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Locke Sprints To 2 State Bests

Photo by SCOTT PURKS

Chamberlain senior Dentarius Locke, center, runs to victory in the 200-meter dash in a lifetime best of 20.99 seconds.

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By BILL WARD | TBO.com

Published: April 1, 2009

TAMPA - Yes, Hillsborough's boys and Wharton's girls successfully defended their Vernon Korhn Hillsborough County Track and Field Championship crowns Tuesday at Jefferson High. In Wharton's case, it was a three-peat.

But the meet's big stories were the numerous individual performances that vaulted onto the state leaderboard - and higher.

Of all those efforts, none was more impressive than the one turned in by Chamberlain senior Dentarius Locke. He probably had a little help from the wind, but without a gauge, the extent of that aid can't be known. Nonetheless, Locke won the 100-meter dash in a state-leading time of 10.35 seconds, then blistered the 200 field with another state best of 20.99.

Again, no wind gauge means nothing official. But Locke's time in the 100 is No. 2 among all prep times recorded in the nation this season, and his 200 stands No. 3 in the country.

"This track meet, I was ready for it," said Locke, who has signed with the University of Tennessee. "This is where my party started, this is where I wanted to show up. From here on out for the rest of the season, I want to give everything I have."

Likewise for several other county athletes.

Among the girls, Blake senior Marissa McElveen shot to No. 1 in the state and No. 2 in the United States this season for the triple jump with her winning mark of 40 feet, 0.5 inches. That's the second-best triple jump in county history, a half-inch off the record. In the long jump, McElveen soared 19-7 to move to No. 2 on the state honor roll and No. 3 nationally this spring.

The meet got off to a bang when Wharton's foursome of John Grellner, Sean Obinwa, Gilbert Rodriguez and Nick Swain lowered their season best in the 4x800 relay to 7:53.49 - another performance that stands No. 2 in the nation this season.

En route to its team title, Hillsborough's boys got a triple-jump mark of 46 feet, 6 inches from junior Terrence Mitchell, the state's third-best mark, and a long jump of 23-6, which stands No. 7 in the state.

As usual, Wharton's girls were paced by senior Amani Bryant, who won the 100 and 300 hurdles and the 200. She was already the state leader in the 300 hurdles and among the top five in the 100 hurdles. But her season-best 200 time of 25.04 moved her into the top 10 of that event.

With all those state-level marks, multiple-event winners Derek Wehunt of Sickles (1,600 and 3,200), Brandon's Desmond McGill (100 and 300 hurdles), Tampa Bay Tech's LeRia Jenerette (discus and shot put) and Obinwa (800, 4x800 relay and 4x400 relay) were easy to overlook.

Taking second in the team standings were Hillsborough's girls, whose 76 points were 19 behind Wharton, and Wharton's boys, who finished only 4.5 points behind the Terriers.

Reporter Bill Ward can be reached at (813) 259-7456.

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