Dorsey, Washington spark NHS

Published 12:00 am Friday, April 11, 2003

MCCOMB &045; Those who are really good at track and field can do it.

It’s all about focus and concentration, but athletes can get locked in right at the end of the season just before the meets that count begin.

Natchez High athletes Taji Dorsey and Lexi Washington are getting primed for another productive spring right about now.

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Washington, a week removed from being named the MVP at the Warren Central Relay, took a couple firsts at the McComb meet Thursday to help the Lady Bulldogs take the team title.

Dorsey did the same thing, and both were on the relay teams that nearly made a clean sweep again.

&uot;Lexi had a good day today,&uot; Natchez High coach Larry Wesley said. &uot;The person that impressed me the most was Taji Dorsey. She’s getting back to her old form. She had a bad toe that slowed her up.&uot;

Washington took firsts in the triple jump and high jump by clearing 5-0 in the high and going 34-4 in the long. Dorsey was second in the long at 31-10.

Dorsey won the 100-meter in 11.92 seconds and the 200 in 25.52 seconds. The 400-meter relay team of Dorsey, Washington, Serena Dixon and Anna Johnson won in 52 seconds, and the 800-relay team of Washington, Porshe Singleton, Dixon and Janice Davis was first in 1:40.22.

The meet also marked the return of Davis and Tanieka Hill, both of whom have been slowed by injuries of late. Hill didn’t run hurdles, and Davis didn’t do sprints because of a sore hamstring.

Both, however, ran the 800 with Davis finishing in 2:36 and Hill coming in at 2:48.

Other results were Dixon in the 100 hurdles in 18.02 seconds, Singleton in second in the mile in 7:27.03, Johnson in the 400 at 1:12.49 and Dixon in first in the 300 hurdles in 52.16.

In field, Singleton was fourth in discus at 61-4 and second in shot put at 26-8, while Amber Smoot was fifth in discus at 58-6 and fourth in shot at 25-9.

On the boys’ side, the Bulldogs got firsts and seconds from just about everyone to win the team title. The 400-meter relay team of Travis Washington, Richard Blanton, Karlecio Richardson and Kendrick Gibbons won first in 42.5 seconds.

The mile relay of Darius Edwards, Washington, Gibbons and Darryl Bassett won in 3:25.34. Blanton won the 200 in 22.09 seconds, and Edwards won the 300 hurdles in 41.5 seconds.

Dontae Brown won the mile in 5:06.28 Chris Tenner second in 5:08.84, Adrian Gayler was second in the 400 in 52.1 seconds, Roderick Gray was third in the 300 hurdles in 43.21 seconds, Travis Graves won the 3,200 in 11:56.35 and Gibbons on the 110 hurdles in 13.74 seconds.