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By BOB PUTNAM
© St. Petersburg Times, published May 9, 2001
ST. PETERSBURG -- Numbers don't lie. But in Lakewood's case maybe they do.
This season, the Spartans' girls team has had just 10 girls on the roster, six of who consistently advanced to the finals in their events.
With such a low turnout, Lakewood's chances of contending for any title appeared grim. Yet while the Spartans have not won any championships so far, they finished second at the Pinellas County Athletic Conference meet, the West Coast Invitational and the Class 3A, District 10 meet. They were third at the Region 3 meet. "It's been phenomenal what we've done with the six girls we've had scoring for us," Lakewood coach Eileen Givens said. "At regionals, we were entered in just eight of 17 events."
Friday, the numbers get even lower as the Spartans take four girls -- Sharneka Brown, Nadia Covington, Hope Wells and Shaquita Gibbs -- to the 3A state meet at Coral Springs. Still, the team is not deterred.
"Numbers don't faze me," Givens said. "At this stage, you don't have as many girls on each team. We've never had high numbers going to states. It's usually somewhere between three and seven. We just have to hold on, stay injury-free and hope everyone makes it to the finals in their events."
The Spartans aren't thinking state title, but they do have their sights set on a top five finish. For that to happen, everyone must score.
Lakewood's biggest scorers are Brown, Covington and Wells, who are each entered in three events. Brown and Covington are the leaders. Brown, the only senior, won the triple jump and Covington the 400 at regionals.
But the Spartans' best chance of winning an event is one all four are in, the 4x400. Last year, Lakewood won the state title in the event, and the team is undefeated in it this season.
"Last year's relay team was special," Givens said. "But we've been doing well in it, and hopefully, we can come back and repeat in it."