CITY LEAGUE

Spartans reign at City League track championships

Boys take 1st title in 22 seasons; Rogers girls dominate

Dionte Carey of Start defeats DeMarkus Darrington of Woodward in the City League track meet on Friday night. Carey’s big night led the Spartans to the team title.

THE BLADE/JEREMY WADSWORTH
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Dionte Carey of Start defeats DeMarkus Darrington of Woodward in the City League track meet on Friday night. Carey’s big night led the Spartans to the team title.

Start hurdler Dionte Carey already had solidified himself as a two-time City League event champion before stepping on the track a final time Friday evening at Rogers High.

The Spartans’ senior, who swept the 110 and 300-meter hurdles, came through with a gutsy 1600-meter anchor leg to pass Michael Lipkins, the Rogers senior and defending league sprint champion, over the final 20 meters to secure a relay win that gave him his third first-place effort of the day.

Furthermore, the Spartans’ 1600-relay victory lifted Start to its first City League boys team championship in 22 seasons.

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Start won the team championship with 158 points, while Rogers placed second with 152; Bowsher had 103; Scott 64; Woodward 39, and Waite 4.

“I just wanted to stay right with [Lipkins] and then kick it in at the end and try to win,” said Carey, who, along with Shaun Yates, Stephen Alleyne, and Tremain Batson, posted a time of 3:29.98 to win the final race of the meet.

Rogers (Darrell Coleman, Tribune Dailey, Kurtis Jeffery, Lipkins) placed second in the meet-deciding relay with a time of 3:30.0.

Rogers’ Sasha Dailey, a 2011 Division II state track finalist in the 100 and 200 meters, took last spring off from track to work on her basketball skills. She appeared to be back in solid running form Friday as she swept the 100 and 200 races and ran a leg on the Rams’ victorious 800 and 1600-relay teams to lead them to the City League girls team championship.

Sasha Dailey of Rogers cruises in the 100 meters. She also won in the 200 and led two relay teams to victory for the Rams.

The Rams prevailed in the girls meet with 148 points, followed by Start with 119 points; Scott had 82.5; Woodward 79; Bowsher 72.5, and Waite 1.

Start’s team title left Spartan coach Scott Mallett almost speechless after the Spartans were announced the meet champions.

“It’s been a long road,” Mallett said. “I don’t do any of the running. I don’t do any of the work. They do all the work and they should get all the glory.”

The Spartans claimed first place in nine of the meet’s 17 events, with Carey winning the 110 and 300 hurdles with times of 14.95 and 39.83, respectively.

Alleyne won the 400 (50.08), and Yates streaked to victory in the 800 (2:07.02) to help the Spartans top the league.

The Spartans’ Chris Wright prevailed in the shot put (40-3), while teammate Kyle Underwood claimed victory in the discus (127-6). Armond Wimberly also came through by winning the long jump (19-4.50).

Start’s John Luna, John Kennedy, Batson, and Yates also won the 3200 relay with a time of 8:50.23.

“This really wasn’t expected,” Mallett said. “Everybody thought we were a better team last year.”

Lipkins, who competed in four events, repeated as league champion by winning the 100 (11.28) with Scott’s Ruben Pratt finishing second (11.44). He also took first in the 200 (22.80).

Rogers’ Tribune Dailey became the high jump champion after clearing a winning height of 6-4 and Rams teammate Corey Fink took a lead early in the 1600 and held on to win with a time of 4:45.81. Donell Fowlkes cleared 11 feet to win the pole vault for the Rams.

Bowsher’s Nate Price won the 3200.

Sasha Dailey’s full day included winning the 100 with a time of 12.28 and the 200 with a time of 24.84.

Dailey also ran with Breonna Terry, Reza Parkman, Chon’teya Suttler to win the 800 relay with a time of 1:46.63 before helping the Rams win the 1600 relay (4:11.15).

“It makes a big difference when your best athlete is also your hardest worker,” Rogers coach Brad Hathaway said of Dailey.

The Rams placed first in three other events, including Becca Rustic finishing first in the 1600 (6:01.44) and 3200 (13:09.17). Ashley Miller cleared 5 feet to win the high jump for Rogers.

Rogers' Ashley Miller wins the City League's high jump. The Rams claimed the girls team title, finishing easily ahead of Start in Friday night’s meet.

Bowsher senior Jasmine Price also claimed a pair of individual event wins by taking first in the 400 (1:00.64) and 800 (2:41.38).

“It was tiring, but hard work pays off,” Price said of her day. “I’ve been working hard this whole season.”

Chrishayla Duncan provided Scott with a pair of victories by sweeping the discus (107-11) and the shot put (35-2.50).

Start’s Genova Hooker held off Woodward’s Tymeshia Childress to win the 100 hurdles. Hooker crossed the finish line in 16.80 and Childress was a close second at 16.81.

However, Childress reversed the order in the 300 by placing first with a time of 49.95 and Hooker second with a time of 50.17.

Start’s Samantha O’Leary, Bianca Iannarino, Dasia Danie, and Rabecha O’Leary won the 3200 relay with a time of 11:36.61. The Spartans (Kai’lynn Devault, Alexandria Ampiaw, Antreon Williams, and Daesha Ware) also won the 400 relay (51.10).

Bowsher’s Rachel Marter won the long jump (16-3.50).

Contact Donald Emmons at: demmons@theblade.com, 419-724-6302 or on Twitter @DemmonsBlade