DeSaussure Appears Back on Track but May Get Off

Andre DeSaussure of Taft High is the top returning 400-meter sprinter in the state and based on his performances in Thursday’s Northwest Valley Conference track and field finals at Birmingham High, he appears to be rounding into shape in an injury-plagued senior season.

But don’t bet on him running in the state championships at Cerritos College next month, as the City Section finals May 26 could be his last meet of the season.

The top three finishers in each event in the City meet qualify for the state championships, but DeSaussure said he “probably won’t run in the state meet” in order to prepare for a high school all-star football game in late June.

“The only way I would go on (to the state meet) is if I run really fast in City,” said DeSaussure, who won the 400 in 48.4 seconds and ran a 48.3 anchor leg on Taft’s victorious 1,600 relay that clocked a season best of 3 minutes 25.9 seconds.

“Track is just not what I’m thinking about right now. Football is the No. 1 sport with me. Track is second.”

Choosing participation in an all-star game over running in the state championships might seem ludicrous for someone who finished second in the 400 in last year’s state championships and is regarded as a project as a collegiate wide receiver, but the Washington-bound DeSaussure is leaning that way.

Despite his waning passion for track, DeSaussure ran an impressive, controlled race in the 400 to turn back teammate Moses Backus (50.2) and Cleveland’s Eric Brown (50.8), and he surged past Tehran Price of San Fernando with 150 meters left in the 1,600 relay to give Taft the victory in that event.

“I just wanted to run relaxed in the 400,” DeSaussure said. “I didn’t think I was running that fast.”

There were several other quality performances during the meet in which the top five finishers in each event qualified for next week’s City preliminaries.

Danny Haag of Granada Hills turned back Paul Kokorowski of El Camino Real in the 110 high hurdles, 14.5 to 14.6, won the 300 intermediates in 39.5 and finished second in the long jump (21 feet 1/2 inch) behind Kennedy’s Donte Scarborough (21-3).

Scarborough also won the 100 in 11.0, finished third in the 200 in 22.6 and anchored the Golden Cougars to victory in the 400 relay (43.5).

Kennedy teammate Sammie Wilson was the upset winner in a highly competitive 200.

Wilson and Scarborough ran the turn well and entered the straightaway with a three-meter lead on Backus, but the Taft junior passed Scarborough with 40 meters left and fell just short of Wilson as both were clocked in 22.4.

In the field events, Kokorowski cleared 15-0 in the pole vault, Wayne Simpson of San Fernando won the high jump with a personal best of 6-5 and El Camino Real’s Brian Tade took the shotput at 54-8.

Kelli Collins and Neisha Henderson of Cleveland produced the top individual marks in the girls’ meet.

Collins timed 46.9--two seconds better than her previous best--in the 300 low hurdles and Henderson bounded a personal best of 35-8 in the triple jump.

Double victories went to Tanika McThomas of El Camino Real in the 100 (12.6) and 200 (26.3), and to Kristin Kabo of Kennedy in the 1,600 (5:26.0) and 3,200 (11:47.7).