Barry Shines, but Gonzaga, McDonogh Win Titles

The race was too close for him to call at the finish line, so Seck Barry ran part of the curve, too, as if to will the outcome in his favor.

Although it was a terrific -- and entertaining -- display of determination, Barry really didn't need it. The St. Albans senior won the 110-meter hurdles with room to spare on the second day of the 28th Draper Invitational at St. Stephen's/St. Agnes and left the rainy meet in Alexandria with two gold medals.

"I just try to finish hard and strong," said Barry, who will compete for the University of Pennsylvania. "That's just the way I run."

Led by Bill Ledder's dominance in the 1,600 and 3,200, and Leo Mclaughlin's victories in the 100, 200 and 4x100 relay, Gonzaga won the boys' championship easily over Good Counsel and St. Albans.

McDonogh of Baltimore cruised to the girls' championship, finishing ahead of Herndon and Bishop O'Connell.

Barry, who speaks four languages and is the third of eight children, won the 110 hurdles in a personal-best 14.54 seconds. He reached the first hurdle before the field and powered down the straightaway to victory.

Barry was seeded second after Friday's trials, but made the necessary adjustments to pull off the mild upset.

"He figures the race out on the first day and on the second day it's a wrap," St. Albans sprint coach Malcolm Pittman said. "He's technically as sound as they get."

Three hours later, Barry captured the 300 hurdles in 38.68. There was hardly any drama, as he won the race by nearly two seconds.

Efosa Guobadia, also of St. Albans, was named the meet's most outstanding male performer after winning the high jump (6 feet 2 inches), placing second in the triple jump and fourth in the long jump. Kristin Brown of McDonogh won four events and was the girls' most outstanding performer.

Stuart senior Michael Green won the boys' 400 in 50.11. He ran 48.92 during Friday's trials, breaking the 50-second barrier for the first time.

Georgetown Day's Dominique Campbell outleaned McDonogh's Jasmine Robinson to win the girls' 400 in 58.42. Campbell set a school record in Friday's trials when she clocked 58.24.

Potomac School's Anneka Wilson, the All-Met cross-country runner of the year last fall, also set a school record. She won Friday's 3,200 in a personal-best 11 minutes 4.93 seconds, lowering her old mark by two seconds.

In yesterday's 1,600, Bishop O'Connell's Megan Fitzpatrick passed Wilson with 200 meters to go, but Wilson used the curve to surge back into the lead and win the race in a season-best 5:11.92.

"It's that instinct that kicks in," Wilson said. "If I'm going to go for it, I'm going to go really hard."

After a 20-minute rain delay, St. Stephen's/St. Agnes senior Danielle Williams closed out the day by anchoring the host school to a victory in the 4x400 relay. The Saints brought the baton around the track in 4:10.33.

Williams was exhausted afterward. She also had run on the Saints' 4x100 and 4x200 relay teams and was runner-up to McDonogh's Amanda Kimbers in the 100- and 200-meter dashes.

"This was a great day," Williams said. "I got some competition. I'll take running good times over first place any day."