Cold weather arrives
2008 World AIDS Day
Canine Christmas
Track and field
Trotwood's Shaw 'curves' his way to 200 glory
Alter transfer takes the advice of his coach to win the sprint event at the GWOC meet.
Saturday, May 12, 2007
TROTWOOD — Michael Shaw, already fast and powerful, underwent a makeover when he joined the Trotwood-Madison High School boys track team.
"I thought I was a 100 guy. I hated the 200," said Shaw at Friday's Greater Western Ohio Conference meet.
Extras
"But (assistant) coach (Randy) Waggoner, he said with my body and the way I'm built, if I learned how to run the curve, that would be my race."
Chalk up another gem in Waggoner's mighty stable of sprint champs. Shaw dusted the 200-meter field (21.67 seconds) after overcoming Northmont senior Josh Jackson (21.71) in the final strides. Shaw, a midyear transfer from Alter, has consistently been in the low- to mid-21's at the right time: on the brink of the postseason.
A good curve runner now, once Shaw hits the straight few can hold him off.
"(Jackson) did what my coach tells me to do. Beat them on the curve and run away from them," Shaw said. "That's what he did, but he probably ran out of gas."
• The best is developing rapidly at Centerville in sophomore Amy Henry and freshman Carlie McGrath.
Henry's main foe in winning the 400 (58.72) was a double case of shin splits. Both her shins were wrapped in white tape. That still couldn't stop her from posting one of the area's best 400s.
"(The tape) helps to reinforce the muscle," Henry said. "It happens every spring. Some days are worse than others."
It was a good day for McGrath, whose burst over the final 20 meters was enough to clinch the 800 (2:19.29).
• Trotwood senior Jerae Byrd spotted Fairmont's Abby Dalton a lead for all the 300 hurdles, until the end. Byrd shot over the last barrier and nipped her senior rival (44.81).
"I'm the rabbit," said Byrd, who also edged South's Cassandra Lloyd to win the 100 hurdles (14.35). "(Dalton's) my main rival, and I knew it was going to come down to that."
They'll likely hook up the next three postseason weeks.
"I thought I had it, and all of a sudden (Byrd) comes from nowhere," Dalton said. "It's all good, though. We're best of friends. Heck, we're going shopping together (today)."
• Vandalia Butler's Jimmie Pacifico put on a discus show for an encore of his state record-setting shot put effort Wednesday. The senior had a series of 183 feet, 4 inches; 195-1; 188-2; foul; 193-5; and 194-3 to come within less than 10 feet of setting another state record.
His shot put series included heaves of 70-6 and 70-1½, his fifth and sixth tosses of 70-plus in the last two weeks.
• Trotwood (3:21.10) did a number on runner-up Beavercreek (3:22.26) to win the boys 1,600 relay. Turbo-boosted by middle legs from William Henry and Donte Lyons, the Rams slipped into easy gear with a 50-meter lead.
Then Creek senior Wes Hendricks went to work. The anchor closed hard with a 48-plus split to post a respectable second. He also gassed the 400 field (48.17).
• Wayne swept both overall team titles. The girls, charged by Janelle Avery's sweep of the 1,600 (5:11.69) and 3,200 (11:20.71), beat runner-up Fairmont 109-96.
The Warriors' boys were again led by senior Jordan McPherson, who owned the high jump (6-6), long jump (23-1) and 100 (10.59). The boys handled runner-up Vandalia 102½-85.
• The final Southwest Ohio Public League meet is at 10 a.m. today at Welcome Stadium. The league disbands at the end of the school year.
Contact this writer at (937) 225-2381 or mpendleton@DaytonDailyNews.com.
