By Terry Mosher

Editor, Sports Paper

 

De’Andre Sincere of the Bremerton Jaguars made it two national championships for West Sound Saturday when he annexed the 200 title in the 13-14-age bracket at the USATF National Junior Olympic Track and Field Championships.

Sincere, a ninth-grader this fall at Central Kitsap Junior High, won the age 13-14 bracket 200 in a time of 22.49, coming from behind to win at the wire in the race held at North Carolina A&T in Greensboro, N.C.

His victory comes on the heels of Nolan Van Amen’s victory in the 13-14 shot put on Wednesday. Van Amen, a freshman-to-be at Cedar Heights Junior High, tossed the shot a winning 59-04.75.

Because of time, Sincere was seeded into the 7th lane in the 200 finals. Top seed Isaiah Southerland of the Triangle Track Club in Missouri City, Texas, was in lane five.

“(Sincere) comes around the first curve and his probably in fourth place,” says Tim Lavin, coach of the Bremerton Jaguars. “Then he just started taking over, (passing) one after the other until he caught Southerland at the finish line.. But it wasn’t as close as you would think it was.

“He just ran a phenomenal – just absolutely powerful, as he is. That is who he is. He is an incredible track athlete. I would not be surprised if he won two more. I think he will win the 100 and he could win the 400.”

Sincere runs the finals of the 400 at 11:30 tomorrow and runs the finals of the 100 at 1:30. His coaches and family have talked to him about not running the 400, but Sincere insisted he is strong enough to do both races.

He took second in his semifinal heat of the 400 on Saturday, running a 51.7. That time is the eighth best time in the field of eight. However, he is seeded sixth.

Jaleel Elmore of the Bremerton Jaguars finished 18th in the 15-16-age bracket of the 400. He clocked a 50.25 time. The top eight that qualified for tomorrow’s final all ran under 49 seconds, headed by Colin Winslow of Prime Time Track Club (Franklin Park, N.J.) who clocked a 48.09.

On Friday, Blake Schmidt, who will be an eighth-grader at Kingston Middle School and competes with the Bremerton Jaguars, finished 37th in  the javelin in the 13-14-age bracket. Schmidt, who just picked up the javelin two months ago, threw a PR of 96 feet. Isaiah Bowman of the Carolina Track Club won the javelin with a toss of 172-10.

Bryana Elmore, sister of Jaleel, finished 29th in the high jump in the 17-18-age bracket with a jump of four feet, 11 inches.