Tight races at Jesuit-Sheaner

08:57 PM CST on Wednesday, March 22, 2006
By BRANDON GEORGE / The Dallas Morning News

Plano senior Brian Lind is one of the area's most consistent distance runners. He'll compete in what is sure to be his fastest-paced 1,600- and 3,200-meters races of the season Saturday at the Jesuit-Sheaner Relays.

Six of the area's top 10 1,600 runners and seven of the area's top 10 3,200 runners will race. Lind's top time in the 1,600 this season is 4:26.44, and his season best in the 3,200 is 9:29.84, which ranks fourth in the state.

Coppell's Taylor Ray will push Lind in the 3,200. Ray's season-best time is 9:33.24, fifth in the state.

The pace in the 1,600 race will be set by Southlake Carroll sophomore Colby Lowe, who ranks third in the state with a time of 4:16.64. Arlington's Matt Daniels, Jesuit's Will Smith and Ray will also run with the leaders.

Rockwall senior Durell Coleman, the area's top-ranked runner at 400 meters, faces a test Saturday at the 42nd Jesuit-Sheaner Relays at Haggar Stadium.

The field includes the area's other top quarter-milers as well as Baylor signee LaJerald Betters of Waco. Betters clocked a national-best 46.84 seconds in an indoor meet this season.

Coleman's best time of 48.24 ranks third in the state.

Two of the state's other top 400 runners – Fort Worth O.D. Wyatt's John Parks and Cedar Hill's Romie Blaylock – are also in the race. The field will aim at a 15-year-old Class 5A meet record of 47.10, held by Tyler Lee's Derrick Smith and Irving's Ashton Scott.

Richardson Pearce senior hurdler Zach Plinario has had a fast start to the season, but he'll need to pick it up a step Saturday when he competes against a loaded field at the Jesuit-Sheaner Relays.

A pair of area standouts – Plano's Greg Rideaux and Southlake Carroll's Clint Renfro – will push Plinario in the 110- and 300-meter hurdles.

Plinario is tied for 10th in the state with a best time of 14.34 in the 110 hurdles. He's also tied for the state's 10th-fastest 300 time (39.14).

Renfro, a senior who has signed a football scholarship with TCU, should be the athlete to beat in the 300. Renfro finished second last year at the Class 5A state meet in 36.79.

Three standout Southlake Carroll distance runners lead a strong field of entrants in the girls elite 1,600 meters Saturday at the Jesuit-Sheaner Relays.

Brooke Upshaw and Miranda Walker, a pair of Arkansas signees, and freshman Tara Upshaw should help set a fast pace in the only girls race of the day.

Brooke Upshaw and Walker are among the state leaders in the 3,200 but have enough early speed to push a field that will include eight 2005 UIL state meet qualifiers.

A talented field, which also includes Richardson's Jillian Rosen, McKinney North's Samantha Means and Hebron's Tia Martinez, will be gunning for a meet-record time of 4:49.9, set in 2004 by Plano West graduate Erin Bedell (Baylor).

E-mail bgeorge@dallasnews.com