Sitting at a lunchroom table at West Lowndes High School, talking to the state-bound boys track relay teams.
So, who”s the fastest?
Ready set … answer!
Brandon Clark coughs, as if he”s batting the flu entering the Mississippi High School Activities Association Class 2A State meet Saturday at Pearl High. His grin reveals his antics.
“They all about the same,” coach Bobby Berry said, playing diplomat.
But there”s always a fastest guy — if by no more than tenths, hundredths of a second.
Sophomore Kovi Rice, the only non-senior of the 400- and 800-meter relay teams, rests his head on the table, signaling his exit from the debate. To his right, Tyquan Lucious raises his hand, protesting Clark”s declaration, but we”re not in a classroom. This is more akin to playground rules, where words don”t mean much. If not for their immediate goal — trying to become the first Panthers to win a state gold medal in track since Berry”s son, Byron, dominated the shot put competition several years earlier — they might stand up, walk straight ahead, then to the right, open the lobby doors, and solve their debate with their feet.
“I”m the fastest on the curve,” says Donald Henley, lobbying for honorable mention. DeAndra Lewis is quiet on the end of the table, preferring to watch the debate.
“You got a couple of steps (on me),” Clark admits to Lucious, but not without a parting shot. “On the 2(00), I got him.”
Said Lucious, “Nah.”
Clark is now in full debate mode.
“In the 1(00), we”ll be like right here,” he said, showing the small space between him and Lucious, in front of him by millimeters. That”s all he”ll give him.
If they”re this competitive with each other, how are they at track meets? About the same.
Last weekend at the Class 2A North State meet, the 4×200 team placed second with a time of 1 minute, 32.36 second. That performance was coupled with a fourth-place finish in the 4×100 (44.93).
Rice also qualified in the 110 hurdles by finishing third (16.59).
The relay teams will compete at the state meet for the third consecutive season, hoping to better their seventh-place finish in the 4×100 last year.
“They wanted to go back and be successful,” said Berry, who will retire from coaching at the conclusion of the school year. “It”s going to take good handoffs and everybody running their hearts out, everybody running their best.”
West Lowndes” top relay competition is expected to come from West Bolivar, which won North State (1:30.49). Bassfield won South State with a time of 1:29.08. Bassfield won both 2A relays at the 2010 state meet.
Because of this, West Lowndes sprinters realize clean handoffs can separate their relays from ending the competition on the medal stand or last in the results. It”s something they have worked on for months, learning the running style of the guy before and after them to gauge their teammates” take-off speeds and how they like their handoffs.
“The fact of knowing we had a clean exchange,” Lewis said, “knocked down our time and gives us a chance to win.”
The athletes know each other well from their time on the school”s football team. At practices, Berry ended sessions with sprints, building their track strength and endurance long before the season started.
“Coach Berry forced us — well, I”m not going to say forced, but he kept getting on us about doing what”s right,” Henley said. “I think all that paid off.”
The Dispatch Editorial Board is made up of publisher Peter Imes, columnist Slim Smith, managing editor Zack Plair and senior newsroom staff.
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