Roundup : Crawford Girls’ Track Team Looking Strong Again

When Crawford, Helix and Patrick Henry met Wednesday for a tri-meet at Patrick Henry’s chilly Giddings Stadium, it wasn’t for a championship; it was just a warmup to check on each team after one meet.

“This is still really early in the season,” said Darryl Nelson, the Crawford coach.

Nelson’s girls’ squad finished second to Morse in last season’s section meet. Back are Onnie Ferguson and Shani Freeman, two of the county’s top sprinters, but Nelson isn’t ready to confirm his team’s chances to challenge for the section title again.

“I think I need some more meets,” he said.

Still, the showing of his girls’ team Wednesday was an indication that it very well could be one of the section’s best again; Crawford won with 59 points, ahead of Helix (48) and Patrick Henry (46).

Ferguson and Patrick Henry’s Sorri Epps, another top sprinter, went head-to-head at 100 meters and 220 yards. Ferguson won both. Her 100 time of 12.44 seconds was .39 faster than Epps’; her 220 time was only .04 faster.

Ferguson also anchored the Colts’ victories in the 440-yard and mile relays.

“I’m stronger than I was last year,” Ferguson said. “I have more endurance this year.”

Freeman, who was a part of each of those relay teams, also won the 440 in 1:01.03.

Ferguson wasn’t the afternoon’s only four-event winner. Patrick Henry junior Rachelle Johnson won the 100-meter hurdles (16.03), the 330-yard hurdles (49.05), the long jump (16-feet 2-inches) and the triple jump (36-10).

Other girls’ winners included Crawford sophomore Tarren Fischero, who won the discus (83-2) and the shot put (28-10 3/4), and Helix’s Krishna Foster, who won the mile (5:54.62) and the two-mile (13:15.31).

In the boys’ events, Patrick Henry, behind a strong performance by junior Phil Smith, won with 68 points. Crawford was second with 60, and Helix had 30.

Smith, a middle-distance runner, won the 440 (54.42) and 880 (2:04.0) and anchored the mile relay team, which won in 3:39.39.

Crawford’s Goshu Tadese, one of the state’s top distance runners, took it easy winning the mile (4:36.57) and two-mile (9:58.31.

Patrick Henry’s All-City Eastern League basketball player, Terrence Hamilton, is new to the high jump, but in two meets this season he has cleared 6-4 (Saturday) and 6-2 (Wednesday).

“I think I can get 6-8 if I work on my form,” said Hamilton, a junior. “I think I can jump higher than a lot of the top jumpers in (San Diego). They just have the form.”

Crawford sprinter Keith Williams anchored the Colts’ 440-yard relay victory (44.98) and won the 100 meters (11.28). He pulled up at the tape in the 100 with a slight hamstring pull that he said wasn’t serious.