Those who stayed saw an exciting finish.

Carter junior Antonio Garrett squandered a 15-meter lead to Odessa' s LaQueencey Williams after 200 meters of the anchor leg but came back to nip Williams in a photo finish.

Carter won the event in 3:21.94 to Odessa's 3:21.95.

"I figured I'd pace myself for the first 200 meters," Garrett said. "I knew I had a decent lead, but I didn't expect him to step up on me that quickly. I felt good when he passed me, and I knew I could catch him because I had a lot left in my engine."

As it turned out, Garrett had just enough. Garrett, who teamed with Kyemba McMillian, Jimmy Wrenn and Tim Coleman in the 1,600-meter relay, also was on Carter's winning 400-meter relay team. The Cowboys' team of Garrett, Damian Hill, Kelvis Rainwater and Wrenn, won in 41.83. Odessa led the 400-meter relay early but never got the stick exchanged on its anchor leg and didn't finish the event. Carter's relay wins, along with Hill's first-place finish in the long jump (23-1) helped the Cowboys win the Class 5A Division of the meet with 100 points. Odessa was second with 91.

There were no meet records set, but most of the standout performers expected to win did so. That included Tyler John Tyler hurdler Michael Price, who won the 110-meter hurdles (13.52) and the 300-meter hurdles (38.84). DeSoto's Rashad Stafford was second in both hurdle events.

Arlington Bowie spinters Carlton Christopher, a senior, and junior Geno White also had good meets. Christopher came back from a poor start to win the 100-meter dash in 10.91. White won the 400-meter dash in a personal-best time of 48.83 and was second to Odessa's Williams in the 200-meter dash. Williams won in 21.99, White finished in 22.24 and Christopher was third in 22.28.

It was also a good day for Seagoville's standout sprinter Nick Ward, who had competed in only one meet this season before Saturday. Ward, who had been bothered by the flu, won the Class 4A 100-meter dash in 10.88 and the 200-meter dash in 21.79. He was not seriously challenged in either sprint.

C. Anthony Mosser is a Plano-based free-lance writer.

© 1995 The Dallas Morning News All Rights Reserved

C. Anthony Mosser / Special Contributor to The Dallas Morning News, Carter wins 5A division in rain-soaked Jesuit-Sheaner Relays., 03-26-1995, pp 22B.