Boys Track: Young freshman Joseph Toye dazzles in Public League finals
Updated: May 5, 2012 11:00PM
The biggest challenge for Joseph Toye these days might be juggling his track and basketball schedules.
Competing in just his second outdoor meet of the season, Toye won two events and was runner-up in a third to help Young beat Lane 95-85 for the Public League boys track and field title Saturday at Hanson Stadium. Jones (51), Brooks (47) and North Lawndale (47) rounded out the top five teams.
Toye, a freshman, won the high jump with a clear of 6 feet, 4 inches and took first in the triple jump at 44-3.25. The latter effort came in the preliminaries earlier in the week and it held up, so Toye didn’t triple jump Saturday. His 21-1.5 in the long jump was good for second behind Simeon football/track standout Cywettnie Brown (21-6.5).
“I knew it was going to be hard, (but) I thought it was going to be a little more competitive,” Toye said of his Public League debut. “It’s a little cold out here so a lot of people are off their game.”
A latecomer to track because of his prep and AAU basketball commitments, Toye might be just scratching the surface of what he can achieve this season. “I’m starting to get my groove back,” he said. “I wanted to win city and hopefully I’ll make it to state.”
Jones distance ace Jamison Dale also was a double winner, taking the 3,200 meters in 9 minutes, 33.60 seconds and coming back to win the 1,600 in 4:29.28.
“My doubles will have to be a little better to do better at state,” Dale said. “But I’m happy with today and the fields were good. The city is just getting so much better in the distance events.”
Dunbar’s Darvell Harris had the day’s lone boys meet record, running a 21.33 in the 200 despite easing off down the stretch when he felt a twinge in his right hamstring.
“It got tight on me,” Harris said. “I kind of felt it so I pulled up a little.”
He also anchored the Mighty Men to victory in the 400 relay (42.91) and to an apparent win in the 800 relay that was erased when Dunbar was disqualified for stepping out of the exchange zone.
North Lawndale sophomore Imani Payton swept the hurdles races, going 15.71 in the 110s and 40.67 in the 300s.
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