Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: THURSDAY, March 29, 1990 TAG: 9003300408
SECTION: NEIGHBORS PAGE: S-14 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE:
DATELINE: LENGTH: Long
Dillard, the boys' track coach at William Fleming, is separating his 800-meter relay team from the indoor season for the outdoor schedule.
Don Smith, Mike Wheatley and Chris Robinson will still run together, but not Carlos Hurt. Normally, it wouldn't be big news. But this quartet turned in the second-fastest indoor time nationally during the winter. The Colonels were clocked at 1:30.1, while Clinton High in the Bronx, N.Y., came in a shade faster at 1:29.79.
There is no 800-meter relay in the spring season, but there is a 400-meter race.
"We'll use three of the four in that one," said Dillard. "We'll just have to wait and see what happens [in big meets], but for the dual meets, we have to spread ourselves out to get points. We're breaking them up, but they could come back together."
The winter time of the four was notable, and Wheatley also wound up with the nation's third-fastest time in the 55-meter dash - an event that jumps to 100 meters in the spring.
The Track and Field News takes times from all events and comes up with the fastest times. It's much the same way the Timesland honor roll, which runs in the spring in the Roanoke Times & World-News, is compiled, listing the top three performances in each event.
The four were surprised when they found out about their time, Dillard said, adding "a lot of times, you don't know who you're running against nationally."
With these four athletes, Fleming is a threat to win the Group AAA boys' outdoor title. They might not win the Northwestern Region, but when it comes to the state, four athletes such as this quartet can score enough points for a championship.
Robinson and Wheatley are the two with a reputation from last spring's outdoor season. Hurt and Smith joined them for the indoor meets, and with the four of them, the Colonels figure to dominate local boys' competition.
Wheatley, who anchored the 800-meter team, transfered from Northside to Fleming this fall. Last year, he finished fourth in both the 100- and 200-meter dash events at the Group AA meet. But last year also was a lost season because Wheatley sprained his ankle in a pickup game of basketball and never ran as fast as the 10.3 time he had run as a sophomore in Chicago.
Wheatley also was a football player at Northside and that led him to Fleming. "I had a little difference of opinion with one of the coaches [Northside football coach Jim Hickam]. I thought it would also be better if I transferred as there is more [track] competition. Then I can find out how good I really am," Wheatley said.
This year, he's not likely to try a pickup game of basketball. "I'm a lot better this year. Last spring, that injury hampered me all the way to the state, and I still wasn't full speed then. I had lost a lot of training time," Wheatley explained.
If Wheatley even approaches his 10.3 mark, he'll be a threat to win the Group AAA title. The state record was set last year by T.C. Williams' Rodney Williams at 10.51.
Robinson, who ran the first leg of the 800-meter relay, says the national ranking has made him work harder this spring. He won the regional long jump with a 23-3, and his best is 23-5. "I have to do 24-4. That's my goal," said Robinson.
Obviously, running isn't the main event for Robinson. "It's sort of a diversion. But it makes me stronger so that I won't be tired when I come down the runway [for the jumps]."
Hurt ran third leg on the 800-meter team, and he's not upset over the prospect about breaking up the quartet for some early meets. He figures he has to score points in 200- and 400-meter races.
"I think this was the first team to be nationally ranked at Fleming. I felt real proud," said Hurt.
He also was a member of last year's team, along with Robinson, that lost the Roanoke Valley District boys' title to Cave Spring. It was the first time the Colonels had been beaten in the RVD since the league was formed in 1975.
"This team is much stronger than [the one] last year," said Hurt. "We've got a lot of sprinters and distance people. The Cave Spring loss was a very disappointing day and we've vowed to make up for it."
Smith, who was the second leg, is a newcomer to the team just like Wheatley. He was at William Fleming last year but didn't run track because his mother decided it might be better for him to concentrate on his studies.
That was a good decision. Smith is the only one of the quartet so far who has qualified under Proposition 48 guidelines for a college scholarship. He counts the 200-meter as his speciality, which means he and Wheatley could rack up a lot of points this spring in that event.
"We have a lot of 200-meter people and that's why the indoor team was so good," said Smith, explaining the success of the 800-meter race that is run in 200-meter segments.
This also explains why Hurt and some of the others have to step up to the 400 meters this spring.
Smith says the performance of the 800-meter team was no surprise.
"I'm not trying to be cocky, but we knew we could have a good team. It was just a matter of working out everything. I also think the Cave Spring loss helped us last year. When we got to the indoor district meet, we were more aware of the other teams," said Smith.
Dillard just smiles about the prospects this spring. He also has Mike Reed, a top 800-meter runner, who might score points.
"They're all very talented seniors," said Dillard, who hopes the glory of winter becames the success of spring.
by CNB