THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, June 4, 1995 TAG: 9506040166
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY ED MILLER, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: NEWPORT NEWS LENGTH: Medium: 68 lines
Normally, the tears flow after a team wins a state title.
But four members of the Bayside girls track team did things backwards Saturday at Todd Stadium. They had a good cry, then went out and won the 4x400 meter relay, clinching the Group AAA state team championship for the Marlins.
The victory in the 4x400 gave Bayside 39 points, three more than second-place Centreville. It was Bayside's first girls state track title.
``We lost the district, tied for the region, and won the state,'' coach Keith DeLong said. ``If you're going to do it, I guess that's the way.''
Bayside needed the final relay win to take the state title, and before the race, nerves began to get the better of the quartet of Tamika Williams, LaShonda Cutchin, Twylite Pope and Michelle Thompson.
``I was crying because I knew I had to run the quarter of my life,'' Pope said.
``I was just scared of everybody,'' said Williams.
For Thompson, who ran the anchor leg, the tears didn't stop when she got the baton.
``I cried from start to finish,'' she said.
Maybe they should cry more often. The Marlins finished in 3:51.34, nearly three seconds faster than their best time and three seconds faster than quicker than second-place Bethel.
``They knew it was going to come down to that, and they really came through,'' DeLong said.
The quartet came through for Bayside all day. Earlier, the same foursome won the 4x100 meter relay, in 47.26, just two-tenths of a second off the state record.
Williams ran the third leg, and after she gave the baton to Cutchin, running anchor, she raised her arms in victory.
``As soon as I gave it to her, I knew,'' Williams said.
She knew no one was going to catch Cutchin, a sophomore who had won the 100 meters an hour earlier, in 12.25.
Cutchin was expecting a race from Centreville's Destyne Jones, who came into the meet with the best qualifying time. But Cutchin hit the tape a full three-tenths of a second ahead of Jones.
Cutchin's win and the two relay wins gave the Marlins 30 points. They picked up two more from Thompson, who finished fifth in the 200 meters. Bayside got seven points Friday, from Thompson and Monica Matthews in the high jump.
``We did everything we came to do today,'' Pope said.
Including pose with a state championship trophy.
The boys competition was won by Menchville, for the second year in a row. The Monarchs finished with 45 points, to 41 for second-place West Springfield. Great Bridge was third with 29 points and Western Branch tied for fourth with 24.
Saturday's individual state champions from South Hampton Roads were Sherlane Armstrong of Salem in the triple jump, LeVar Bowers of Norcom in the discus, Tony Smith of Western Branch in the 300 hurdles, as well as the Green Run boys 4x100 meter relay team. ILLUSTRATION: Color photo
PAUL AIKEN/Staff
Tamika Williams, LaShonda Cutchin, Twylite Pope and Michelle
Thompson won the 4x100 relay, then shaved 3 seconds off their best
run in the 4x400 to clinch the title.
by CNB