Lateisha Philson led a group of Cardozo runners at the AAU Junior Olympics over the weekend in Norfolk, Va., finishing second in both hurdle finals in the Intermediate age division. Philson, who will be a junior next season at Cardozo, Queens, was beaten by Kendell Williams, of Kennesaw, Ga., in both races.
Philson ran 14.13w (+2.1) behind Williams’s 13.67 in the 100 hurdles, and 60.04 for second in the IH behind Williams’s 58.63, a meet record.
The USATF JOs were held a week earlier in Sacramento, Calif., but most Eastern athletes chose to stay East and run in the closer AAU version.
The Cardozo quartermilers Chamique Francis and Ahtyana Johnson chose to run only the 100 at the JO meet. Francis finished sixth after running 11.90 in the prelims; Johnson ran 12.21 in the semis and did not make the final.
Another up-and-coming Cardozo team member, freshman Sabrina Southerland, finished ninth in the Intermediate 800, running 2:19 after 2:17 in the prelims. In the same race, Kali Kendall, a ninth-grader at Bishop Loughlin in Brooklyn, finished seventh in 2:16.86; she qualified in 2:15.03.
Kendall also finished sixth in the 1,500, in 4:53.02.
The excellent sprinter from Paramus Catholic in New Jersey, sophomore Myasia Jacobs, finishing second in the 100 and sixth in the 200, both run into headwinds. Her fastest times came in the prelims, where she 11.51 in the 100 and 23.95w/24.52 in the 200.
The star freshman from Michigan, Kendall Baisden, winner of the National Scholastic 400 this winter at the Armory, took the 400 in a meet-record 52.71, but was upset in the 200.
The girls’ Intermediate 800 was won by Kellie Davis, of New Haven, Conn., in 2:13.52.
In the Youth girls’ division, three runners from New York City ran well. Shaniqua Kirkpatrick, from P.S. 156 in Queens, finished third in the 800 in 2:16.85. Briel Briggs of the Bronx finished 12th in the 1,500 in 5:08.26 and ran 2:22.95 in the 800 prelims, and Sandra Bancroft, from I.S. 231 in Queens, was second in the 100 hurdles in 14.31w and fourth in the 200 hurdles in 27.92.
In the Young Women’s division, Alaine Tate (Bayside, Queens), who has signed with Hampton University, continued her fine senior season, finishing third in the 800 in 2:12.21 and ninth in the 1,500 in 5:01.05.
In the Intermediate Boys’ division, Sidgie Greene, a sophomore at Thomas Jefferson H.S. in Brooklyn, ran an excellent double, placing third in the 1,500 (4:06.39) and second in the 2,000-meter steeplechase (6:52.25). Also in that division, Michael Hall of the Bronx was fourth in the long jump, at 22-3 ¾, and Samuel Cherney, a sophomore at Ithaca, won the discus at 154-9.
There were no significant performances by Empire State athletes in the Young Men’s division, but a number of East Coast boys did well.
Marquis Dendy of Delaware won the triple jump (51-5 ¾) and placed second in the LJ (23-9 ¾), while Steve Waithe (Loch Raven, Baltimore) placed 5th in the TJ (48-7 ¾). Both are juniors.
Kenneth McCuin, Jr., of Baltimore won the 800 by .06, in 1:52.73; Keith Davis (Old Bridge, NJ) had a 20-foot PR to win the javelin (206-8), and Jlani Pryce of Philadelphia won the 400 hurdles in an excellent 52.70.
Wallace Spencer (Malvern Prep, Pa) and Rolston Braithwaite (Trenton Central) finished 3-4 in the high hurdles, running 13.85-13.92.
The Baltimore City TC lost a battle with the Mt. Airy TC in the 4x4, 3:16.63-3:16.71, and also finished second in the boys’ 4x8, running 7:54.12. The Baltimore club had a great meet, also finishing first in the Young Women’s 4x1 in an excellent 46.10.
In the sprints, Ramaan Ansley, a 2009 graduate of Engineering & Science in Philadelphia, finished third in the 100, and Leshon Collins, a junior at Glasgow/Newark, Del., seventh. They ran 10.58 and 10.66 respectively in the semis. Leonard Robbins, a junior from East Brunswick, N.J., was third in the 200, and ran 21.43 in the heats.
Other results from the Garden State included Imani Coleman (South Orange), ninth in 2:19 in the Youth Girls 800; Arianna Wilson (Manchester), fifth in Youth 100H (14.79); Torie Robinson (Winslow), eighth in the Youth 100H (14.63), second in the 200H (27.61) and sixth in the triple jump (34-5); Jessica Woodard (Cherokee), second in the Intermediate shot put (41-9 ½); Jasmine Waddell (Kingsway Regl), third in the YW 100H (14.50w); Amber Allen (Passaic VoTech), second in the IH (60.11); Darrel Gooding (Somerset), third in the Intermediate Boys’ 3,000 (9:09.51), and Talief Jackson, sophomore at Paterson Eastside, sixth in the YM 1,500 (4:05.32).
Also from NY, Soroya Hudson (Cornwall) finished sixth in the YW TJ (38-3 ¼), and Brittany Spoto (St. Joseph Hill Academy, SI) finished third in the Intermediate javelin (117-4). /JP/