By BUDDY HURLOCK
Staff reporter
05/05/2002

GREENVILLE -- Meredith Lambert brought down one of the state's oldest track and field records at the 22nd annual Twilight Relays on Saturday.

Lambert won the 3,200-meter run in 10 minutes, 50.26 seconds, smashing the 11:09.01 turned in by St. Mark's Monica Wittenholt at the 1985 Division I state meet.

With cool, comfortable conditions and a rested Lambert competing only in the 3,200, the crowd anticipated that the record could be broken.

Lambert didn't disappoint, completing the first mile in about 5:20 and cruising to the record amid rousing cheers.

"I knew what [split times] I was going to shoot for, and I was right on them, and I just kept pushing through that last mile. ... It's difficult to break an old state record but I knew it was within reach," Lambert said.

"I was a little hesitant to run because I was coming down with a cold. So all day long I had to psych myself up and tell myself, 'No, you're not sick, you're OK,' and there really were perfect conditions."

The 3,200 was the only individual event. It did not count in team scoring. The boys and girls meets were split into two groups based on enrollment.

Brandywine fended off Archbishop Ryan (Pa.) for the Group I (larger schools) girls title. The Bulldogs won the 400, 3,200, 6,400, distance medley and high jump relays. Senior Jenn Kutney won three gold medals.

Ursuline won the girls Group II meet, winning the shuttle hurdle and 1,600 relays. Charter finished second while Lake Forest won five of six field relay events and finished third.

Salesianum edged Newark for a Group I boys victory. Sallies' Austin Whittington won three gold medals. His team won the 800, 1,600, and 6,400 distance medley and shuttle hurdles.

Newark's Louis Broyles also won three golds.

Mount Pleasant placed first in Group II boys. Howard, which tied for third, won the 400, 800 and 1,600 relays with Canaan Baise, Matt Carre, Reggie Hopkins and Mike Schmidt. Hopkins and Schmidt also won the long jump relay in Group II.