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DDN
5/5/06
5/5/06
Saine aims for state record in 100; top foe may sit out
Michigan champion Rashad has faster times than Piqua star, but it's unclear whether he'll run this weekend.
By Mark Gokavi
Staff Writer
A balky hamstring may keep Piqua's Brandon Saine from setting a state 100-meter record at the Don Mitchell Roosevelt Memorial track meet.
No, it's not Saine who has the injury. Rather, Michigan's defending 100 and 200 champion — Ahmad Rashad — is scheduled to compete today and Saturday but hasn't been on the track much this season.
The University of Southern California track recruit (he's not the son of ex-NFL player Ahmad Rashad) ran in a meet Wednesday. But Rashad just ran the second leg in a couple relays.
"He's been injured all year," Flint Carman-Ainsworth coach Kenn Domerese said. "He hurt himself the week after he won the national (indoor) 60.
"We didn't want him to come out of the blocks. He's completely out of shape. He's not 100 percent. His dad's all fired up to bring him down there.
It's kind of against our wishes. He's kind of a free spirit."
Outside of the Rashads, no one is certain if the Michigan sprinter will be at Welcome Stadium on Saturday.
"If he doesn't rip his hammy again, we'll be shocked," Domerese said.
"Normally, we happily send him away (to meets with his father Kevin). But he's a great student, a great citizen and an incredible track talent."
Domerese, whose team has won multiple Michigan big-school boys state team titles, said Rashad's best times are 10.21 in the 100 and 20.8 in the 200.
Domerese figures Rashad would probably only run the 100 at the Roosevelt, which has preliminaries Saturday morning and a final at 1:30 p.m.
That would match Saine's day. Ohio State's newest football recruit said he'll go for an Ohio regular-season state 100-meter record. Piqua's prom is Saturday, so he's going to keep some energy for dancing. But running against an almost-healthy standout could push his time low.
"It would be real nice to run against (Rashad)," Saine said. "With me running just one event, I want to try to break the state record."
The Ohio High School Athletic Association Web site lists official track records. In D-I, the best mark (10.48) belongs to Cincinnati Princeton's Mario Allman in 1990. In D-II, the best is Willard's Eric Barris (10.55), set in 2002. In D-III, Cadiz' Denver Williams (10.55) is listed along with Jefferson's Tony Lee (10.4 hand-timed) in 1988.
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