Demare Dezeurn said he runs track to help his receiving skills in football.
“This is for football to get me faster,” he said before running the 100 meters at the Thursday’s Mission League track and field finals on Thursday at Sherman Oaks Notre Dame.
His coach at Bishop Alemany, Terrell Stanley, said he gave Dezeurn permission to run a fast time.
And that’s what he did, waving his arms up and down at the finish and then learning his time of 10.32 seconds was second best in the state this season behind state champion Brandon Arrington of San Diego Mt. Miguel. He also ran the 200 in 21.11. His 100 time ties the league record set by Rodney Glass of Notre Dame in 2006.
Not bad for a sophomore.
He’s had to be patient this season while training under Stanley, a new coach who wanted to improve Dezeurn’s stride. He ran 10.38 seconds at the Arcadia Invitational behind Arrington and is on a path to keep lowering his times leading up to the state championships at the end of the month.
“He just has to wait a little longer,” Stanley said.
Dezeurn has announced he’s transferring to Palisades at the end of this semester to catch passes from quarterback Jack Thomas. He’ll be the fastest receiver in the City Section.
Another athlete turning in a top performance was junior Ejam Yohannes of Loyola. He set a school record in the 400 with a time of 47.28 seconds. Sophomore Quincy Hearn of Notre Dame was second in 47.84.
Notre Dame’s 4×100 relay team set a school record at 40.87. The team was Nikko Petronicolos, Hearn, Ehimen Oyamendan and Tre Fernandez.
Matthew Browner of Chaminade won the long jump at 22-8.
Bishop Alemany’s Breelyn Newsome won the girls’ 100 in 11.98 and the 200 in 24.57.