Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: THURSDAY, March 31, 1994 TAG: 9404010011
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV3 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE: RALPH BERRIER JR. STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: PEARISBURG LENGTH: Medium
It's not that she doesn't like them. She gets along with them well. From all appearances, they like her, too.
It's just that when Ramos is waiting for the baton to be passed to her so she can run the anchor leg for Giles' 1600-meter relay team, she gets a little fidgety watching the other three Spartans leave their competition behind like they were running in quicksand.
"I'm always, like, extremely nervous," said Ramos. "Everybody's always got a lead. ... I always think, 'Oh no, I'm going to get passed. I'm going to let the team down.' "
Tomika Saunders knows the feeling. Even though she shakes off her competitors within seconds of blasting out of the starting blocks and rockets the Spartans to a wide lead in the first 400 meters, Saunders, too, quakes in her running shoes before she races.
"I remember my first year on varsity in the ninth grade, I was shaking so much before the state meet I was afraid I was going to false start," Saunders said. "I always get nervous. I still do."
The fact is, the ones with the really frayed nerves are those who step out on a track against Ramos, Saunders and company. For two years, there has been no faster girls' 1600 relay team in Group A than the Spartans.
The nervous jaunts of Saunders and Ramos have allowed Giles track coach Rusty Kelley to sit back and relax. Now, if he can just find two girls to run the second and third legs of the relay, the prospects of Ramos and Saunders running for a third consecutive title appear favorable. Kelley had to replace two spots from the 1992 state champs, and the Spartans still won the 1993 Group A race with ease.
Kelley is still able to build the team around the legs of Ramos and Saunders. Saunders, a junior, has run the first leg of the 1600 relay since she was a ninth-grader and Ramos, a senior, has been on the team for three years and has anchored the team since she was a sophomore.
"You don't necessarily have to have superstars to have a good relay team," said Kelley, who has had success coaching other relay teams during his years at Giles. "We have two good girls back and we'll experiment through the course of the season with the other two spots. I like what I've seen in practice so far."
What Kelley won't do is tinker with either of his veterans, both of whom contribute differing individual talents. Saunders is an explosive starter, Ramos a fast, durable finisher.
Saunders sets the pace of the race early by leaving most competitors well behind after 400 meters. That's important, because the first exchange zone gets muddled since runners in the 1600 relay do not have to run in a specific lane when they pass the baton. With Saunders usually breaking away early, the Spartans are able to make clean, quick handoffs.
"She gets us out of the traffic," Kelley said.
By the time the baton is handed to the restless Ramos, the Spartans usually have a substantial lead. Ramos has enough speed and endurance to bury any laggards who try to catch up.
"If it's a close race with 200 yards to go, we're in pretty good shape," said Kelley.
It's usually not that close. Giles has won its two state championship races by about 40 yards each time.
Saunders and Ramos leave the competition in other events, as well. Saunders is a fine sprinter and high jumper and she has a chance to become Giles' all-time leading scorer before she graduates. Ramos has run the 400 meters in 1:02.5, the fourth-fastest time in Giles history.
"They're both proficient at what they do," said Kelley.
And they make people nervous while doing it. Sometimes themselves, always the competition.
by CNB