Lancaster breezes to fifth consecutive team crown in Class 4A

01:26 AM CST on Sunday, March 26, 2006
By BRANDON GEORGE / The Dallas Morning News

Lake Highlands boys track coach Al Troyer called his wife Saturday evening and told her the good news.

Troyer's deep and talented squad had just won the Class 5A team title at the 42nd Jesuit-Sheaner Relays at Jesuit's Haggar Stadium. It was Lake Highlands' third win in four meets this season, and it finished second in the other.

"I just told her that I hope we can keep it up," Troyer said, smiling.

Lake Highlands set season-best times in each relay and piled up 78 points, finishing 16 ahead of second-place Duncanville. Waco High, led by standout Baylor signee LeJerald Betters, was third with 61.

David Cochran had Lake Highlands' only win by clearing 14 feet in the pole vault. Otherwise, Lake Highlands chipped away. Its 4x400 relay team finished second in 3 minutes, 20.29 seconds, the 4x100 team was third in 41.95 and the 4x200 team was fourth in 1:28.57.

"They all stepped up and performed well," Troyer said.

Duncanville accumulated its points with victories. Duncanville won a tight 4x100 relay race in 41.91 and ran away with the 4x200 in 1:26.27. Josh Banks won the 100 meters in 10.91, and Brandon Samples won the 200 in 21.74.

"This was a good test for us today," Duncanville coach Zane Reeves said. "There are a lot of good teams here. This is what we needed to see and what we needed to do. This is very pleasing to us."

Lancaster runs away with 4A division title: The Lancaster boys showed why they're one of the area's top squads annually by dominating the Class 4A division. Lancaster won the 4A team title for the fifth consecutive year with 109 points, 41 ahead of second-place McKinney North and Fort Worth Eastern Hills.

"We take a lot of pride in this meet," Lancaster coach Greg Williams said. "To win is a big feather in our cap."

Aaron Isham led Lancaster with a win in the 800 in 1:56.40, and he anchored the 4x400 relay team to a victory in 3:19.95.

Skyline's Fuller rallies to win 800: Skyline senior Stacey Fuller came from behind in the 5A 800 to catch DeSoto's Marcellus Atkinson and pass him for good with about 150 meters left.

Atkinson, who finished third, took an early lead and held it most of the race before Fuller made his push down the stretch. Fuller ran a 1:55.58, the sixth-best time in the state this season.

"My plan is to always let them lead the way, and I steal the victory at the end," Fuller said. "With about 200 meters to go, that's where I strike my kill – it's almost like a hunt."

Midlothian's Frawley breaks meet record in pole vault: Midlothian senior Nick Frawley set a personal best in the pole vault while also breaking the 7-year-old meet record.

Frawley cleared 16 feet, 8 inches on his second attempt to top the record of 16-7, set in 1999 by Rocky Danners of Killeen Ellison. The 16-8 vault leads the state this season.

"I felt really good today," Frawley said. "I was due for another PR because it's been almost a year since I cleared 16-4. I'm excited."

Frawley missed on all three attempts at 17-½.

Ardmore sophomore impressive in discus: Ardmore (Okla.) sophomore Geoffrey Tabor said he felt tired during the Class 5A discus competition Saturday morning. His throws didn't show it.

Tabor, one of the nation's top high school throwers, won with a best effort of 183 feet, 4 inches. He set a personal best in the discus two weeks ago with a throw of 199-3.

Tabor competed Friday at the Ardmore (Okla.) Invitational and drove into Dallas on Saturday morning with his father, Phil Tabor, a former defensive end for Oklahoma and the New York Giants.

"I'm looking to break Kevin Bookout's national sophomore record in the discus of 201-2," said Tabor, who added that he will compete at the Texas Relays on April 7-8 in Austin. "I wanted to come to this meet in Texas to face some really good competition."

E-mail bgeorge@dallasnews.com