Pinellas goes fast and long

Andre LeShore, Jamar Newsome and Jazmyn Shorter all bring home state titles.

By BOB PUTNAM
Published May 6, 2006

WINTER PARK - Andre LeShore's marks were off the mark.

The Boca Ciega senior entered the state meet with the top seed in the triple jump and hoped to go even farther.

Instead, he stood in fifth place with one jump to go.

"I was just tight," LeShore said. "I had gone (49 feet, 5 inches) before and was hoping to get past 50 feet. I think I was trying too hard to get that. I needed to relax. I needed to win."

LeShore did that in his last attempt.

Running with light-footed speed, LeShore hit the board well and twice bounded low through the hop and step phases of the triple. Then in the jump, he rose with remarkable power and soared above the pit.

LeShore cleared 48 feet, 31/4 inches, leapfrogging four others.

He wasn't by any means the only champ from Pinellas.

Teammate Jamar Newsome went 24-41/2 to win what had been an elusive title in the long jump. And on the girls side, Lakewood's Jazmyn Shorter came from behind to win the 400 meters in a personal-best 55.04 seconds.

Newsome used technology in his preparations.

"I had been watching Olympic tapes all week, especially Carl Lewis and Marion Jones," the senior said. "They both have really good form in the long jump. "

Newsome took the lead in the preliminaries and had his best mark on his second-to-last attempt in the final.

"I kind of had to sweat that out," Newsome said. "Usually, I'm the one that's coming from behind. There were a lot of guys today that were jumping 23 feet. "

Newsome was fourth in the triple jump and LeShore eighth in the long jump.

Shorter's win wasn't pretty at the end, as she wobbled across the finish line before losing her balance. The junior was staggered and spent after running what she called "the toughest 400-meter race of my life."

It also turned out to be her best.

"I knew this race was going to take a lot out of me," Shorter said. "I told my coaches beforehand to have an ambulance and some water ready for me at the finish line."

In outdoor races, Shorter was undefeated in the 400 and had only one loss in the 200. Things were tougher on Friday. Shorter was seeded third in the 400 and fourth in the 200.

Boca Ciega's Alexandria Kincy, the top seed in the triple jump, took fourth with a leap of 36 feet.

"I pulled my quad muscle in the final," Kincy said.

It was a tough two weeks for the Pirates. Neidra Covington, a national champion in the long and triple jump , pulled her hamstring at the region meet and did not qualify.

Seminole's Janita Truitt was third in the long jump. Teammate Heather Nicolosi took fourth in the 3,200. Other top eight finishes include Dunedin's Khadija Charleston (fifth in the long jump), Tarpon Spring's Sarah Long (eighth in the 100) and Boca Ciega's 4x400 (fourth) and 4x100 relay teams (seventh).

Other place-winners for the boys were Seminole's Tony Nicolosi and Aaron Thomas, who were sixth in the 3,200 and 1,600, respectively. Gibbs' Quentin Mack was sixth in the 110-meter hurdles.

[Last modified May 6, 2006, 02:15:18]