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Goose Creek, Stratford athletes aiming for gold

Published Wednesday, May 13, 2009 12:22 PM

By Rob Gantt
The Gazette

Goose Creek and Stratford high schools will have a number of athletes in the Class AAAA state track and field championships Friday and Saturday at Lower Richland High School in Hopkins.

Among them are some with good chances at the important medals.

Goose Creek junior sprinter Tyshonda Hawkins posted the third best times in the 200-meter and 400-meter dashes in the Class AAAA state qualifier last weekend at Blythewood High School. The top eight in each event advanced to this weekend’s state finals.

“It’s going to be a hard meet but I have an opportunity to place first in both events,” she said. “It’s going to be a lot of hard work. It’s going to come down to who wants it more.”

Hawkins is back in the state championships for the first time since her freshman year at St. John’s. She sat out last spring after surgery for a torn anterior cruciate ligament sustained while playing basketball.

She was on three straight winning 400-meter relay teams from 2005-07 and captured three silver medals in the 200-meter dash each season.

Getting off to a quick, smooth start will be the key in both of her events Saturday, she said.

The Goose Creek boys will be represented by junior long jumper Malcom Howard, who finished fifth in the qualifier.

Howard will compete in his event on Friday evening.

The Stratford Lady Knights will have seven athletes at the meet, including pole vaulter Camille Masanotti and thrower Kendra Anderson in the discus.

Masanotti cleared 10-feet, 6-inches to earn the top spot in the qualifier.

“She’s cleared 10-8 before but the girl at Wando has cleared 11 feet,” Stratford coach Shane Sutherland said. “It’s one of those competitions where any of the girls can win, including Camille.”

Anderson only finished seventh in the qualifier but has the best effort - over 117 feet - statewide this spring.  

Both Masanotti and Anderson will compete on Friday.

Jasmine Polite was fourth in the 800-meter run and Danielle Sams qualified sixth in the 3200-meter run. Both girls will also run a leg in the 3200-meter relay that qualified seventh.  

Kari Lavoie and Lauren Freeman will run the other two legs of the relay, which will be contested on Friday.

For the Stratford boys, distance runner Steve Rivard qualified seventh in the 1600-meter run.

For more information, please visit www.schsl.org.

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