E. Roosevelt Wins Two Titles, Bids Farewell to Coach at Nike Outdoor Meet

GREENSBORO, N.C., June 20 -- The Eleanor Roosevelt girls' 4x400 relay team had some stiff competition Friday night at the Nike Outdoor Nationals: Itself. By the time freshman Amirah Johnson took the baton for the final leg, first place was no longer in doubt. The clock -- and whether these Raiders could beat last year's team that set a meet and national record -- was the goal.

The Raiders fell just short, winning in 3 minutes 53.95 seconds, a little more than 2 seconds off last year's mark (3:51.90). The quartet of Doris Anyanwu, Afia Charles, Tasha Stanley and Johnson were nearly seven seconds faster than second-place La Salle Academy (R.I.).

"I did want to beat the record, but it didn't work out," Stanley said.

Charles, Anyanwu, Stanley and Elan Hilaire also captured the 4x200 relay in 1:36.95, edging Skyline (Tex.) High by .10 of a second.

Anyanwu said the team was confident heading into the meet at North Carolina A&T University's Irwin Belk Track & Field Complex, but didn't take anything for granted. Their edge? "Knowing that we're running for each other," Anyanwu said.

The departure of their coach, Desmond Dunham, who announced he was leaving the team this week to accept a volunteer coaching position at the University of Maryland, added motivation.

Anyanwu said Dunham announced his departure to the team Tuesday. Hearing the news was sad but it hasn't quite resonated with her, she said.

"This is his last meet, so we're going to go out with a bang," Anyanwu said.

The big news on the boys' side came from German Fernandez, a senior from Riverbank, Calif., who brought the crowd to its feet by breaking a 29-year-old national record in the two-mile. Fernandez's 8:34.40 was nearly two seconds faster than the 1979 mark of Jeff Nelson of Burbank, Calif. (hand-timed in 8:36.6). Fernandez also set a national mark in the 3,000 (7:59.38).

Sherwood junior Solomon Haile, who ran in the unseeded two-mile, finished 13th overall with a time of 9 minutes 7.66 seconds.

Thomas Johnson junior Emily Vannoy placed second in girls' shot put with a 45-foot 8-inch put. Senior Emily O'Brien, of Cumberland, Maine, set the national and meet mark by putting a shot 52-1¾.

Park View senior Natalie Baird placed eighth. The All-Met athlete of the year made two fouls in six attempts, putting her farthest shot 43-7 1/5 .

The South Lakes team of Nicholas Vaughn, Vincent Brown, Adrian Vaughn and Andrew Price, was the runner-up in the boys' 4x200 relay.