Adetu Able to Maintain Focus Before Prom

The prom was just four hours away and Sidwell Friends junior Lola Adetu hadn't even picked something to wear.

Five formal dresses were draped across the living room of her Mitchelville home yesterday, awaiting a decision, while she lay sprawled in the infield at the Draper Invitational in Alexandria, trying to catch her breath.

Despite the excitement over her first prom that had been building for the previous two weeks -- she and a group of friends will take a boat cruise around the Washington Harbor, followed by an after-party downtown -- Adetu managed to put it aside long enough to win three events at St. Stephen's/St. Agnes High School. She captured the 200, 400 and 4x400 relay while leading Sidwell Friends to a top-five finish.

"So many things were on my mind while I was running," Adetu said. "But the Draper Invitational was definitely my priority."

Episcopal won the girls' team competition with 63 points, followed by National Cathedral (58) and Bishop O'Connell (54). Adetu scored 30 points to help Sidwell Friends take fourth (53).

On the boys' side, Gonzaga won with 89 points, followed by St. Albans (85). Good Counsel and Episcopal were tied for third with 53.

Adetu was quick out of the blocks in the 400 and had made up the stagger by the time she reached the curve. She finished in 56.18 seconds.

An hour later, she breezed to the victory in the 200 in 24.51 seconds.

At the end of the day, with her mind speeding closer toward the prom, Adetu anchored Sidwell Friends to the victory in the 4x400 relay. Lauren Lewis, Brooke Baldinger, Jordan Verrilli and Adetu won in 4:01.23, seven seconds ahead of runner-up Potomac School.

An All-Met selection last spring, Adetu said the key to her success this season has been visualizing herself finishing races strong. It worked at the Viking Invitational earlier this month, where she won the 400 in 55.93 seconds, a meet record, and collected wins in the 100 and 200.

On Friday, during the preliminary round of the 200, she clocked a then-career best 24.53 seconds and lowered that in yesterday's final. With the ISL championships this next weekend, she feels ready.

"It's really just been a matter of me focusing my mind and relaxing down the stretch," Adetu said. "I feel a lot stronger."

Draper Invitational Relay Records: A new meet record was established in the 4x200 relay by both girls and boys. South Lakes' girls -- Michelle Peal, Lauren Coho, Jaleesha Coleman and Lachelle Wallace -- won in 1:44.06 while the boys of Good Counsel -- Jordan Myers, Caleb Porzel, Sean Sutton and Chris Brown -- won in 1:29.47. Wait a Seck: St. Albans' Seck Barry won the boys' 300 hurdles in 39 seconds, but not before running a meet-record 38.09 seconds in the prelims. He also finished third in the 110 hurdles behind runner-up Aaron Shepperd of Gonzaga and winner Vincent Brown of South Lakes. Draper Invitational Relay Records: A new meet record was established in the 4x200 relay by both girls and boys. South Lakes' girls -- Michelle Peal, Lauren Coho, Jaleesha Coleman and Lachelle Wallace -- won in 1:44.06 while the boys of Good Counsel -- Jordan Myers, Caleb Porzel, Sean Sutton and Chris Brown -- won in 1:29.47. Wait a Seck: St. Albans' Seck Barry won the boys' 300 hurdles in 39 seconds, but not before running a meet-record 38.09 seconds in the prelims. He also finished third in the 110 hurdles behind runner-up Aaron Shepperd of Gonzaga and winner Vincent Brown of South Lakes.