It's Time for Prep to Unveil Saunders

David Saunders, Georgetown Prep's sophomore sprinter who holds two world records for 14-year-olds, hasn't been heard from much this winter, but Little Hoyas coach Mike Horsey plans to take the wraps off his sprint star this Saturday for the ninth annual Prep Invitational indoor track and field meet at Episcopal High School in Alexandria.

Saunders, whose 21.9 seconds 220 and 48.9 seconds 440 both set world record marks for a 14-year-old last spring, will be favored to win both the 60-yard dash and the 500-yard dash in the Prep Invitational. So far this winter, Saunders' competition has been chiefly restricted to running relays for Prep.

"David was really worn out after the spring season last year," explained Horsey. "We just ran him too much, so we've been bringing him along more slowly this year, but we want to see what he can do on Saturday in the individual events."

Saunders ran a sub 49 seconds anchor leg for the Little Hoyas mile relay team in the trials of last weekend's Navy Invitational and then traveled from Annapolis to Alexandria to compete in a dual meet between Georgetown Prep and Episcopal, where he lost the 60 to Episcopal's Archer Green.

Horsey doesn't expect that to happen again on Saturday.

"David was a little tight, and Episcopal's field house was cold," said Horsey. "Episcopal kids stayed in a heated dressing room before the race, and this Saturday we're going to have some heat, too," Horsey promised.

Georgetown Prep is a co-favorite along with defending champion O'Connell and challenger St. Christopher's of Richmond in this Saturday's Prep Invitational.

St. Christopher's, with its excellent balance in the running events, is given a slight edge over both Prep and O'Connell. Horsey said this week the field events will be the key for the Little Hoyas.

That's where we'll have to score heavily to be in contention," predicted Horsey. "We're hoping to win the shot put with Kip Jawish and finish third or fourth with Kurt Pierce."

Jawish had his best throw of the season in the dual meet against Episcopal with a winning distance of 55 feet 1/2 inch. Pierce has thrown 51 feet this season.

The Little Hoyas also hope to score a 1-2 finish in the high jump behind Pat McDonough and Pat Haley, who has been hampered so far this winter by a bad ankle, and to pick up some points in the long jump in an extremely competitive field.

Success in those events coupled with victories from Saunders in the 60 and the 500, a win by John Donegan in the 880 and a possible victory in the mile relay would put Prep in the middle of the three-way fight for the team title, which in recent years has been monopolized by O'Connell.

Donegan has had a good indoor season but like Saunders has spent much of his time in relay competition, anchoring Prep's tough two mile relay. Donegan anchored the Little Hoyas to a second place finish in the Navy Invitational two-mile relay on Saturday with an excellent 1:55.7 finishing leg, almost catching Menchville's anchor runner, Carlos Cardwell. Menchville won the relay in 8:01.2; Georgetown Prep's contingent of Anthony Desir, Bill Plank, Tom Raskauskas, and Donegan clocked a runner-up time of 8:01.9.

The performance of Georgetown Prep's two-mile relay, the second place finish of Einstein's Larry Rosen in the shot put, and a surprisingly tough 14 feet even effort by Tim Downs of Richard Montgomery in the pole vault led Montgomery County athletes' performances in Saturday's eighth annual Naval Academy High School Invitational indoor track and field meet at Halsey Field House.

Rosen, who had thrown well below his potential in the CYO High School Invitational earlier in January, looked much smoother at Navy with his best throw of the winter, a 55 feet 3 inches effort that gave him the runner up spot behind Steve Klug of Robert E. Lee of Staunton, Va.

Downs, however, was the surprise of the meet with his excellent vault of 14 feet even. The Maryland state champion matched his own state record in his first competitive outing of the season after being sidelined with an ankle injury suffered in a preseason workout. Downs, his ankle tightly taped, finished fourth and said he will be shooting to clear 15 feet at the State Indoor meet.

Photo caption: IT'S "HEAVE HO" for Einstein's Larry Rosen as he puts the shot 55'3" to win second place in the Virginia Prep Invitational Track and Field Meet Saturday. First place in the event was a 60'1" toss by Steve Kluge of Staunton, Va.