See this story at BrooklynDaily.com.
By Joseph Staszewski
Brooklyn Daily
Medgar Evers senior Kadecia Baird finished her last league meet with a first.
The record-breaking senior sprinter, who has won countless individual and relay titles in her career, was finally able to see her whole team bring home the school’s first Public School Athletic League girls track and field title.
Medgar Evers won the league’s outdoor crown with 115 points on Sunday at Icahn Stadium, ending Benjamin Cardozo’s five-year reign. It’s the first time a girls team other than the Judges has won an indoor or outdoor crown in the last six years. DeWitt Clinton came in second with 70 points and Cardozo third with 58.
“It’s so amazing to win a championship knowing this is my last track meet,” said Baird. “All of us were hungry for the championship.”
All she had to do was win three events for the second straight year. Baird took home gold in the 100 meters with a time of 11.63 — the best time in the state this season. She also won the 200 in 24.11, ahead of teammate Paige Thompson-Charles, and was first in the 400 in 56.79.
Baird has been a star throughout her career, but this time Medgar Evers had the depth to take down Cardozo, which was without the injured Deajah Stevens, who is headed to South Carolina. The Cougars scored in 12 different events.
“We had athletes in just about every event that were quality,” Medgar Evers coach Shaun Dietz said. “This year I knew it was going to be very hard for us to get beat.”
One of the biggest standouts was freshman Shayla Broughton. She won the pentathlon with 3273 points, the high jump with a leap of 5 feet, 6 inches and was second in the 100 hurdles with a time of 14.58.
“It made me feel good helping my team out,” she said.
The relay team of Thompson-Charles, Martina Brown, Janai Cameron and Brenessa Thompson won the 4 x 400 relay in 47.94. Ashley Tasher won the long jump with a leap of 17-04.00 and Sabrina Joseph was second in the triple jump (37-01.75).
Medgar Evers wasn’t the only Brooklyn team taking home a team title. Thomas Jefferson’s boys team, which also won indoors, claimed its third straight outdoor crown with 91 points to 64 by second place DeWitt Clinton. Shot putter Lesley Clervill believes stringing together championships mean the Orange Wave has arrived as a program.
“This sends a message to the PSAL that we can keep winning for years to come,” he said.
Jefferson continued to dominate the field events. Clervill was second in the shot put with a toss of 134-03 and finished in the same position in the discus (121-06). Trevon Bascomb placed second in the javelin (139-01) and Marquis Lillard won high jump silver (6-02).
Sidgie Greene won the 3000 steeplechase in 9:55.36 and took sliver with a time of 1:57.05 in the 800. He was also a member of the first-place 4 x 800 relay team with Mustafa Bey, Tevin Aitken and Qasim Ray in 8:12.10.
“I’m pretty happy senior year graduating with four [city] championships,” Greene said.
Reach reporter Joseph Staszewski at jstaszewski@cnglocal.com. Follow him on twitter @cng_staszewski.