June 01, 2003|By Rick Belz
GIRLS PERFORMER OF THE YEAR
Lindsay Grigoriev
Atholton, senior
Earlier this spring, Raiders throws coach Adrian Valdes said he wouldn't be surprised if Grigoriev launched the discus 170 feet and the shot put 50 feet at the Class 2A state championships. His star protM-igM-i didn't reach those marks, but she did set state records in both events. Grigoriev's discus throw of 155 feet, 10 inches shattered an 11-year-old mark of 151-06 established by Mattie Cymek of Chesapeake-Anne Arundel. Grigoriev then became the first female athlete to break the 44-foot barrier in the shot put with a toss of 44-01.25.
Grigoriev also holds the discus record at the Penn Relays - a mark she established in April when she registered a throw of 160-05. Grigoriev went undefeated in both events at the county and region levels. Grigoriev, who won three state titles in the discus and two in the shot put, will attend Kansas State on a partial scholarship with the hope of becoming a heptathlete.
GIRLS COACH OF THE YEAR@SUBHEDFardan Carter@SUBHEDLong Reach
Carter had some big shoes to fill, and the coach's weren't the only ones. In addition to succeeding Joe and Leslie Thomas - architects of the Lightning's five consecutive state championships since 1998 - Carter also had to uphold a family name enhanced by 13-time state winner Teyarnte Carter, his younger sister. Fardan Carter, a former defensive back at Marshall, acknowledged the expectations, but tried to deflect the pressure from his athletes.
Still, Carter and his team lived by a familiar mantra: "Let's make it hurt in practice so that when we get to the meet, it's nice and easy." The strategy paid off as No. 2 Long Reach racked up its sixth consecutive county title and fifth straight Class 3A East region crown. Walter Johnson nipped Long Reach by a five-point margin in the states, but Carter is optimistic about the future. Six seniors will graduate, but 17 freshmen could return next spring.
GIRLS TEAM@SUBHEDPhylicia Buie@SUBHEDHammond, senior
Next to ShadM-i Smith, Buie was the Bears' top points producer. Buie placed second in both the 200 (26.44 seconds) and the 400 (58.41) at the county championships. At the Class 2A West region meet, she secured a win in the 400 (59.9) and a runner-up finish in the 200 (26.0). Buie collected silver medals at the state championships, recording a 25.94-second time in the 200 and a personal-best 57.75 in the 400.
Jeanette Curtis
Mount Hebron, senior
Ever since she captured a state crown in the 100 high hurdles as a freshman, Curtis has been the dominant force in hurdles. She reinforced that reputation by winning her second consecutive Class 3A state championship in the 100 high hurdles in a 3A-record time of 14.42 seconds. Curtis was the county and region champion in the 100 high hurdles (14.67 and 14.6, respectively) and the county titlist in the 300 intermediate hurdles (45.19). Curtis will run at Penn.
Timisha Gomez
Long Reach, junior
Coach Fardan Carter calls Gomez a perfectionist for her businesslike attitude at practice. Despite toiling in the shadows of teammate DaMara Parrish, Gomez picked up silver medals in the 100 high hurdles, the 300 intermediate hurdles and the high and triple jumps at the county championships. Gomez was second in both hurdles events and the triple jump at the region meet. At the state championships, Gomez placed second in the triple jump (36 feet, 9.5 inches) and third in the 100 high hurdles (14.83 seconds).
Jessica Hibbert
Glenelg, sophomore
Hibbert stepped into the limelight this spring. After finishing second in the 1,600 and fifth in the 3,200 at the county championships, Hibbert became the Gladiators' top long-distance threat when stress fractures limited Mallory Heinke to one race at the Class 2A West region meet and none at the state championships. Hibbert responded by winning a region crown in the 3,200 (11 minutes, 48.1 seconds) and running a leg of the state champion 3,200 relay squad (9:40.5).
Robin Lancaster
Glenelg, senior
Lancaster dabbled in the long and triple jumps, hoping to gain points for the Gladiators. But her primary specialty was the pole vault, which she used to claim her first county title. Lancaster cleared 8 feet at the county championships - a mark that matched her personal best. She also was fifth in the high jump at the county meet. At the region championships, she placed second in the pole vault. A knee injury forced her to miss the state meet, but Lancaster will pole vault at High Point (N.C.) University.
Tiffani Long
Long Reach, freshman
Long's success this season wasn't much of a surprise to coach Fardan Carter, who knew Long when she was a member of the Ed Waters Track and Field program in Baltimore. As a member of the Lightning's 400 relay squad, Long garnered crowns at the county and region levels. But Long found her comfort zone in the long jump. She placed second at the county championships (15 feet, 4.25 inches), first at the region meet (16-01) and fourth at the states (a personal-record 16-11).
