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The Montgomery Journal
Track's Future Looks Bright After Spring '83 Performances
Originally Published in The Montgomery Journal on Monday, June 20, 1983
By: Donna Niewiaroski
Photographer: None


Republished with permission granted by The Washington Newspaper Publishing Co. LLC d/b/a MediaDC. Back to Montgomery Journal articles

Track's Future Looks Bright After Spring '83 Performances

By DONNA NIEWIAROSKI
Special to the Journal

A quick glance down the county's top three performance list and the future for track and field brightens for the county's athletes. Not to diminish the accomplishments of this year's performers, quality times and distances were turned in across the board; but track-watchers have documented a general slowing-down of high school times over the past few years.

However, the sluggish trend may finally be reversing itself. Talented sophomores and underclassmen pop up event after event, leading the procession in many cases.

Three tenth graders dot the boys' list in four events. Sherwood weightman Mike Smith leads the shot putters by almost a foot at 51-9 1/2 and is ranked second with Magruder's Derrick Gassaway in the discus at 148-0. Damascus senior Mike Athey tossed a 148-3 in the Class B state meet to claim the top spot on the list.

Poolesville sprinter Irvin Smith is second in the long jump with a 21-1/2 behind Seneca Valley senior Shawn Tittley at 22-5. Tittley also holds the top slot in the triple jump at 49-6 3/4.

Tittley's teammate, sophomore Sean Jackson, turned in a 49.8 in the 400 meters this year, ranking him ahead of the rest of the county's quarter-milers. Magruder's Marco Mattocks and Good Counsel's Lonnie Johnson follow in quick succession at 49.9 and 50.2, respectively.

Not to be outdone by a trio of sophomores, seniors turned in their share of county-leading performances this season. Good Counsel senior Mike Weisgerber soared above the rest of the county's high jumpers as well as those from the IAC when he cleared 6-7 at the conference meet for perhaps the most impressive performance of the season in any event.

Rockville's Willy McBeath and Richard Montgomery's Ken Sonner captured the top two positions in the 3,200 meters at 9:23.4 and 9:24.8, respectively. Running practically in each others shoes all season both runners clocked their best times at opposite ends of the outdoor schedule; McBeath taking fifth with his time at the George Mason Invitational in April and Sonner running his time to win the state at the end of May.

The juniors were well represented by Blair's Lance Fletcher. He dominated the middle distances with his top-placing 1:55.2 in the 800 and equally high placing time in the 1,600, 4:18.0.

Sophomores were a lot more pervasive on the girls' side. In all, eight sophomores claimed positions in nine events. And a freshman, Einstein's LaDonna Gooden, holds the top slot in the long jump at 16-10.

Her teammate, sophomore Tracy Lake, doubled with the county's top performance in the discus (122-9) and the third-ranked toss in the shot put (36-11 1/2).

B-CC's Charlott Welch and Kennedy's Sharon Works both sprinted their way into rankings in two events each, overlapping in the 200. Welch hold second in that event at 25.8, while Works is just two-tenths of a second behind. In the 100 Welch claimed third at 12.6. Works tops the list in the 400 at 59.1.

Underclassman distance runners thoroughly dominated the 1,600 and 3,200, dividing the six places evenly between juniors and sophomores. In the metric mile Gaithersburg junior Lisa Winter tops the list with her state-winning 5:07, but she is flanked by two sophomores. Tammy DeVore from Churchill took fourth in the state with a 5:11 while Wheaton's Kristine Ogle won the Class A state with a 5:14.

The situation is reversed in the 3,200. Kennedy sophomore Beth Jacobson runs away from the two juniors behind her with a 10:57.1, run in the last dual meet of the season. Winter follows with her state-championship 11:16.6 and Springbrook's Betsy Schmid is third at 11:20.2.

Sherwood's Ginny Hanlon is second in the high jump with the height that gave her the state crown, a 5-6. Wheaton's Angie Padua shares the third position in the 100 meter hurdles with Churchill's Yvette Sadley at 15.7.

As with the boys, seniors had their say, especially since Monica Kuhn had something to do with it. The woodward senior topped the list in three events, the high jump (5-7), the triple jump (33-8 1/4) and the 300 meter intermediate hurdles (46.5).

Volunteer to type these results: Email results@mocorunning.com





Niewiaroski, Donna. "Track's Future Looks Bright After Spring '83 Performances." Montgomery Journal, 20 Jun. 1983.
Transcribed by: Kevin Milsted 04/11/2020


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