DODDS-Europe track and field championships

RUSSELSHEIM, Germany — It was a bittersweet day at the track for junior sensation Tiffany Heard of Ansbach High School.

In her first event Saturday in the DODDS-Europe Track and Field Championships, Heard set a record of 15.08 seconds in the 100-meter hurdles, erasing the 16-year-old mark of 15.53.

"That’s the fastest I’ve ever run," the beaming Heard said after the noon race.

Hours later, under a hot sun with little wind — perfect conditions for the longer hurdles race — Heard drilled through the 300-meter hurdles to another first-place finish, beating her friend and rival, Wiesbaden junior Rebecca Borner, by a few strides.

Had Heard hit another record? It’s a question that won’t be known with certainty. Race officials said they were unable to get "a good reading" on her time, and ended up giving her a 45.90, a few one-hundredths shy of the 45.50 record set in 1989. The word on the track was that the computer didn’t record the finish due to a malfunction, and no official hand-held times were taken. An Ansbach coach clocked Heard at 44.8 seconds by hand, but that was unofficial.

Heard said she was disappointed, considering this was the only meet in which she could set the record, according to DODDS-Europe track and field rules.

"I’ve been working all year to break the record," Heard, 17, said. "They kind of just took it away from me."

Heard still ended the meet on a high note, grabbing a third gold medal in the 200-meter dash and being voted the meet’s most valuable track athlete.

And the timing miscue, though unfortunate, was just blip in a day punctuated by a number of dramatic races on the track, and several competitive performances in the jumps and throws.

As a team, the Kaiserlautern girls continued their dominance, topping all the girls teams and running away with the Division I title for their fourth straight overall European crown. They had runners place in most events, and two of their relay teams took gold. Sophomores Rio Harris and Colleen Davis, senior Tracey Ely and junior Marche Bobbs blazed to a 10:08 in the 3,200-meter relay. And Harris, Ely and Bobbs later teamed with sophomore Ruby Plummer to win the 1,600-meter relay in 4:11.77. Harris had the Midas touch, winning a total of four gold medals in two days. She won the 400-meter dash on Saturday in an impressive 59.63. She also won the 800-meter run on Friday,

Division I Ramstein topped all the boys teams.

Other highlights from Saturday included:

 Ansbach’s Sterling Teall added to his gold haul, winning the boys’ 1,500-meter run in 4:09.93. The University of Oregon-bound senior edged Naples senior and defending champion John Markman by less than a second. Teall tried for a third gold — on Friday he won the 3,000 meters — in the 800 meters, but finished sixth. Wiesbaden freshman Daniel Parker sprinted to a 2:00.81 time, outlasting a speedy, down-the-stretch kick by Arley Morelock of Frankfurt International School. Teall was selected the boys’ most valuable athlete on the track.

•  Freshman Devin Jenkins of Lakenheath outkicked two seniors in the 100-meter dash with a winning time of 11.32 seconds. He shared one of his training tips:starting out of the blocks with a parachute tied around his waist for added resistance.
• Heidelberg senior Chris Frazier was one of the seniors Jenkins beat in the 100 meters. Frazier was determined not to be beaten again, winning the 200 meters in 22.24 seconds. "I wasn’t going to leave without a fight," he said. By the end of the day Saturday, Frazier was wearing four medals. In addition to his feats in the individual sprints, he took a bronze in the long jump and a gold in the 400-meter relay with teammates DJ Jenkins, Devin Helvie, and Napolian Myhand.
• Sigonella’s Horace Windham and James Campbell showed their versatility, each placing in several events. Campbell, a junior, and Windham, a senior, finished back-to-back in the 300-meter hurdles. Windham was third in the long jump, and Campbell was fifth in the 200-meter dash, and sixth in the 100.
• Aviano senior Shelby Yoakum cried tears of joy after her father placed her gold medal from the 3,000-meter run around her neck. It was a deal her coach made with her before her final DODDS-Europe race: Win and her dad would be at the medal podium with her. Win she did, toasting the field with a personal best of 11:02.06 that also was an Aviano girls record. The University of Hawaii-bound senior said she believes giving up junk food this track season helped her run fast times. After the race, she said she couldn’t wait to indulge in some french fries.
• AFNORTH coach Darwin McDonald was bursting with pride for his girls 1,600-relay team, which finished second to Kaiserslautern. Gathering up Mercedes Ash, Nyekiah Deshazor, Sara Sawyer and Natalia Busuttil after their 4:13.32, he said: "It was beautiful, it was beautiful. I will take that any day. I am so proud of y’all."
• Aviano’s 1,600 sprint medley runners said they "raced their hearts out" to just edge Ramstein. Half-mile ace senior Mike Brown edged Ramstein junior Drew Thomas in a thrilling finish, giving Aviano the victory in 3:46.67, to Ramstein’s 3:46.92. The girls’ 1,600 sprint medley was just as exciting, with Naples beating Heidelberg with less than two seconds to spare.