COLUMBIA -- O'Neal Wanliss showed up late to the track meet. He was late to award podium after his race.
But when it mattered, when the gun sounded, he showed up right on time. Actually, he might have been a little early. Wanliss, of Holy Innocents in Atlanta, Ga., scored a 400-800 double gold Saturday at the Taco Bell Classic.
Wanliss arrived at Harry Parone Stadium at Spring Valley about 30 minutes before the 400-meter dash. Just enough time to check-in and rush an abbreviated warmup.
"I just said, ‘Alright, I'm gonna go out there and win,'" he said.
The perfect strategy. Wanliss held off a charge from Lassiter's Alexander Reese, also of Georgia, to win in a season-best 47.78, the ninth-fastest time in the country this season. Reese was second in 47.94.
The University of North Carolina signee retuned about an hour later to claim in the 800 in 1:54.77. Wanliss tried to follow the pack for the first lap, but after 300 meters he realized that no one intended to carry him and Wanliss took off.
"Strength-wise, I'm there," Wanliss said. "(The 400) didn't really feel like anything. I'm not even tired. If I'm running like that, feeling comfortable, and running like this, it's a really good thing."
The double was enough to earn Wanliss the meet's outstanding track performer award.
The field events were dominated by Florida's Justin Osking of John Carroll. Osking first one the shot put with a toss of 57 feet, 8 inches but he did his real damage in the discus.
Osking broke a meet record, unloading a 190 feet, 10 inch bomb for his second trip atop the podium. The mark is the sixth best in the country this season. He first broke the meet record on his first attempt, tossing 185 feet, 6 inches.
"After that I figured I was going to have a big day," he said. "Then my middle throws were all in the 170's. I think I was just trying too hard."
But by his final attempt, he already bagged the win. All the pressure was off.
"I could relax," he said. "The key was just slowing things down. I didn't want to rush. I just slowed things down and just sped up at the end and gave it what I had."
Osking is still coming back from an ACL surgery in November after he blew out his knee during the football season, where the 6-3, 220-pound senior plays quarterback for John Carroll.
"The strength is still coming back," he said. "I'm still getting better."
The biggest surprise in the field came from Mauldin's Shai Carpenter, who popped a three-foot personal best to win the triple jump in 49-4, seventh in the nation this season. Carpenter was trailing C.J. Davidson of Daniel, who cleared 49-0 on his first jump.
Carpenter, whose previous best was 46 feet, 6 inches, leaped 49 feet on his first attempt in the finals. Then he bettered the mark on his fifth jump, breaking a 25-year old school record.
"I never knew I could do that," he said. "I mean, I always knew I had it in me. But I didn't know I had it in me today. I was shocked. Even my coach was shocked."
Kendall Kee of Crest (N.C.) was another double-winner Saturday. The University of South Carolina-bound senior anchored Crest's victorious 4x100 relay that finished in 41.60. Then he scored another win in the 100 in 10.77.
"I got a good start," he said. "I just gotta finish. I backed off at the end. I did the same thing in the trials. I shouldn't have done it. … The season's been a little shaky. I want to make it up. I feel like since I signed, I've been more focused on academics since I know I'm going to college. It's been about 110 percent academics and 90 percent athletics. I'm going to get back on it."
Hopewell's Anthony Bynum won the 200-meter dash in 21.50. Jordan Moore of Union Groove won the 110-meter hurdles in 14.05, the seventh-ranked time in the country this season.
Sophomore Erin Jenkins of Z.B. Vance (N.C.) won the 400-meter hurdles in 54.66, edging New York's Adrian Lewis of Medgar Evers in the last 60 meters.
Jenkins has an unorthodox way to getting himself focused. He doesn't just like to run another race earlier. He wants to lose. That's why he entered the 110 hurdles, he said. Jenkins didn't advance out of the prelims.
"I know it sounds weird," he said. "But I like to mess up because it makes me mad. Then I felt like I don't care how nerves I get. I want to go out there and win."
