THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, March 31, 1996 TAG: 9603310227
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C10 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY KEITH POMPEY, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: NEWPORT NEWS LENGTH: Medium: 59 lines
The Western Branch boys track and field team had the Conn-Madden Relays all but locked up Saturday at Toddd Stadium.
After finishing second in the 4x100 meter relay, the Bruins, with 21 points, had a seven-point lead with four events left.
But Western Branch was shut out the rest of the meet and finished second as West Potomac won both the boys and girls titles. The boys won with 25 points, while the girls had 48.
The Norcom girls took second 25.3 points. Great Bridge finished third (21).
Neither of those teams could duplicate the heart displayed by Great Bridge's Brian Hunter.
After spraining his right ankle last month, the junior's dream of winning the Group AAA state indoor pole vault was shattered. Then when he sprained eight ligaments in his right ankle last week, many thought he would miss this meet.
But Hunter could care less about his ankle.
``Call me crazy if you want to,'' he said. ``But I call it camaraderie. If I give into every little bit of pain, there would be nothing to run for.
`` Plus, if you're going to do something, don't do it for yourself, do it for the team.''
That's what he did as nobody came close to him in the pole vault. Hunter's personal-best jump of 14-0 was 1 1/2 feet better than Cox's Jamie Marsh, who finished second with 12-6.
``I came out here with a mission to crush my opponents in the pole vault,'' he said.
Hunter wasn't done. He ran on the Wildcats' fifth-place sprint medley (3:43.7) and joined teammate Rodney Moody in the high jump relay.
While Hunter and Moody finished in fifth place, Great Bridge's girls relay was second to none. The duo of Jill Ferguson and Kalisha Brown won with a height of 10-4. Both athletes jumped 5-2.
``I was surprised,'' Brown said. ``I didn't go into this meet with the attitude we were going to win because I won last week at the Hampton Relays.''
Bayside's girls took two gold medals, winning the 4x100 (48.1) and the 4x200 (1:41.8).
Other South Hampton Roads teams to record first-place finishes were the Booker T. Washington boys high jump relay (12-0); Tallwood's boys distance medley (10:58.2); Deep Creek's boys shot put (96-4); Kempsville's girls distance medley (13:16.7); Deep Creek's girls discus (194-02.0); Norcom's girls shot put (70-4); First Colonial's boys discus (292-6); Western Branch boys long jump (43-6 1/2).
Friday's competition was highlighted by Tallwood's Billy Edwards and the Maury girls shuttle-hurdle relay team. Edwards won the 5,000 with a time of 16:31.0. The Commodores' relay squad won in in 1:19.0.
The Colonial Relays at William and Mary on April 5 and 6 is the next major track and field meet. by CNB