Taylor Harrison Wins National Junior Olympics Gymnastics Title

As published in Newport News, Hampton and York County/Poquoson issues of Daily Press Town Square - June 19, 2014

As 18-year old Taylor Harrison ventured on to the mat at Mississippi’s Jackson Convention Complex last month to compete in her final gymnastic match as a Junior Olympian, she did so with a sense of calmness.

True, the World Class Gym team veteran had come close to winning the national title once in the past, placing third for her age group in 2010. Also true was the fact that she had qualified for the Junior Olympic national meet every year since then without matching her initial bronze medal performance.

But times had changed. Harrison felt content with the fact that she had made a five consecutive year run to the final match, which is no small feat in itself, as only 56 gymnasts from among eight regions of America make the cut.  And though this portion of her career was about to close, she had accomplished one major goal, earning a full athletic scholarship to continue her gymnastics career at Ohio State University.

In reflection, Harrison admits that she took a realistic, yet safe approach to this event.

“Before the competition, I didn’t think I could win.  I really wanted to have fun and place in the top ten.”

The reasoning behind her thought process made sense.

“When I’m relaxed, I do better.”

Tami Harrison, her World Class Gym team coach and mother, saw things somewhat differently.

“Taylor’s a real competitor. She’s a pleaser, and wants to please her teammates.”

As a coach, Harrison spoke from experience, having won numerous All-American honors, as well as competing in the 1984 Olympic Trials as a gymnast at Cal-State Fullerton. She knew that only a few minor mistakes had kept her athlete from winning at the Junior Olympics in the past.

And in the final analysis, the coach’s expertise made for a better prediction as her Buckeye bound athlete dropped a 9.8 on the final vault to capture the all-around Junior Olympic national crown with a 38.475 score.

Surprisingly, Coach Harrison wasn’t immediately aware that Taylor was among the top competitors.

“They had projectors in the corners where the results were posted. But after the first two rotations, I didn’t think to go over and look.”

However, she did go after the third and came to a realization.

“Wow, she can do this.”

As it turned out, Taylor had placed second in both the uneven bars (9.675) and balance beam (9.525), putting her in the lead. A tenth place finish in the floor routine (9.475) knocked the gymnast out of the top spot with one rotation to go, but she remained in contention for the title.

As the mathematicians among the World Class group started calculating scenarios to determine the path to victory, one thing remained clear. Taylor would have to nail her vault in the last rotation.

“I wanted her to go 4 for 4,” said Tami.

With a gold medal on the line, Taylor came through, literally vaulting back into first place with her run, leap and spin off the pommel horse.

After a brief celebration, Taylor’s euphoria almost came to a grinding halt.

I went to check my place, and another girl turned to me and said, “I got it. I won.”

However, the frustration was temporary as both mother and daughter soon realized that the gymnast speaking was from a different age group.

While Taylor remained in the gym to view the nail biting conclusion, Tami, knowing that her coaching duties were complete, went back into mother mode.

 “It was the most nerve wracking 10-15 minutes ever. I couldn’t watch it anymore. I went to the back gym.”

But Taylor gritted it out, sitting through four more rotations of seven gymnasts with their eye on her prize.

At the very end, the second place gymnast needed a 9.575 in the vault to tie Harrison and a 9.6 to win the group. Although “she had a really good routine,” her final score of 9.5 was just short of first place.

Now a national champion, Harrison will enjoy some time off before heading to Columbus in August. She looks forward to competing in the Big Ten conference, where she will see former World Class teammates such as Nebraska’s Ashley Lambert. Harrison, who looks to major in sports broadcasting or communication, has lofty collegiate goals, with the All-American team, and NCAA Championships in her sights.

As she puts it in simple terms, “I can’t wait!”

Testing Students for Drugs - A Case For Those Opposed - Trinidad School District No. 1 v. Lopez, 963 P. 2d 1095 (Col. 1998)

Last week, we looked at a case which favored testing students for drugs. Here's one for the flip side.

In one of several cases that relied on the Vernonia ruling as a precedent, the Supreme Court of Colorado held that the school policy of Trinidad violated the Fourth Amendment. This occurred after an instance where a student who was a member of the high school marching band, was suspended for failing to submit to a suspicionless drug test. The policy in question also applied to students participating in non-athletic activities. In this ruling, the Colorado court applied the balancing test used by the Supreme Court in Vernonia, which has two guidelines, 1) that high school marching band members had a higher privacy expectation than student athletes because they did not share communal undressing situations rehired of athletes, and their activity was tied to a for-credit, graded school class, and 2) the over-inclusive testing program was not an “efficacious means of dealing with the district’s drug problem.”

Testing Students for Drugs - A Case For Those in Favor (New Jersey v. T.L.O.)

As mentioned last week, the one aspect of testing students for drugs that amazed me is how many case decisions fall on either side of the argument. Here's one for the pros -- next week - we'll look at one for the cons..

New Jersey v. T.L.O., 469 U.S. 325 (1985) - In a far reaching case, a decision which upheld the Fourth Amendment was rendered. A lower court had ruled that the Fourth Amendment prohibited unreasonable searches and seizures in public schools. However, in a 6-3 decision delivered by Justice White, this decision was overturned in the Supreme Court. This case began when two female New Jersey students were caught smoking in the bathroom. Since one young woman denied her involvement, a search ensued, and during this search, marijuana was found. The TLO decision was unique in that it conceived a two-part test to be used when evaluating the legality of a search. As quoted in the court’s brief, “First, one must consider whether the… action was justified at its inception; second, one must determine whether the search as actually conducted was reasonably related in scope to the circumstances which justified the interference in the first place.” As defined by T.L.O. (the students initials), a search may begin when educators have a reasonable suspicion that conducting a search will uncover evidence showing that a student has violated the law.

Should Schools Be Allowed To Randomly Drug Test Students?

One of the most controversial topics in today’s school law deals with the ability of a school to randomly drug test students. The debate goes back to the Fourth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, which states:

“The right of the people to be secure in their persons…against unreasonable searches…shall not be violated...”

When discussing the right to test students for drugs, there are several factors which immediately come into play. First and foremost is the fact that with the exception of rare individual cases, many drugs are still illegal in America, and certainly not allowed on school grounds, or at school events. However, this gets weighed against individuals’ rights, as stated in the Fourth Amendment, when discussing the option of drug testing in public schools. There are also matters of whom to test, the expense of conducting the testing, as well as the criteria for testing a student. Should a public school system spend the money necessary to randomly test all students, or should they reserve the right or cases where drug use is suspected. And how does one assess that a student is a candidate for drug testing. Also, is the school system financially stable enough to handle the lawsuits which will occur when students feel that their individual rights have been violated?

This last point is important. A cursory search of drug testing cases discovered a 2002 listing from the American Civil Liberties Union, which provided a synopsis for 22 drug testing cases, one (United States v. Martinez-Fuente, 428 U.S. 543) dating back to 1976. Fourteen of these cases deal specifically with testing students, and the decisions are mixed. Six found drug testing to be constitutional, while eight defended the Fourth Amendment, and withheld the students’ rights. . The debate is not new, and it is not going away.

I may devote some space here in the near future looking at both sides of this issue. It surprised me to see how many court cases have been decided on both sides.

Posey Concludes Baseball Career at Eastern Mennonite U.

Adam Posey, a 2010 graduate of Poquoson High School, recently concluded a stellar baseball career with Eastern Mennonite University by being named to the All-ODAC (Old Dominion Athletic Conference) first team.

For Posey, his conference selection culminated one of the finest offensive seasons in EMU program history. For the year, the former Islander standout batted .424 with 41 runs, 23 RBI’s and nine stolen bases from the leadoff position while leading the Royals to its third 20-win campaign in school history, and first winning record since 2002. His 72 hits for the season led all Division III hitters and tied the EMU school record.

Ironically, Posey started his collegiate career exclusively as a pitcher, only moving off the mound to become an everyday player after Ben Spotts was hired as the Royal manager prior to his junior season. Even in the field, Posey displayed amazing versatility, playing numerous positions, but mostly first base and the outfield.

Spotts has been credited with the turnaround of the Royals program, often telling his players to “take pride in being a Royal – you chose to come here.”

But Posey also credits his improvement as a two-way player from “understanding myself better and using that to approach the game with more confidence.”

Even after expanding his on-field duties, pitching remained a strong part of Posey’s diamond repertoire, In 2014, he was EMU’s ace on the hill, finishing 4-4 with a 4.57 ERA in 65 innings pitched. Most impressively, he compiled an astounding 14.00 strikeout-to-walk ratio notching 56 strikeouts against a mere four walks, which was fourth in the nation and best among hurlers with more than 41 innings pitched.

Off the field, Posey was invaluable to the Eastern Mennonite community. He wrote for the campus newspaper, the Weather Vane, and led a Bible study for the baseball team. He also worked with the Miracle League, an organized youth baseball league for mentally and physically challenged athletes, and played for the Niagara Power, a New York based summer league team, which was sponsored by the Fellowship of Christian Athletes.

The last four years have helped Posey prepare for the next level of life. At 5’10” and a shade over 150 pounds, he might be too slight to pitch as a major leaguer, so he is ready to attack the future in other ways, saying, “I’m equipped for so many things in life because I have been a student-athlete at Eastern Mennonite University.”

A communications major, Posey’s writing career will continue this fall as he serves an internship with the sports department at the Daily News-Record in Harrisonburg.

Coaching is also in Posey’s plans. “I’m planning on staying with Coach Spotts’ staff and helping here at EMU. I’ve already been involved with recruiting.”

His efforts as a student-athlete did not go unnoticed. At the most recent athletic banquet, Posey was presented with the President’s Award, the highest honor given by the EMU Athletic department to one male and one female senior athlete.

Speaking of the award, Posey reflected on his past.

“(Early on) I struggled at EMU and looked at transferring. Winning the award was an emotional moment for (me). But the award was something more for the people around me.”

Asked about the key to his well-roundedness, Posey cited a lesson learned from playing college sports.

“It’s a struggle to play nine innings at Southern Virginia on a Wednesday evening and be in my 8:00 AM class the next day, but I know that as an athlete, more eyes are on me. I have learned discipline, prioritizing and balance.”

These traits also served Posey well in high school. At Poquoson, he transformed from a utility player on the 2009 AA State champion squad, to become a key cog for the team on the mound during the Islanders 2010 title defense march. Despite having better known teammates, such as Kyle Crockett (U. VA, Cleveland Indians AA affiliate Akron Aeros), Chad Pinder (VA Tech, Oakland A’s A-plus affiliate Stockton) and Tee McConnell (Marshall U.), Posey sported a 6-0 pitching record for the season and recorded a three-hit shutout during the state semifinals against Fort Defiance.

In a closing thought, Posey acknowledged the support he has received from home.

“The people of Poquoson have followed me along the way and supported me, and my parents and grandparents have been my biggest fans. So I felt like (the President’s award) was something I could share with them.”

Poquoson's Burden 2nd at U.S. Master's Diving

As published in Hampton, Newport News, and York County/Poquoson Daily Press Town Square on Thursday, May 16, 2014

Poquoson’s Jim Burden continued his remarkable comeback to the sport of diving, recently placing second in the 1-meter and 3-meter events at the Masters Spring National Championships, held on May 2-4 in San Antonio, TX.

Burden, who returned to his collegiate sport after a 38-year layoff, qualified for the national event by winning titles at last November’s Mid-Atlantic Masters Invitational in New Jersey. His entrance into that competition was prompted by a self-fulfilled wish which had followed his 60^th birthday in February of 2013. With only seven practices prior to the event, Burden managed to retain enough of his youthful form to gain the regional crowns.

Burden with Danita Fox, his videographer turned coach

This time, the now 61-year old diver had “substantially more time to prepare,” but first needed a month to “heal up” after the regional meet.

“Not that I was necessarily injured, but my neck and shoulders were still pretty stiff and sore,” said Burden, noting the lack of flexibility which comes with advanced age.

He also realized that his skills would need to be sharpened to place at the national level.

“Even though I performed decently enough to win the gold medals in the New Jersey meet, the caliber of athlete at the national finals is stronger. Performing difficult dives requires more precise board work. If you are off balance when you leave the board, bad things happen,” added Burden, emphasizing the shorter B-word. “And bad things hurt.”

However, the diver’s training formula remained the same. He returned to his previous workout center, the Mid-Town Aquatic Center, in Newport News, and reunited with Danita Fox, the center’s Aquatic Director, who helped him in 2013.

“She filmed every dive of every practice from the board work and basic dives to the San Antonio meet.”

Bu Fox’s role evolved from videographer to bonafide trainer.

“She started learning the nuances of springboard diving and rapidly became more of a coach than just filming the practices, “said Burden, who works as a regional contractor by day. “I appreciate what she did to help me, along with the cooperation of the Newport News Parks and Recreation Department. My being able to attend the National Championships was directly related to their help.”

For the national competition, Burden stuck to perfecting the basics.

“It’s important to have your mind clear and focused on execution. If your balance is a little off for say a 1 ½ somersault with two twists, you have a very short period of time to make an in-air adjustment.”

While acknowledging the beauty and grace of diving, Burden did admit to have to take some calculated risks by performing more difficult dives because of the higher level competition. Asked if he had received any advice, he recalled a tidbit from wife Cindy.

“Her only request was for me to try and use a little common sense.” This may have been the best advice received as Burden noted “I had friends from all over the country sending me, what I would consider to be less than complimentary comments about what I was preparing to do.”

Armed with his pair of silver medals, Burden is now qualified for the FINA World Championships, which will be held in Montreal during the first weekend of August. “I have until June 1^st to commit, but I’m leaning that way now.”

In a closing thought, he readily questions how much longer he will be physically able to dive, so his excitement for having a place on the medal stand in Texas is genuine, but he can sum up the experience in one line.

“A lot of work, a lot of fun, and a little bit of pain, but well worth it!”

Menchville's Alex Moore Breaks Two Age Group State Swim Records

Menchville freshman Alex Moore capped a sterling indoor swimming season in late March, breaking two state records at the National Age group Swimming Association (NASA) Junior Nationals, held at the Doyle Aquatic Center in Clearwater, FL.

Moore, 14, who specializes at the shorter distances, earned his distinctions by placing sixth in the 50-meter freestyle (22.09), as well as 12^th in the 100-meter free (46.54).

Although he broke both records at the same four-day meet, they are the first state records he has ever held.

And at least one might not last for long.

Jeff Kincaid, coach of the Southeastern Virginia Seahawks Aquatic team, which Moore swims with before and after Menchville’s season, was quick to put his swimmer’s accomplishments in perspective.

“The 100 free might stick because it’s a 14-year old record, but there some Virginia kids his age  traveling to a meet next week that could have a shot at the 50 (record).”

With the swimming season getting ready to transition from short course (25-meter pool) events to long course (50-meter pool) meets, Moore is aware of the realities which come with holding age group records.

“I’m not swimming any other short course races before my birthday,” he notes, adding that he will race in one final long course event this month. Then, his age group will bump up to 15-16 after he blows out the candles for his cake on May 7^th.

Kincaid is proud of his swimmer’s accomplishments so far this season.

“We set some goals last September, and he hit them,” says the Seahawk coach, now in his second year of working with Moore.

And the new age group shouldn’t have an adverse effect on Moore’s performance, especially from a mental standpoint. His state records came in 16-and under races in which he posted the best time for his age, while defeating dozens of older swimmers to qualify for the finals.

Moore credits his experiences of racing older swimmers as a large key in his formula of success, Finding high-level age group meets also helps, and he has one particular favorite.

“The Eastern Zones meet has helped me because the top swimmers always go there. I raced the long and short course meets as a twelve-year old, and will compete in the long course meet this summer when it’s in Richmond,” pointing out that the River City’s Poseidon Swimming facility which hosts the Zones was also home of the 2008 Olympic swimming trials.

Racing in top-notch meets is a strategy which Kincaid also embraces.

“Going to meets like that (Eastern Zones) have helped Alex gain experience.” 

Racing as a freshman in high school also helps, and Moore usually competes in two individual and two relay events for the Monarchs team during the winter. But the young swimmer has already displayed versatility and endurance, entering as many as eight events in a full meet. Counting preliminary and semifinal races, this can lead to as many as 20 races in one meet, truly a feat reserved for the likes of Olympian Michael Phelps.

But Moore takes it all in stride, while keeping a firm grasp on reality.

Asked about the possibility of being an Olympian like Phelps, the 18-time gold medalist from Baltimore, Moore says that he’s not really looking hard at a future Summer Games unless his times start going “way down,” and then downplays the challenge of racing in multiple events at meets, using the NASA championships as his example.

“In Florida, the meet lasted four days, so I only had to swim three events the first day, three the second, and two on the final day.”

No big deal.

Moore’s training regimen is also a reflection, as well as by-product, of his enhanced level of fitness. He just enjoyed a week off in early April following a series of championship meets, including the NASA, but will not see another break until he gets a well earned two-week respite in August, after the completion of an outdoor season that will include more national level meets. 

However, his future training plans could add another nuance in the near future. Asked about his college plans, Moore is ready with one response, an answer which he knows because of already having attended camp and meeting the head and assistant swim coaches at the school, yet another show of preparation for the next task.

“I want to attend the United States Naval Academy.”

"Life Treats You The Way You Treat It" - A Book Writing Venture

As many who follow the Wall may know, over the past two years, I have developed a professional and friendly relationship with D'Shawn Wright, the owner of Body By D Gym in Yorktown. It started when D'Shawn contacted the Daily Press with information about the growth of his gym. The e-mail transmission found its way to Lynn Burke, the community sports editor and webmaster for HRVarsity.com, and he forwarded the information to me for a piece which was published in the York County/Poquoson Town Square section of the paper.

Standing outside of Body By D Gym with D'Shawn
Wright after our first book meeting. The book will
be ready for the holiday season.

At our first meeting, I had the opportunity to view the gym and talk with D'Shawn and Peter Castaldo, the vice-president of BBD. As they talked about the five principles of the gym and their plans for the future, it became abundantly clear that these guys were on to something that transcended far beyond the world of barbells and free weights. There were plans for expansion, a Community Day, college signings for gym members, and something about the dynamic duo hosting a weekly radio show called "Man in the Mirror."

As I left the gym on that first day, my thought was, "Wow, if they can get half of these goals accomplished, it would be an amazing feat.

Fast forward to 2014. BBD has quadrupled in size, and was recently named the top gym in Hampton Roads by a local magazine. The radio show attracted the Governor, Congressmen, Miss Virginia, entertainers, and other notable guests. Over two dozen high schoolers have signed Division I scholarships. In the meantime, D'Shawn worked his way to become the Virginia NPC Bodybuilding champion, as well as a motivational speaker and true community leader. My first article led to five or six more simply because so many things are always happening.

And now, D'Shawn is ready to tell his story. To my surprise, and absolute delight, he has asked me to collect the details and serve as the scribe.

"Life Treats You The Way You Treat It - Motivation the BBD Way" is the working title, and we are aiming to have the book ready for Christmas shoppers. For now, I am busy transcribing hours of tape and getting more ideas together. But one thing is already becoming obvious. This will not just be D's story. It will also show personal accounts of successful people who have overcome adversity, individuals who refused to listen to the words "You can't."

Since this will be the first book writing venture for me, I guess it's time to join the club. Stay tuned for more details.

Dr. Luke Coker, at 76, Wins First Age Group Title at Richmond's Ukrop 10K

Originally printed in Newport News, Hampton and York County/Poquoson Town Square sections of the DAILY PRESS on April 24, 2014.

Dr. Luke Coker is a modest man. At the age of 76, he was happy to run in last month’s Ukrop Monument 10K race, held in Richmond, because his son Tad and grandson Will were also entered. It would be a chance for three generations of Coker men to compete together. For the semi-retired dermatologist from Hampton, the day was going to be a chance to bond with his family, and to wear his son’s Coker Dental hat during the race.

Dr. Coker, running with trusted camera perched upon
bicycle helmet.

Although the elder Coker had been running for over 40 years, and even qualified for the Boston Marathon in more serious training days, he had never won any race title.

Until March 29th.

In a testament to the beauty of what can happen when one person defies the realities of growing older, Coker captured the 75-79 age group win at Richmond, covering the 6.2 mile course in an evenly paced 1:02:19, just under ten minutes per mile.

For Coker, the victory was satisfying, but not totally unexpected.

“I came in second (in the age group) last year. Really, (wife) Gloria and I go to the race to see our kids. But after last year’s race, my son (Tad) told me, you ought to train harder because the guy that won is about to turn 80!”

Three generations of Luke Cokers competed at the
recent Ukrop 10K in Richmond

Instead of switching gears, Coker continued his training regimen, which is smooth and repetitive.

Says Gloria, “He’s up at 4:30 every morning and running by 4:45.”

Even his course is carefully planned.

“I run 2-3 miles a day. I like to get out early because of the morning traffic. It can get crazy out there, so I run the same route.”

Weather was not a discouraging factor, as rain and snow became excuses to cross-train with swimming and elliptical workouts added to the mix.

Coker’s introduction to running came early, long before Jim Fixx’s “Complete Book of Running”  in 1977 made distance running a fad, which would later become a movement, and eventually a full fledged sport.

“I was in residency in Houston back in 1967, and later working as a submarine medical officer. My first pair of running shoes was a pair of Fred Perry tennis shoes.”

Gloria adds, “I don’t even think Nike was around then.”

The couple eventually settled in Newport News, and according to Gloria, found their new home through geometry.

“I’m from Connecticut and Luke is from South Carolina, so we drew a line between the two and found what was in the middle.”

Settled in their new home, Luke started his post-military medical practice, and upped his weekly running mileage to 75-100 miles per week. There were some races, but nothing serious.

Says Coker, “I ran 4 or 5 marathons,” almost forgetting to mention that his personal best  for the 26.2 mile run is 3 hours and 12 minutes, just over a 7:15 per mile pace.

But you qualified for the Boston Marathon?

With typical modesty, he responds, “Yes, but there was a time when they would let all doctors run  the marathon (Boston).”

However, there was also a qualifying time, and 3:12 was probably under it.

But there was one aspect of winning the Monument race that stood out for Coker.

“It’s quite a race. You look back from the starting line and it’s humanity as far as you can see.” With over 36,000 entrants, the Richmond race is one of the largest 10K events in America.

“They have parties for the neighborhood, and so much food. It’s amazing that they pull it off.”

So will he defend his title next year?

After a moment of reflection, he calmly says, “If I’m still able.”

Yorktown's Prata Wins National Preps Wrestling Title

Capping a season that saw him join the group of elite lightweight high school wrestlers in the United States, St. Christopher’s Joey Prata captured the 106-lb. title at the National Preps championship, held last month at Lehigh University in Bethlehem, PA.

Prata on the podium at the National Preps wrestling
tournament, held recently at Lehigh University.

With the win, Prata, a resident of Yorktown, earned the Richmond school’s first ever individual National Prep title, and helped the Saints to a 10th place finish (out of 134 teams), best among Virginia schools.

Entering the tournament as a #2 seed, Prata, who placed fifth in the Prep tournament last year, had to overcome four opponents to earn a berth in the championship bout. He got off to an auspicious start, pinning both Hans Forland (Green Farms Academy) and Mike McCabe (John Carroll) to advance to the quarterfinals.

But to make the top four in the semis, he had to beat an old opponent – one who had gotten the better of him twice, Michael Doetsch of the Severn (MD) School.

“I wrestled him a couple of times in middle school,” said the sophomore. “But he had beaten me both times.”

However, one of Prata’s greatest strengths is his penchant to size up an opponent who has beaten him in the past, make the necessary adjustments, and come back to defeat the same wrestler later. It is an asset that served him well as a middle school champion with the Virginia Predators, and one which helped again as he dominated Doetsch in the quarters, scoring from all positions while earning a decisive 7-0 victory.

Assured of at least a top-four finish, Prata refused to let up, throttling St. Benedict (NJ) senior Chris Cuccolo 9-3, to set up the championship match against Zach Sherman of the renowned Blair Academy (NJ) program, one which had made a habit of winning the National Prep team title. In fact, the Blair squad had won at Lehigh for 33 years in a row before Wyoming Seminary ended the longest team title streak in American high school sports history, earning 299.5 points and the championship this year.

Were there extra nerves about competing against a wrestler from such a prestigious program?

“Not really,” admitted Prata, who went on to add, “I felt pretty confident going in, and after that first takedown, I knew I could take him.”

Leaving no room for doubt, the Saint grappler added a second takedown against Sherman en route to an easy 7-2 win in the finals. The five wins for the tournament gave Prata a 42-5 record for the season and earned him a second National Prep All-American honor, and third overall (he also won the USA National Greco Roman title in July 2013).

Although Prata bypassed the National High School Coaches Association (NHSCA) tournament, held at the end of March in Virginia Beach, this year, his season is not over yet. He is currently practicing freestyle wrestling in preparation for regional and national championships, the latter of which will be held in Akron, OH at the end of May. He will also defend his Greco Roman national title later this summer in Fargo, ND.

Through two seasons at St. Christopher’s, Prata sports a career record of 92-16.

The Doctor Is Still In - Retired Sprinter Patton Not Done With Track

Cover story from the Spring 2014 issue of TrackNation magazine. For more information on TrackNation, visit http://www.tracknation.com

Even though Doc Patton retired from competitive racing in November 2013, he is certainly not done with track.

The sprinter, who earned two World Championship gold medals in the 400-meter relay, as well as a pair of Olympic silvers in the same event, was still making noise on the straightaway in 2013 at the

Darvis "Doc" Patton gets ready to hit the tape first. Since
recently retiring, he will now run track clinics and head up
the new TrackNation Dallas venture, the first city of the
TN movement.

advanced (by track standards) age of  35. His 6.50 winning time for the 60-meter dash at the Millrose Games earned Patton a world record in the event for athletes over 35. Months later, his 9.75 (wind-aided) time in the Texas Relays 100-meters would serve as the sixth fastest clocking for the event under any conditions.

But, after an unsatisfying 2012 campaign, Patton had decided that 2013 would be his final year of competition. He also made the decision to rededicate himself to the sport which had served as his livelihood for the past ten years.

Reflecting on his final season, Patton admits, “it was very, very bittersweet. And more bitter than sweet.”

As far as sprinting again, he says, “as far as I know, I’m done.”

But he’s not done with track yet.

(continued)

To view the rest of this article,  turn to page 22 of this TrackNation magazine cover story at  http://tracknation.com/trackside5

              (above) At 35 years old, Patton blazes a 9.75 in the 100 meters at the Texas Relays in 2013

Kingdom of the Cardinals: Former Hurdling Legend Lands NFL Coaching Gig

It is always fun to interview someone who was a superstar and budding legend at the same time I was competing. During my college days, or at least soon after, I knew full well who Roger Kingdom was. He held the world record in the high hurdles for four years, which meant his time was better than Renaldo Nehemiah and Greg Foster, two other guys that I knew of very well. It's very cool to see that his new path has led to the NFL. Congrats to the newest Arizona Cardinals coach..thank goodness they are not in the same division as the Redskins anymore!




In his high hurdling heyday, Roger Kingdom was the baddest man on the planet. The Georgia native was drawn to the University of Pittsburgh on a football scholarship, but found more success on the Panther track team, earning two NCAA hurdle titles. According to the bio on his website,

Kingdom during his college days at Pitt

www.rogerkingdom.com, it was “after winning his first title (110-meter highs in 1983 outdoor championship) that he knew his future would be with the high hurdles.” Kingdom redshirted from football after his sophomore year in 1983 to concentrate on making the Olympic team. After winning the gold medal in the 110-meter hurdles at the 1984 Los Angeles Games, it was obvious that his choice to commit fully to track was the correct one.

Kingdom followed his gold medal performance of 1984 with another Olympic championship four years later in Seoul, South Korea. In the process, Kingdom became the first Olympian to eclipse the 13 second mark, with a 12.98. Three years later, he set the world record in his event, running a 12.92 at a meet in Zurich, Switzerland, a record that would stand for four years. Kingdom also won five U.S. National Championships, as well as gold medals in the World Cup (1989), World University Games (1989), Pan-American Games (1983 and 1995), and World Indoor Championships (1989). 

Kingdom (c) with Buddy Morris (r), coaching mentor
and head strength and conditioning coach for the
NFL's Arizona Cardinals

Kingdom graduated from the University of Pittsburgh and also holds a Masters degree in Sport Management from California University of Pennsylvania, a Division II school where he also served as the head cross-country and track coach during his ten years with the school. Since finishing his hurdling career, the 51-year old has also founded “Kingdom’s Elite,” a company dedicated to the development of speed training for all ages and athletic levels.

In March 2014, Kingdom’s love of football and speed training came full circle as he was hired as the assistant strength and conditioning coach of the NFL’s Arizona Cardinals.

To read the full interview, please visit page 28 at Tracknation magazine, which can be found at this link: http://tracknation.com/trackside5/

(Above) Roger Kingdom winning the 1988 Olympic high hurdles in a then Games record time of 12.98.

Halifax Correctional Unit #23 Graduates 13 GED Students

My press release noting our graduation at Halifax C.U. #23 last weekend, which coincided with my last day at the facility. I was very proud of our students that worked hard and finished their GED. It's all about continuing to make progress, no matter what mistakes you have made or what your situation in life is at any given time. As I said to the graduates last Friday, it is a step, and hopefully one of many. But it is a step and it's going in the right direction. The question is, what is your next step going to be?

There are critics out there who speak of offenders and say.."we should just lock them up and throw away the key." When it comes to people who commit the most unthinkable and heinous crimes, I understand what they mean. But one thing I have learned during my time teaching with the Department of Corrections is that some of the people behind bars realize what they did to get there, are

willing to serve their time, and just want to move on with their life while making the best of the time they have to serve with the state. Now I'm not overly empathetic by anybody's definition of the term, but even I can figure this one out. If the system suppresses, abuses, and doesn't attempt to rehabilitate the offenders within the correctional system, how do you think the offender is going to act when he/she is released and moving back on to YOUR street? People tend to forget that almost all offenders get released back into society. Just something to think about while I get off the soapbox.


Thirteen men who earned their GED (General Education Development) diplomas were recognized on Friday, March 21st, as Halifax Correctional Unit #23 hosted its annual graduation ceremony at the DOC’s Division of Education School building on its grounds.

The GED certificate is nationally recognized as the equivalent of a high school diploma. For the Virginia Department of Corrections, education is the key to reducing recidivism among offenders. Virginia currently ranks second in the nation for lowest recidivism rate, in comparison with data compiled by other states.

To earn the GED diploma, a student must complete six levels of adult basic education, which is measured by the Test of Adult Basic Education (TABE) exam. Upon earning a passing score on the highest level of the TABE exam, the student then qualifies for the GED examination by passing an Official Practice Test (OPT). 

On January 1, 2014, the GED Testing Service initiated a new system which changed the content and format of the test. While the Department of Corrections received a temporary “waiver” because of the number of changes required to implement the new GED examination in a prison setting, they are in the process of transitioning from the old 2002 test to a computerized 2014 version. 

Of the thirteen graduates, eight were present for the ceremony. The guest speaker was Mr. Andrew Beamon, new principal for the Nottoway region, which includes the Halifax #23 unit. Other distinguished guests from the Department of Corrections central office in Richmond were also in attendance.

50's Warwick High Track Legend Snead Passes

One of the greatest scholastic track athletes in Newport News history quietly passed away last month. Donald Snead, a multiple state record holder in the hurdles for Warwick High in the late 1950’s, died on January 8th at the age of 74.

Snead’s legacy as a track athlete was revolutionary for his time. In 1958, the Raider athlete won all four state hurdle championships, which included the 70-yard low and high hurdles indoors, as well as the 120 and 180 highs outdoors, a feat he also accomplished as a junior. His 70 (8.0) and 180 (19.8) high hurdle times were both state records at the time.

Older brother Dean remembers his brother as an original multi-event talent, one who shined on the track and field before the likes of athletes such as Newport News’ Doug Dickinson won multiple state titles in various events. “Don would enter five events in every meet. He ran the hurdles, he did the high jump, and usually was the fourth guy (anchor leg) on the relays.”

In spite of his family’s success at other sports (cousin Norm threw for 199 TD’s as an NFL quarterback with several teams), Dean recalls that Don “was kind of good in football. he also played basketball and baseball, but track was really the one thing he was good at.”

In fact, his speed translated into his greatest play on the gridiron.

“I remember that Warwick was playing Newport News High, back when Julie Conn was their coach. On one play, they (the Typhoon) were on about their 25-yard line and their quarterback went back to pass. Donald was rushing the quarterback, who threw a pass which was caught by the wide receiver.”

“Now Donald started out about fifteen yards behind the ball carrier, but he started running by all those guys like they were standing still! He ended up catching their guy at about the 20.”

The feat did not go unnoticed by the legendary Typhoon coach.

Recalls Dean, “Oh yeah, there was one night when Julie Conn came by our house to get Don out for Newport News.”

But Snead went in a different direction, eventually graduating from Fork Union Military Academy, which he attended on a track scholarship. Eventually, his family settled down in Carrollton.

In 1958, Snead was recognized by the Peninsula Sports Club as a member of the All-Peninsula Track team for his exploits in the hurdles and high jump.

Pinning2Win in Hampton

Capitalizing on the wave which has sparked the growth of youth wrestling on the Peninsula and surrounding parts was easy for the Pin2Win club in Hampton. After all, they were around in the beginning of the movement.

Just ask Janet Williams.

Williams, a fixture at the annual Virginia Duals (she is the secretary of the Peninsula Wrestling Association and the meet), has been with the club since its formation almost 20 years ago.

“In the past, there were a lot of kids and parents who saw wrestling as WWE (professional wrestling), and it was unfortunate.”

For the 35 or so young athletes, aged four to 15, who spend two or three nights a week developing their skills in the wrestling room at Bethel High, the mission to be followed is probably not as flashy as a Ric Flair soundbite, but certainly more meaningful.

Reading from their own statement, the goal of Pin2Win is to “nurture the balanced student-athlete through the personal growth of each wrestler.”

Says Williams,“our philosophy is - the more mat time you’re getting, the better.”
To that end, the club, whose season runs from December to April, is in preparation for one of its two yearly fundraisers. On Saturday, March 1st, the team will host its sixth annual Rookie Open at Bethel High.

“It’s for first and second year wrestlers only and we’re excited about the event,” says Williams. “Last year, we had close to 300 wrestlers compete.”

It’s the personal touch that works best for the Pin2Win group. On a recent holiday Monday, 16 young grapplers filed into practice and began training under the watchful eye of several coaches, led by former Hampton High coach Ron McRae.

For McRae, the decision to take a break from the high school ranks was not too difficult.

“I wanted to spend more time with my family. My son has been wrestling for a few years. I wanted to have time to work specifically with him on the sport. I’m certainly not done with (coaching) high school, but I’d like to be with him until about 7th or 8th grade.”

There is precedent behind McRae’s plan. Head assistant coach Chris Vargo has a son on the team. Also, McRae succeeded John Swartz, who coached the Pin2Win squad until last year before making a full transition to Smithfield High as head coach, a team that also included his son.

Although in Swartz’s case, the move was incidental.

“In all honesty, my son was an incoming freshman and between (us), he was looking forward to wrestling for someone other than his dad as he’d done since he was three years old.  Unfortunately for him, I was his JV coach in eighth grade and now his varsity coach in ninth. So much for those plans!”

But it’s the family aspect that keeps Pin2Win successful. In spite of their historical lineage, which includes having future Division I college All-Americans, such as ODU’s Chris Brown, on their roster, a perfect practice would include a group of wrestlers of all ages and genders practicing with near one-to-one instruction.

Adds Williams, “there was one day recently where we had 16 out here with nine parents participating – basically one for each pair. We encourage our parents to get involved.”

The Pin2Win team practices from 6-8 PM at Bethel High. The novice team practices on Tuesday and Thursday, while the advanced wrestlers meet on Monday, Tuesday and Thursday. For more information, the Pin2Win website can be found at http://www.leaguelineup.com/pin2winva.