Most observers figured Phillip Dorsett of
St. Thomas Aquinas (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.) would win the marquee race last Saturday night at the Broward County Athletic Association track and field championships. After all, Dorsett is one of the state's top sprinters and was the No. 1 seed for the boys 100-meter dash final.
Volvick Vassor of
Northeast (Oakland Park, Fla.) had other ideas, however. The junior pulled off a huge upset by winning the 100 and clocking a personal-record 10.64 seconds, tied for the 10th fastest time in the state this season. Dorsett was runner-up in 10.69.
"Everybody was talking about Dorsett. I didn't come this far to play around or lose. I came to win," Vassor told the Miami Herald after claiming the sprint title. "I wanted this real bad."
Arman Hall of Aquinas lived up to his billing as one of the nation's best 200- and 400-meter sprinters, easily winning both of those races as Aquinas won the boys team title. Hall breezed to victory in the 200 with a time of 21.17 and blew away the field in the 400 with a time of 46.91.
The girls competition also provided upsets in both hurdles races as junior Jamika Glades of
Dillard (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.) clocked a personal-record 14.23 to win the 100 hurdles over co-favorites Mulern Jean of Ely (Pompano Beach) and Jasmine King of Boyd Anderson (Lauderdale Lakes). Glades then used a strong kick down the stretch to overtake King in the 300 hurdles with a time of 44.10.
"This feels awesome," Glades said of her two surprising victories. "I exploded out of the blocks and remained aggressive."
Boyd Anderson (Lauderdale Lakes, Fla.) repeated as the girls team champion behind a strong performance from sprinter Shayla Sanders, who clocked a PR of 11.57 in leading the Cobras to a 1-2-3 sweep in the 100 and then went 23.69 to win the 200.
JUNIOR SWEEPS 3 SPRINTS AT GMAC FINALSRobin Reynolds of
Jackson (Miami), the state leader in the 400 meters, was unbeatable on the track Saturday at the Greater Miami Athletic Conference track and field championships.
The junior sprinter won the 100 in 12.41 and also notched wins in the 200 (25.30) and 400 (54.73). She didn't fare as well in the long jump competition, however, scratching on all three attempts.
Columbus (Miami) held off
Northwestern (Miami) to win the boys team title behind another strong performance by its distance runners, particularly Armando Del Valle, who has clocked the fastest times in the state in the 1,600 and 3,200 this season. He won both of those races with times of 4:29.81 in the 1,600 and 9:45.01 in the 3,200. He also ran a leg on the winning Columbus 3,200-meter relay that clocked a state-fastest 7:55.93.
Northwestern sophomore sensation Artie Burns, who has clocked a national-best 13.66 in the 110 hurdles, won that race in 14.37 and also took the 300 hurdles in 37.43. Burns teamed with University of Florida signee Hugh Graham Jr., senior Shaquille Braham and freshman Jeffery Green to win the boys 1,600 relay in a GMAC-record time of 3:12.56. Graham also won the 100 and 400 sprints.
State power Northwestern won the girls team title for the third consecutive year in dominating fashion, compiling 103 more points than runner-up South Dade (Homestead). Keisha Richburg clocked a state-fastest 43.23 in winning the 300-meter hurdles for the Bulls, who dominated all three relays, including a state-best 3:50.79 in the 1,600 relay.
