s County. He sometimes runs up and down in the front row shouting, ‘‘Let me at ‘em.”

‘‘I didn’t think I was going to place,” said Gray, who went 46 feet, 8.75 inches. ‘‘That dude hyped me up and gave me the second wind to go forward.”

The Clippers, last year’s state champs, were the top finisher from the county (fifth; 35 points). Charles Johnson was the runner-up in the 200 (21.67) and 400 (48.07), and took third in the 100 (11.07).

Close, but ...

Lamaar Thomas admitted he was thinking about the boys’ 100-meter record at the state track championships last weekend. In a school year of titles and records for the Friendly High School junior, it wasn’t far from the realm of possibility.

Under hot and humid conditions at Morgan State University Saturday, Thomas wasn’t able to erase the state mark, but Thomas put himself in select company. He finished a Triple Crown season in the 100, winning the 3A state title with a run of 10.63 seconds. The time was good for a tie for ninth-best in state finals’ history with DuVal High’s Dwayne Vaughn. It was the fastest performance at the state meet since David Driggers from Oxon Hill clocked 10.5 in the 4A semifinals in 2000.

Thomas, who set the county finals’ mark (10.5) three weekends ago, missed gaining a second Triple Crown in the 200, placing second (21.93) to Westlake’s Corryl Boyd (21.88). Thomas said he’s surprised he was able to pull off the postseason sweep in the 100.

‘‘I didn’t think I came out of the blocks too well,” said Thomas, who won the state 3A⁄2A indoor 55 title during the winter, and was part of the Patriots’ undefeated state 3A champion football squad last fall. ‘‘But I didn’t panic, stayed in the race and let it come to me.”

Historic hurdle

Ernest Cooper didn’t get off to a great start in his hurdling career. Now, he’s a part of Henry A. Wise High School history.

The junior became the first state champion from the Upper Marlboro school, winning the boys’ Class 4A 110- (14.85) and 300-meter (38.87) titles Saturday. Cooper capped off a Triple Crown postseason in both events, winning county, region and state titles.

‘‘I started hurdling at 13 and I wasn’t anything good,” said Cooper, a member of the Marlboro Track Club. ‘‘I didn’t think I was going to do it.”

Cooper’s triumphs accounted for all the Pumas’ points in the final standings (20; 10th overall). Frederick Douglass High finished 15th (12 points) in 2A.

Douglass junior Tony Boone finished third in the 400 (50.08 seconds), and Douglass placed fourth in the 1,600 relay (3 minutes, 24.06 seconds).

Throwing to gold

Rachelle Wright and Stacey Adams finished their Potomac High careers in style. Adams won his second straight boys’ Class 2A discus championship (152-11), while Wright capped a Triple Crown postseason in the girls’ shot put (41-10). Wright said she accepted a scholarship to UMBC early last week.

Potomac coach Stan Mullins said Wright has a lot of similarities to former Wolverine throwing star Ashley Horn, a former Star⁄Gazette Field Athlete of the Year, who attended Morgan State. Mullins said that while Horn was stronger, Wright is a better tactician.

‘‘She can almost coach herself,” said Mullins. ‘‘She’s so competitive that what happens sometimes is her exuberance overtakes what should happen on the track.”

Around the oval

Friendly finished third in the boys’ 400 relay (43.5) ...Potomac finished third in the boys’ 2A standings (52 points) with Adams and Dontrell Brennan placing second (48-1.75) and third (47-1.75), respectively, in the shot put. The Wolverines were second in the 400 relay (42.9), the 800 relay (1:28.61) and the 1,600 relay (3:22.44) ...Wolverine senior Mo Mclauchlin finished second in the girls’ 100 (12.36) and third (25.54) in the 200...Oxon Hill was third in the girls’ 4A standings (50) with runner-up showings in the 800 relay (1:41.95) and 1,600 relay (3:58.1). Evan Slaughter placed second in the high jump (5-4). Slaughter was third in the triple jump (37-5.75) and Deseree King finished second in the 400 (56.79) ...Suitland High sophomore Nehemiah Walker placed third in the boys’ 4A discus (144-4) ...Eleanor Roosevelt High won the girls’ 4A championship.

E-mail Derek Toney at dtoney@gazette.net.