Prep Track: Cheyenne still track team to beat

Matt O'Brien

Thursday, March 26, 1998 | 10:02 a.m.

The Cheyenne track and field team appears to have picked up where it left off last season. After defeating Green Valley in a dual meet to open the 1998 campaign, the Desert Shields continued their dominance with a decisive triangular meet victory over Moapa Valley and Palo Verde at Cheyenne Wednesday evening.

The Shields (boys and girls combined) tallied 196 points while runner-up Moapa managed 108. Palo Verde, a second-year school competing with freshmen and sophomores, finished a distant third with 66.

"Overall, I'm very happy with the performance of our team," said Cheyenne coach John Dixon, whose finished first (boys) and third (girls) last year at state. "We have a lot of young kids who are just now learning to compete. Considering the weather, I think they did really well tonight."

The damp track definitely did not affect Emmanuel Marshall. The senior sprinter from Cheyenne won the 100 meters with a time of 11 flat, then thirty minutes later blistered the field in the 400, finishing in 49.7.

"In the first meet, I went out slow and didn't do as well as I wanted," said Marshall, whose 49.7 was the fastest 400 recorded in Las Vegas this season. "Tonight I made sure I got out of the blocks strong and didn't fall behind early."

Also earning first-place points for the Cheyenne boys were Terrence Pitts (110 hurdles, 15.2; 300 hurdles, 41.1), Lawrence Turner (200 meters, 23.7), Jose Inzunza (800 meters, 2:09), John Ziegler (1600 meters, 4:57), Brandon Grady (3200 meters, 10:04) and Marvin Matlock (long jump 20-5).

While Marshall propelled the boys to an easy victory, Jessica Rafferty helped do the same for the Cheyenne girls. The versatile junior won the 100-meter hurdles (16.0) and the high jump (5-1), finished third in the 300-meter hurdles (52.3) and led the 4 x 400-meter relay team to victory.

Following the meet, Rafferty explained her balancing act.

"I just try to take it one event at a time," she said. "You can't worry about them all at once. I just go out there and have fun and see what happens."

Also winning their respective events for the Cheyenne girls were Katie Bailey (400 meters, 1:03; 3200 meters, 12:24), Shalaine Downing (800 meters, 2:40), Tiffany Hollins (1600 meters, 5:42), Maya Logan (discus, 95-7) and Tammy Hatter (shot put, 33-2).

Cheyenne's next meet is Saturday at the Durango Relays.