San Andreas League track story

Due to some technical problems at the paper, I’m not sure how much of this story is getting in. Here’s the story in its entirety.

By T.J. Berka
Staff Writer
SAN BERNARDINO – San Bernardino High School senior Dewayne Booker has
only run track for a year-and-a-half.
After getting four wins at Wednesday’s San Andreas League track meet
at San Gorgonio High School, it makes one shudder to think of how
good Booker would be with more extensive training.
The training that Booker has had was good enough Wednesday, as he won
the 200 and 400-meter dashes and anchored the Cardinals’ meet-winning
400 and mile relays.
Winning first-place four times was exhausting for Booker, who had to
leap up on the first-place block on the medal stand three times in a
row at one point. But it was well worth it, as Booker will be
traveling to the Division II CIF preliminaries next Saturday in
Moorpark.
“I just have the will to win,” Booker said. “I work hard and I don’t
quit. I wanted to win a couple of events but I didn’t think I’d do
anything like this.”
Booker’s signature race came in the 200 against Colton’s Travell
Washington, the winner of the 100 meters. After going through the
first 100 in a dead heat, Booker pulled away to win in 22.19 seconds,
.69 seconds ahead of Washington.
Booker, with his aerodynamic sunglasses, was also one of the more
stylish athletes at the SAL meet. But he wasn’t the only person to
win multiple events on Wednesday.
Joining Booker on the awards stand in multiple indivdual events were
Arroyo Valley junior Hector Gomez – who won the 1,600 and 3,200 –
Cajon senior Nicole Chesnut – who prevailed in the 800 and 1,600 –
and San Gorgonio sophomore Tyra Crawford – who won the 200 and the
300 hurdles.
Gomez, Crawford and Chesnut will be heading to the Division I CIF
preliminaries at Trabuco Hills. For Chesnut, a senior who has never
advanced past the league meet level, Wednesday was a day of
celebration.
“This is an awesome feeling,” said Chesnut, who will run for Cal
State San Bernardino next year. “I was just hoping to come in, place
and get some PRs (personal records.).”
San Gorgonio dominated the rest of the way in the girls’ events,
winning a whopping 12 of 15 events, easily surpassing the school
record of nine. The Spartans ended the night in style, setting the
league-meet record in the mile relay with a time of 3:57.48.
“We got our goal,” San Gorgonio coach Ed Clark said. “I really feel
that this girls team is the best one we’ve had in the 11 years I’ve
coached here. I am ecstatic about their potential, and about the boys
team as well.”
The Spartans won four individual boys events and qualified several
other athletes who finished second and third.

Share this

Facebook Twitter Plusone Digg Reddit Stumbleupon Tumblr Email