ATHLETES OF THE WEEK: DIONNA WEBB

Dionna Webb

School: Cape Central

Sport: Track

Coach: Lawrence Brookins

Weekly Report: Webb -- who won the state championship in the long jump last season and was an all-stater in the 100 and 200 -- picked right up where she left off with brilliant performances in her first two meets of the season last week. In a dual meet against Sikeston, the senior took first in the 100 (:12.53), 200 (:26.93), long jump (16 feet, 4 1/2 inches) and the 400 relay. But Webb's brilliance really shone through last Saturday in the Washington University Invitational in St. Louis. Competing against athletes from nearly 40 high schools, Webb took first in the 100 (:12.9), the 200 (:25.9) and the long jump (17-3 1/4). Webb dominated the long jump event, finishing about one foot better than any contender. In fact, Webb's second-best jump of 16-5 was good enough for first place. Webb also played softball and was the point guard on the girls basketball team which won 20 games for the first time since 1989 and that was state ranked for most of the season.

Coach's Comments: "She's pretty valuable to us in a lot of ways in the sprints and relays and she handles the long jump," said Brookins. "Dionna makes a big difference. She guarantees at least a second (in her events) no matter what. She knows how to take care of herself. She knows how to prepare and stay warm before and during the events. I use her often as an example. Her grades are good and that's a plus."