The last large scale track and field invitational in the area for the year is Saturday 16 December with the running of the Sixth Annual Friends of Indoor Track (F.I.T.) Relays at the GMU Fieldhouse.
The meet begins at 9:30 A.M. with action in both the field events (boys long jump and shot put; girls high jump) and running events (4x800 meter relay) and is slated to culminate with the 4x400 relays at 5:30 P.M. Fifty of the top schools from Virginia, D.C. and Maryland are scheduled to compete in the event sponsored by the Friends of Indoor Track.
F.I.T. is a non-profit public service corporation with their intentions to promote athletic development and achievement of high school track and field athletes; whose numbers make them the second largest participatory sport.
Through F.I.T.'s sponsorship of regional athletic events and by working in cooperation with local and state governments they have as a major near-term objective to have a facility built that will enable the Northern Region's public schools to schedule all of its indoor track meets on a regulation track protected from the weather.
This year's meet will once again be a non-scoring team event with all running events in relays including the 4x200; 4x400; 4x800 and distance medley relays (1,200; 800; 400; 1,600) along with one of the highlights from last year's meet, a Special Olympics 4x100 meter relay at 1:00 P.M. involving yougsters from area middle schools.
Field event action allows one athete per event with action scheduled for both boys and girls in the long and triple jumps, high jump, shot put and pole vault.
Francois, Lake Braddock Have Banner Day
By Todd Jacobson
Special to The Washington Post
Sunday, December 17, 2000 ; Page D06
As Frank Francois tried to catch his breath shortly after running the anchor leg for Lake Braddock's victorious boys 4x800-meter relay team, he couldn't help but look around George Mason's spacious field house.
Francois wasn't necessarily in awe of the approximately 3,000 fans who came to the sixth annual Friends of Indoor Track Relays yesterday in Fairfax, he was catching up on some memories.
Two years ago, Francois had a breakout performance at the FIT Relays as a sophomore, running his first sub-60-second split in the 4x400 relay. That experience changed him as a runner, and after dedicating himself to the sport, he helped the Bruins to the Virginia AAA title in the 4x400 last year.
"I wasn't really serious my freshman year," Francois said. "I wasn't even sure I was going to run. A few of my friends were doing it, so I decided to give it a shot."
In addition to running the anchor leg in the 4x800 yesterday, Francois also ran the final leg for the Bruins' winning 4x400 team, out-kicking an Atlee runner over the final 75 meters to win by a half second.
It was a banner day for Lake Braddock overall, as the Bruins' girls relay teams also dominated, winning the 4x200, 4x400 and distance medley. Lake Braddock junior Alexandra Van Heuven and senior Shawnette Adams, members of the Bruins' 4x400 team, also finished 1-2 in the triple jump. Team scores were not kept at the meet.
"This is still early, but if this is any indication of things to come, we are in good shape," Lake Braddock Coach Bob Digby said. "Do we have that athlete who . . . will win five events? No. We are going to do this top to bottom."
While most of the credit for Lake Braddock's performance goes to its athletes, Digby played a part as well. After an Eleanor Roosevelt runner fell in the first 30 meters of the girls 4x400, the coach switched leadoff runner Sarah Beale and second runner Shawnette Adams on the restart.
A fresh Adams gave Lake Braddock a 30-meter lead after the first leg and the team eventually finished in 4 minutes 1.7 seconds, almost three seconds ahead of second-place Roosevelt.
Jefferson's 4x800 girls relay team, anchored by All-Met Kelley Otstott, broke its own meet record, finishing in 9:42.3, nine-tenths of a second faster than the record the Colonials set last year.
Maryland teams didn't fare as well. Only Suitland's boys 4x200 team won a relay, with Bernard Quinton edging a Hayfield runner at the tape. Both teams were clocked at 1:34.3.
Largo junior India Ransom won the long jump with a leap of 16 feet 11.75 inches, and Middletown senior Greg McCormick finished fourth in the pole vault in his first meet after breaking his neck on a practice vault last spring. McCormick also won the high jump with a leap of 6-9.
BOYS WINNERS
4x200--Suitland, 1 minute 34.3 seconds; 4x400--Lake Braddock, 3:29.7; 4x800--Lake Braddock, 8:13.1; Distance medley--Oakton, 10:43.7; 4x200 fr./soph.--Lake Braddock, 1:35.6; 4x400 fr./soph.--Lake Braddock, 3:37.8; Shot put--1, Matt Miller, Atlee, 48 feet 10.75 inches; High Jump--Greg McCormick, Middletown, 6-9; Long jump--Donnell Eady, Dover (Del.), 22-0.75; Triple jump--Stacey Durham, North Stafford, 44-3.5; Pole vault--Val Osipenko, Atlee, 14-9.
GIRLS WINNERS
4x200--Lake Braddock, 1:45.9; 4x400--Lake Braddock, 4:01.7; 4x800--Jefferson, 9:42.3; Distance medley--Lake Braddock, 12:43.4; 4x200 fr./soph.--W.T. Woodson, 1:53.5; 4x400 fr./soph.--W.T. Woodson, 4:15.7; Shot put--Kim Chase, Glasgow, 39-1.5; High jump--Bonnie Meekins, Oakton, 5-6; Long jump--India Ransom, Largo, 16-11.75; Triple jump--1, Alexandra Van Heuven, Lake Braddock, 35-9; Pole vault--Kira Barcus, Atlee, 10-9.