THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, May 19, 1996 TAG: 9605190175
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C10 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY PAUL WHITE, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: VIRGINIA BEACH LENGTH: Medium: 60 lines
The Green Run boys came up big in the day's final event and Bayside's girls ended Salem's reign at the Beach District track championships Saturday at Tallwood.
The Marlins, whose talented sprinters racked up 45 points in the 100 and 200 alone, put away the defending champion Sun Devils, 141-119, marking the first time in seven years the Salem girls haven't finished first. The Sun Devils won the title outright in five of the past six seasons and tied Bayside for the crown in 1994.
``It feels good, but the district's not that important,'' said Bayside's LaShonda Cutchin, a three-time champion Saturday (100, 400, 4x100 relay) who helped Bayside win the Eastern Region and Group AAA state titles in 1995. ``Region and state, that's what we're shooting for.''
Meanwhile, the Green Run boys, embarrassed after dropping the baton in their specialty - the 4x100 relay in which they won a state title a year ago - ripped off an area-best time in the meet-closing 4x400 to break a four-team logjam and take the title a third straight year.
Heading into the 4x400, the Stallions trailed Salem by two points, led Kellam by only one and Tallwood by just six. And the Stallions got off to a shaky start in the final race as lead man Sevend Mason, whose otherwise splendid day included victories in the 200 and 400, got out slowly and was mired in third when he handed off to Dwayne Gatlin.
Gatlin said he wasn't concerned.
``I feel like I can chase down most anybody,'' he said. ``Once I got that baton, I just moved.''
The senior, who wore one knee-high, royal blue sock to acknowledge his standing as a member of Green Run's soccer team, quickly ran down the early leaders and sent No. 3 man Plaxico Burress on his way with about a five-yard advantage. Burress and anchor Mike Lundy pulled away until the Stallions had clocked a 3:21.1, more than two seconds faster than the area best heading into the meet.
Green Run finished with 87 points, followed by Kellam (84), Salem (83) and Tallwood (72).
Burress also contributed a meet-record 37.8 in defending his 300 hurdles title. But it was one of the few eye-popping times on a day when 90-degree heat, humidity so high some athletes were drenched in sweat while still in the starting blocks and an asphalt track not conducive to fast times conspired against the record 424 competitors.
Davon Lamb, Ebony Shelton and Tamika Williams teamed with Cutchin to run a 47.5 in the 4x100 and set the only other meet record.
First Colonial's Dan Baxley, who pulled off the difficult 400-800 double victory a year ago - a runner has only about 10 minutes to recuperate between events - won the 800 and 1600 Saturday. Kempsville's Adrienne Parker also doubled in those events for the second year in a row.
Cutchin swept the 100 and 400 for the third straight year, while Jason Gustafson (Cox, pole) and Cedric Warren (Green Run, 100) defended titles in their events. by CNB