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Hillsborough Boys, Wharton Girls Prevail

TBO.com photo by BILL WARD

Chamberlain's Dentarius Locke tied for the state lead in the 100 by running 10.61 into a stiff headwind.

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By BILL WARD | TBO.com

Published: March 21, 2009

TAMPA - Hillsborough boys track coach Joe Sipp and Wharton girls coach Wes Newton say they are still fine-tuning their squads. But at Saturday's Elite Running Invitational at Gaither, their teams were sharp enough to top a competitive 24-team field.

In the boys meet, Hillsborough was the runaway winner. Powered by Terrence "T-Rex" Mitchell, Lindsey Lamar and Juan Washington, the Terriers rolled up 131.2 points to win by more than 34 points over runner-up Wharton.

Mitchell was awarded the meet's male MVP award for winning three events and placing third in the 100-meter dash. He took the long jump in a season-best effort of 23 feet, 1 inch; the triple jump with a lifetime-best 44-8; and the 300 hurdles in a personal-record 39.27 seconds.

All three marks lead Hillsborough County, and he's competing in the triple jump and hurdles for the first time in his career this season.

Lamar won the 400 (a season-best 49.45) and was the runner-up in the 100 (11.05) and 200 (21.79). Washington won the high jump (6-2) and was third in the long jump (21-6.5).

With Carlton Walton earning second place in the long jump and Terrell Mond taking the runner-up spot in the triple jump, the Terriers were dominant in the jumps. With a strong support cast and Lamar and Mitchell taking on new events, Sipp hopes the Terriers will get another shot at the Class 3A state title. Last season, they took fourth at the state meet.

"That's our plan," Sipp said. "Breaking up the 4x100 relay and having Lindsey and T-Rex do more individual stuff and building some of these other guys up, that's what we're banking on."

Wharton's girls, second at the 3A state meet last year, edged Gaither 112-103.5 for the team trophy. The Wildcats were paced by senior star Amani Bryant, who won the long jump (18-0.75), 100 hurdles (15.83) and 300 hurdles (44.42) and anchored the Wildcats' winning 4x400 relay (4:09.02).

Bryant was named the female MVP but it was Wharton's 2-3 showing in the 3,200 by Alyssa Franks and Abby Ritter that put it ahead of Gaither, which was led by Rikka Lovely (first in the 100, third in the long jump and fourth in the 200) and Morgan Scherschel (first in the pole vault and eighth in both hurdles).

One of the top male performances on a state level was turned in by Chamberlain's Dentarius Locke. Fresh off his third-place finish in the 60-meter dash at the national indoor championships, Locke tied for the state lead in the 100 Saturday by running 10.61 into a stiff headwind. He came back to win the 200 in 21.42, the state's No. 3 mark this season.

Wharton's boys also turned in a state-leading mark in the 4x800 relay when the foursome of John Grellner, Nick Swain, Sean Obinwa and Gilbert Rodriguez ran 7:57.35.

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

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