Track and Field

[Tommy_Perkins]

LaShawn Merritt of Woodrow Wilson High School in Portsmouth, Virginia will be running for the ECU Pirates next year. State champ in the 100, 200 and 400. National champ in the 200 and 400.

“East Carolina-bound LaShawn Merritt celebrated his 17th birthday by winning the 200m in 20.72 seconds to become the only double-champion of the competition after he won the 400m (46.80) yesterday. “It was big winning the 200 and the 400. Today is my birthday and I wanted to do something for myself for my birthday,” said Merritt who edged University of Houston’s Carey LaCour, who finished second in the 200m (20.99).”

http://www.sportsfeatures.com/PressPoint/show.php?id=10007

[Tommy_Perkins]

When freshman Chris Bell of Granby High School in Norfolk, VA won the state championship in the 110 hurdles last year (He repeated this year) I thought that was a near unbelievable accomplishment for a ninth grader. The high hurdles have always been an event for the mature and disciplined sprinter.


Clayton High School’s Johnny Dutch not only won the NC 3-A title this year as a freshman, but his current best time is substantially better than Bell’s.

http://www.claytonnews-star.com/news/2004052601036.html