Marshall fivesome excels during City League girls title run

DAYTON — Chalk up a few more achievement stars — five — for 29-year Dayton City League coaching veteran Jamesetta Taylor.

Taylor, who has been a head coach every year, showcased her fine-tuned, college-bound big five during Thurgood Marshall High School’s run to the City League girls track and field crown at Dayton’s Welcome Stadium last month.

The seniors who’ll be moving up to the next level this fall are:

• Meilaysia “Lala” Carter;

• twins Kirium and Kanoka Givens;

• Alana Parker;

• and Dymond Hutchinson.

Carter, also a volleyball player, is a 4.0 scholar-athlete who is looking at an academic full ride scholarship to The Ohio State University.

The first-year track star twins will join hands and head for Cincinnati State junior college.

Parker will pack up for North Carolina Central.

And Hutchinson is going to Wilmington College.

Givens twins surge

The big story of the season — and City Meet — was the 5-foot-11 twins, who earned basketball scholarships. Despite rookie status, they keyed the city triumph. Kanoka soared 16 feet, 7.5 inches for second in the long jump and Kirium ran anchor on all three of Marshall’s winning 400-, 800- and 1,600-meter relays.

A still-excited Taylor said later that Kirium Givins “ran the 400 for the first time in her life in the Princeton High School meet, and when the timer shouted 59.5, she looked back and asked ‘Is that good?’ It (time) really didn’t dawn on her, and it was probably one of the best in school history.”

Kirium won the City League 400 in 1:02. “And the real strange twist to the Givens story is that both of them told me they didn’t like running,” Taylor said.

Carter, only 5-foot-5.5, and Hutchinson ran in all three relays; and Hutchinson, the team’s distance ace, finished second in the 800, 1,600 and 3,200. According to Taylor, she has a partial scholarship to Wilmington and will participate in track and basketball.

Carter ran the third leg on all three of the relays.

Scott wins 4 events

With a boost from some up-and-coming underclassmen — such as four-event winning sophomore Janaye Scott — the former Colonel White school won eight of the 12 events. Scott won both the 100 and 200, ran a relay and was the long jump champ (17-0.25).

Marshall’s discus winner was 5-foot-11 freshman basketball hopeful Da’Shay’Nay Corley with a throw of 96 feet. Her season best was 101 feet. She also placed second in the shot put.

Taylor spent 23 years coaching at Fairview (now Edison) Middle School.

“I always had a passion for coaching the younger (middle schoolers) because you touch the lives of this age group, and they never forget what they’ve learned about sports and life,” she said.

Taylor, also a girls basketball coach during a 23-year career at Fairview, saw her tracksters pile up 149 points to unseat Dunbar (75). Taylor’s assistant was Lawrence Whitmore.

Contact this writer at (937) 236-6032 or mickeyz@zoomtown.com.