Speed Makes Westlake's Smith A Double Winner at Invitational

So far this school year, Devon Smith has crossed two major goals off his checklist. He helped bring Westlake a state football title, the first in school history, and he received a scholarship offer from an elite division I football program.

Now, Smith said, just one goal remains: to break the national high school record in the 55-meter dash. He didn't do that at yesterday's D.C. Interscholastic Athletic Association Invitational at Prince George's Sports and Learning Complex in Landover, but he won two events while displaying the type of blistering speed necessary to potentially become the fastest of all time.

"It feels good to check [my goals] off," Smith said. "But that [national record of] 6.14 [seconds], that's what I'm striving for."

Even all of Smith's speed couldn't keep Gonzaga from outpacing Westlake for the boys' team championship, 80-76. Dunbar finished third with 50 points.

Bishop McNamara's girls won their second straight DCIAA Invitational. The Mustangs were deep, scoring in 14 of 15 events and tallying 138 points to finish ahead of Dunbar (116 points) and La Plata (71).

Smith, who has committed to play football at Penn State, was easily the meet's most dynamic male athlete. In the 55, he was quick out of the blocks, began pulling away from the field just after the halfway point and froze the clock in 6.25 seconds.

He returned later in the 4x200 relay. Westlake, the top seed entering the race, found itself in a fight with Ballou and H.D. Woodson early, but Smith, who ran the third leg, exploded from the exchange zone after grabbing the baton and erased any doubts about the outcome. Jonathan Harper, Julian Blair, Smith and Courtney Jarvis breezed to victory in 1:30.34, finishing three seconds ahead of Ballou.

Smith owns the fastest 55-meter time in the country this season -- he ran 6.21 seconds this month -- and yesterday he helped Westlake's 4x200 relay team clock the sixth-fastest time in the country despite two of its members being brand new to the sport.

"You don't get to run with somebody as fast and as talented as [Smith], so that makes me go even faster," said Blair, a junior who is one of the newcomers.

McNamara's Monica Mason was the most outstanding female performer. She helped her team score 30 points, winning the 500 (1:18.61) and the 300 (40.92) before helping McNamara's 4x400 relay team win. Saniel Atkinson, Mason, Nsia Frenche and Paulette Fogle brought the baton around in 4:01.22, 12 seconds ahead of runner-up Dunbar.

"I'm feeling pretty confident," said Mason, a senior. "I just want to go out with a bang."

DCIAA Invitational Cerrito's Way: Northern senior Andrew Cerrito showed fantastic range. He won the 800 (2:04.16), helped his 4x200 relay team win its section and helped his 4x800 relay team finish second overall behind DeMatha. Mustangs Muscle: Bishop McNamara's Alexis Stroman won the 55 hurdles in 8.34 seconds and, five minutes later, was runner-up in the 55 dash behind Westlake's Daquanya Byrd-West. Stroman also placed third in the 300.