THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, June 2, 1996 TAG: 9606020229
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY KEITH POMPEY, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: NEWPORT NEWS LENGTH: 68 lines
It seemed strange when LaShonda Cutchin walked around the Group AAA state track meet with a sad look on her face. The Bayside junior had scored or helped score 30 of the Marlins' 46 points at Todd Stadium, good for second only behind Centreville's 62.
But. . .
``I'm not happy,'' she said. ``I didn't run my fastest times. Coming into the meet, I wanted to break some records. Since I didn't it doesn't do me any good to be happy with my performances when they were slow times.''
But Cutchin still showed the heart of a champion.
For the first time all season, Cutchin seemed beatable in the 100 meters. She trailed Menchville's Shonelle Snead and Salem freshman Tiffany Purham at 55 meters.
``I had a terrible start,'' she said. ``But I didn't panic. I had confidence that I would win.''
And she did, pulling away to win in 12.04 seconds. Purham took second in 12.26 and Snead placed third in 12.30.
Then Cutchin won the 200 meters, in 24.40, and joined Davon Lamb, Ebony Shelton and Tamika Williams on the 4x100 relay that hit the tape in 47.11, well ahead of the 48.44 of runner-up Oscar Smith.
If the girls 4x100 was a blowout, the boys race went down to the wire.
The Green Run foursome of Cedric Warren, KeCalf Cuffee, Plaxico Burress and Sevend Mason edged out Hampton in 41.95.
``I pulled alway the last five meters to win it,'' said Mason of his anchor leg. ``But at first I was kind of nervous. With 40 meters left in the race, I looked around and I saw Jeramy Ward of Hampton out of the corner of my eye.''
Afterward, Mason went solo to win the 200 meters, running a wind-aided 21.74 to beat Pheobus' Darryl Wynder by a quarter-second.
``Last week (Wynder) beat me for the Eastern Region title,'' Mason said.
``Everyone was saying he was going to beat me again. But last week, we raced after I ran the 400. I was tired going into that race. This week I was ready.''
Burress might have been a little too ready for the 300 hurdles. He posted the fastest qualifying time in Friday's trials, but couldn't get his steps together in the final.
Knocking over several hurdles, Burress dove across the finish line and suffered only his second defeat of the season, at 38.04 just edged out by West Potomac's Clevend McClory in 38.03.
``I started panicking when I saw dudes coming up on me towards the finish line,'' Burress said. ``Maybe I shouldn't have dove. But I can't say that I didn't try for it. I just wasn't concentrating on the hurdles. I just wasn't concentrating.''
However, Burress made up for that performance, anchoring Green Run third-place mile relay (3:20.64).
The Stallions scored 28 points, taking fifth place in the boys team scoring.
In other events:
Norcom's Missy Banks was second in the shot put (43-0).
Granby's Anthony King, who had the state's fastest time in the 100, failed to make the 100 finals. He also was far short of his personal-best jump of 6-10 in the high jump. The senior finished eighth at 6-4. ILLUSTRATION: Color photo
CHRISTOPHER REDDICK/The Virginian-Pilot
Green Run's Plaxico Burress dives for the finish line i nhis
300-meter hurdles final Saturday. It wasn't enough - he was edged by
.01 second. ``I can't say that I didn't try for it, said Burress,
who lost for just the second time this year. by CNB