Right In Stride : Wilson’s Kinshasa Davis Looks Awkward--Until She Passes

Many great sprinters summon up visions of smooth, precision-like movements, arms and legs moving in graceful rhythm.

Kinshasa Davis of Wilson High in Long Beach is an exception.

“Kinshasa moves kind of like an ostrich,” Wilson Coach Terry Kennedy said with a grin. “She runs kind of pigeon toed, and she flails her arms around. She’s kind of funny to watch.”

Said Davis: “I think an ostrich is as close as I can think of to an accurate description.”

The senior’s specialty is the 400 meters, in which she was the No. 1-ranked high school girl in the nation last year with a time of 52.67 seconds, second fastest in state history.

Davis also recently ran the second-fastest prep indoor time in the 200 (23.73) at the Simplot Games in Pocatello, Idaho.

Kennedy said Davis didn’t always run with such clumsy abandon--she used to be far worse.

“She ran far more awkwardly when she was a freshman,” he said. “She used to take small steps and had a difficult time getting out of the blocks. She knew nothing about track. Kinshasa is a self-built sprinter. She’s worked very hard on her technique and on building her upper-body strength. She’s a phenomenon now.”

Davis said she started making strides in her development when she started taking longer strides.

“I knew I needed to take advantage of my height and stop taking short steps,” said Davis, who at 5 feet 10 is taller than average for a sprinter. “Now my stride is my biggest weapon. The final 200 meters [of a 400] is when I really turn it on.”

Opponents may say that her biggest weapon is her competitive nature. Davis, who plans to sign this spring with USC, is at her best when she is trailing in a race.

That’s why she runs the final leg for the Bruins’ 400-, 800-, and 1,600-meter relay teams. Last June, Davis teamed with Wilson’s talented freshman trio of Veronica Callaway, Latrice Borders and Joni Smith to run the nation’s fastest 1,600 relay ever, 3:37.38, at the National Scholastic Outdoor Championships at Raleigh, N.C.

At the Texas Relays in Austin last Saturday, Davis was a few paces behind when she received the baton in the 800 relay, then ran a blistering 22.1-second anchor leg to lead the Bruins to victory.

Such scenarios are not uncommon for Davis.

“She looks like she’s running slow, but she takes such long strides that she always gets there pretty fast,” Callaway said. “And if she knows she has to run, she’ll really run. That leg she ran in Texas was unbelievable.”

Davis says self-confidence is her best ally.

“I do it [come from behind] for myself, and I do it for my team,” said Davis, who also anchored the foursome to a national indoor record in the 800 relay with a time of 1:36.55 at the National Scholastic Indoor Championships in Boston last month. “It’s a great feeling to know that I can catch someone. I never think that I can’t catch anyone. That’s why I run so fast when I’m behind.”

At the same meet, Davis anchored Wilson’s 1,600 relay to a national indoor record of 3:42.7.

Davis will have to be at her best in June if she hopes to accomplish the difficult feat of winning the 200 and 400 at the state meet. It’s a goal she has been preparing for since last year’s state meet when she won the 400 and finished third in the 200.

Wilson won its first state team title last year, defeating Union City James Logan by a point after Davis’ anchor leg in the final event, the 1,600 relay, led them to victory.

“It’s so hard to win them both because you’re so drained after running the 400 that you have nothing left for the 200,” Davis said. “Your legs feel a little heavier, and they’re not as fresh as they need to be for such a fast race.

“Everything will have to go right that day for me to win them both. I’d like to make a little history though.”

Her future in track and field, according to Kennedy, may be in an event she’s unfamiliar with in competition.

“She has the perfect build and stride to be great in the 400 hurdles,” Kennedy said. “That could be her quickest and easiest path to the 2000 Olympics.”

But if Davis had her wish, she’d give up the long sprints and compete in her first love, the 100 meters.

“My favorite event is the 100,” she said. “I love it because it’s just pure speed . . . and plus you don’t have to run as far as the other sprints, so you don’t get as tired. But I know there’s no future in it for me because I’m too tall and my stride is too long. I don’t even start going till I’ve run 100 meters.”

Besides, 100 meters isn’t enough time to let fans enjoy her unique running style.

“I laugh when I see myself,” Davis said. “I run on the front of my feet, instead of the back. It’s just my natural style. I’ve always been kind of clumsy. It’s kind of grown on me. I don’t try to fix it or anything. It’s kind of my trademark.”