Booker T.'s Whittaker wins 4 titles

ANDREW SULLIVAN/SPECIAL TO THE MIAMI HERALD Booker T. Washington's Lanie Whittaker wins a 400-meter preliminary race at the state track finals Friday at Winter Park.

Lanie Whittaker gave herself four shiny, gold birthday presents Friday night.

Booker T. Washington's junior track-and-field star turned 17-years-old and celebrated it in style by winning four events at the Class 3A state championship meet at Showalter Field at Winter Park High School.

Whittaker's performance helped the Booker T. girls' team to a third-place finish -- its best performance ever at state. Orlando Oak Ridge won its third consecutive girls' championship.

Whittaker scored 40 of the Tornadoes' 46 points and took home championships in the 400-meter dash (54.47 seconds) and the 800-meter run (2:16.32), which are each considered by many as two of the most grueling events for runners. Earlier in the day, she exceeded expectations by winning the long jump in 18-6 ½, after entering the meet as the eighth seed.

She became only the second Miami-Dade County girls' athlete to win three individual events and a relay in one state meet, joining former Northwestern track star Tiffany Ross, who accomplished the feat in 2001.

''I've been waiting for a day like this for a long time,'' said Whittaker, who has four individual titles for her career and is one of the top cross-country runners in Dade. ``My coach never put any pressure on me and all my teammates came up to me after I won the third one to tell me they were so proud of me.''

On the boys' side, senior Brandon Harris finished his career a champion, guiding Booker T. to a third-place team finish with 48 points. Fort Lauderdale St. Thomas Aquinas won its first boys' team crown.

Despite his ankle still not being completely healed from a late-season football injury, Harris led the Tornadoes to victory in the 3,200- and 1,600-meter relays. And Booker T. got a glimpse of its track future as freshman Dedric Dukes won his first state championship in the 400 with a time of 47.78 seconds.

''We didn't win it all like last year, but it still meant a lot, especially to the seniors to go out with a bang,'' Harris said. ``We've got a lot of superstars.''

Whittaker is definitely one of them.

Whittaker capped the evening by anchoring the final leg of the 1,600 meter relay. With a time of 3:50.98, Whittaker, sophomores Quinecia Hall and Danesha Milson, and freshman Jasmine McCoy won the event for the second consecutive year.

Whittaker ran a personal best 53.83 in the 400 prelims as well and won the event with ease.

In the 800, she overtook the leaders on the final turn to win the event for the second consecutive season.

''That was my strategy the whole time,'' Whittaker said. ``By the time I had about 150 meters to go is when I kicked and went all out. That was something that worked for me the whole season.''

Dukes was a major factor the entire season for the Tornadoes' boys without Harris and injured sprinter Davon Johnson. He surged to the lead in the final 100 meters of his 400 victory. He also placed fifth in the 200.

''[Johnson] always told me to save my energy when I'm running the first part because I used to kick too early,'' Dukes said. ``I was feeling dizzy earlier today and was a little nervous. But I didn't let that stop me.''

Harris missed the entire season in the 800 meters, and still qualified for the finals and placed eighth in the event.

Benedick Hyppolite finished fourth.

''This guy is my mentor,'' Hyppolite said. ``He taught me how to run the 800 and I watched him every day. He's out there racing all on heart.''

Harris, who is headed to the University of Miami and was The Miami Herald's Athlete of the Year last season, began the day by anchoring the 3,200 meter relay, which included junior Jamal Forrest, Hyppolite and senior Jose Arrapalo. They ran the fastest time of any Dade team so far at state (7:54.52).

Harris then teammed with Hyppolite, junior Andre Edwards and senior Rennie Carty to win the 1,600 relay in 3:15.16. Harris took the lead on the final 75 meters and finished his career a champion.

''I started thinking about the young guys and how much they picked me up when I was down this year,'' Harris said. ``At times this year, I felt like I was holding them back. They wanted the gold so bad, I had to help give it to them.''

• Boys' team scores (top 5 plus Dade): 1. St. Thomas Aquinas, 65; 2. Dwyer 49; 3. Booker T. Washington 48; 4. Hillsborough 42; 5. Navarre 40; 27. Jackson 6.

• Girls' team scores (top 5 plus Dade): 1. Oak Ridge 89; 2. Tampa Wharton 48; 3. Booker T. Washington 46; 4. Pensacola Pine Forest 36; 5. St. Thomas Aquinas 35.

• Boys' individual results (top 3 plus Dade top 8 finishers) -- High jump: 1. Marquis Mack (Sarasota Booker) 6-10; 2. Frankie Hammond, Jr. (Hallandale) 6-10; 3. Cedric Simmions (Forrest) 6-10; Pole vault: 1. Riley Egan (STA) 16-7; 2. Kirk Dandridge (Lecanto) 15-6; 3. Mike Vani (Merritt Island) 14-6; Long jump: 1. Kevin Hardy (Vangaurd) 24-1 ¼; 2. Darrell Young (Jefferson) 23-10 ½; 3. Terrence Mitchell (Hillsborough) 23-10; 4. Cody Riggs (STA) 23-7 ¾; 7. Eduardo Clements (BTW) 22-9; Triple jump: 1. Travis Allen (South Lake) 46-5; 2. Antwain Harvey (Naples) 45-4 ½; 3. LaVaughn King (Tampa Bay Tech) 45-3 ¾; Discus: 1. Gabriel Torres (Navarre) 189-3; 2. Jared Thomas (Pensacola) 183-8; 3. Anthony Hannah (Robert E. Lee) 177-06; Shot put: 1. Marcus Hicks (Dwyer) 54-10; 2. Maurice Coon (George Jenkins) 54-8; 3. Geoffrey Hilson (Auburndale) 53-6; 3,200 relay: 1. Booker T. Washington, 7:54.52; 2. Navarre 7:59.11; 3. Tampa Wharton 8:01.46; 110 hurdles: 1. Avis Commack (First Coast) 14.52; 2. Justin Byrd (STA) 14.86; 3. Junior Cadet (Dwyer) 15.10; 6. Charles McDonald (BTW) 15.15; 100: 1. Jeffery Demps (South Lake) 10.40; 2. Philip Pierre-Louis (STA) 10.76; 3. Sean Lange (Northeast) 10.83; 1,600: 1. Johnathan Esteban (Robert E. Lee) 4:22.03; 2. Hunter Boykin (Navarre) 4:22.95; 3. Ryan Noeker (Lake Weir) 4:24.54; 400 relay: 1. South Lake 41.28; 2. Dwyer 41.29; 3. Hillsborough 41.45; 400: 1. Dedric Dukes (BTW) 47.78; 2. Reshaw Exilien (Dwyer) 48.01; 3. Colby Walden (Hillsborough) 48.38; 300 hurdles: 1. Cody Riggs (STA) 37.41; 2. Avis Commack (First Coast) 38.19; 3. Jeramiah Thompson (JAX) 38.47; 6. Eduardo Clements (BTW) 40.36; 800: 1. Hamilton Boykin (Navarre) 1:56.27; 2. Tory Webb (Lecanto) 1:56.86; 3. Michael Leshore (Boca Ciega) 1:57.28; 4. Bendick Hyppolite (BTW) 1:57.39; 8. Brandon Harris (BTW) 1:59.03; 200: 1. Philip Pierre-Louis (STA) 21.29; 2. Leonardo Seymore (Dwyer) 21.39; 3. Jeffery Demps (South Lake) 21.40; 5. Dedric Dukes (BTW) 21.79; 3,200: 1. Eric Larson (Washington) 9:22.81; 2. Erick Montoya (Estero) 9:23.42; 3. Matt Mizereck (Leon) 9:28.81; 1,600 relay: 1. Booker T. Washington, 3:15.16; 2. Wolfson, 3:16.11; 3. St. Thomas Aquinas 3:16.71.

• Girls' individual results (top 3 plus Dade top 8 finishers) -- High jump: 1. Danielle Williams (Pensacola) 5-8; 2. Monica Carney (South Lake) 5-6; 3. Alexis Muniz (Monarch) 5-6; Pole vault: 1. Keari Brink (Ridgewood) 11-0; 2. London Enos (Wharton) and Bethany Holden (Martin County) 10-6; Long jump: 1. Lanie Whittaker (BTW) 18-6 ½; 2. Tomika Story (Ridgeview) 18-5 ½; 3. Denae Fluellen (Oak Ridge) 18-4 ¼; Triple jump: 1. Tomika Story (Ridgeview) 39-6 ½; 2. Latera Davis (Gainesville) 39-2; 3. Marissa McEleveen (Blake) 37-10; Discus: 1. Atasha Warren (Sebastian River) 136-7; 2. Tachira Charles (Oak Ridge) 130-9; 3. Megan Fenzau (Brandon) 124-3; Shot put: 1. Atasha Warren (Sebastian River) 46-7; 2. Kayla Mobley (STA) 41-4; 3. Tyesha Thomas (Dunedin) 41-3; 3,200 relay: 1. Wharton 9:22.43; 2. Satellite 9:24.63; 3. Pine Forest 9:29.45; 110 hurdles: 1. Sherika Ward (Leesburg) 14.59; 2. Ashley Bolling (Wolfson) 14.91; 3. Monique Harris (Fort Lauderdale) 15.20; 100: 1. Tatianna Fisher (Oak Ridge) 12.12; 2. Denae Fluellen (Oak Ridge) 12.39; 3. Tiffany Wilcox (Rockledge) 12.40; 1,600: 1. Ashley Shiver (Satellite) 4:58.97; 2. Jessica Butler (STA), 5:00.58; 3. Katrina Skinner (Wharton) 5:01.95; 400 relay: 1. Oak Ridge, 48.19; 2. Pine Forest 48.49; 3. Fort Lauderdale 48.58; 400: 1. Lanie Whittaker (BTW) 54.47; 2. LaShae White (Tampa Bay Tech) 56.51; 3. Jasmine McCoy (BTW) 57.70; 300 hurdles: 1. Amani Bryant (Wharton) 42.92; 2. Martisha Hart (Oak Ridge) 43.59; 3. Monique Harris (Fort Lauderdale) 43.90; 800: 1. Lanie Whittaker (BTW) 2:16.32; 2. Megan Lawrence (Seminole) 2:17.18; 3. Kayla Helms (Escambia) 2:17.22; 200: 1. Sherika Ward (Leesburg) 24.74; 2. Tatianna Fisher (Oak Ridge) 24.92; 3. Adrianna Hill (Rutherford) 25.36; 3,200: 1. Jessica Butler (STA) 11:02.66; 2. Juliana Stern (Satellite) 11:15.51; 3. Katrina Skinner (Wharton) 11:19.91; 1,600 relay: 1. Booker T. Washington, 3:50.98; 2. Gainesville 3:56.16; 3. Pine Forest, 3:56.51.