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WHITLOCK HAS FOUND THE ANSWER: SR HIGH RUNNER CONQUERED DYSLEXIA, MADE IT TO STATE, AND HE'LL GRADUATE TONIGHT DATE: Friday, June 1, 2007 BYLINE: By ERIC BRANCH THE PRESS DEMOCRAT Before he had a diagnosis, Maurice Whitlock always had a question: Why couldn't he keep up with his classmates? As a fifth-grader, he could barely read and his spelling was almost illegible. His teachers kept telling him to work harder. But he worked hard. And the very best he could achieve was average. ``When I was little, I remember all the kids getting A's and B's. Some kids would get mad because they got a B instead of an A,'' Whitlock said. ``I'd be sitting there glad because I got a C. There were times when I'd think `Man, I must not be as smart as everyone else.''' As it turns out, he was just different. He was dyslexic. For Whitlock, a senior at Santa Rosa High, two journeys marked by perseverance and triumph will culminate tonight. At Sacramento City College, Whitlock will run in the prelims of the 100-meter dash at the CIF State Track and Field Championships, a glittering stage he's worked four years to appear on. At precisely the same time -- 7 o'clock -- Santa Rosa High's Class of 2007 will begin graduation ceremonies at Santa Rosa Junior College. Whitlock will graduate with a 3.2 GPA and as a three-time member of the honor roll. Marianne Campbell, the director of New Horizon School and Learning Center in Santa Rosa, is one of the few who can fully appreciate the depth of Whitlock's academic achievement. Whitlock attended New Horizon, a school for students with learning problems, for three years before entering Santa Rosa High as a freshman. He arrived at New Horizon nearly illiterate. When he left, he never looked back. ``It all came together for him because he worked so hard,'' Campbell said. ``He worked so hard to make it and he did. Whenever we hear his name now we say `Yea, Maurice.' It's hard to get through to kids who have failed for a long time because they stop believing you. But Maurice believed. There is an essence in him that is the reason why he is a winner.'' As a sprinter, Whitlock was blessed with ability. Just examine his genes. His uncle, Chris Whitlock, qualified for two U.S. Olympic Trials in the 400 meters. His father, Maurice Sr., ranks in the all-time top 10 in the 400 at SRJC where his mom, Sabrina, was also a sprinter. His late grandfather, David Whitlock, was once a world-ranked heavyweight boxer who fought Floyd Patterson. When Maurice was 8 people would notice his well-defined calf muscles and joke to Maurice Sr. about his young son, the future sprinter. Whitlock, who ranks sixth in the 100 in Empire history, missed a trip to state as a junior when he finished sixth at the Meet of Champions, where the top four in each event qualify for the state meet. It was a disappointment that drove him. As Santa Rosa's team captain this year, he mentored younger teammates, scolded some when necessary and set the example with his relentless work ethic. ``He was determined,'' said Santa Rosa coach Doug Courtemarche. ``There was no way he was not going to the state meet.'' If a trip to state inspired Whitlock on the track, a simpler dream drove him in the classroom. He just wanted to be a normal student. When teachers at New Horizon remarked on his progress, he refused to bask in the glow. ``I should have been doing this eight years ago,'' he'd respond. Even today, when teachers forget about his dyselxia and don't allow him extra time to complete a test, Whitlock doesn't say a word. He doesn't want special treatment. At New Horizon, he learned in classes of no more than five students. He received plenty of one-on-one attention. The pace was slower, allowing him to begin to make sense of the jumble of letters he always saw on paper. As a freshman, he still took an English class at New Horzizon. But the transition to a public school wasn't easy, a move further complicated by his parents' divorce. He would stay up deep into the night preparing for a test. Then he'd bomb, bringing back old feelings of failure. ``It keeps you up at night wondering if your kid is going to be all right in this world,'' Maurice Sr. said. ``But that kid's awesome. He's one of my heroes.'' Whitlock's success in the classroom -- he scored a 100 percent in reading comprehension in his junior year exit exam -- has spilled over into other areas of his life. His dad says he smiles more. And Courtemarche is stunned by the transformation of his team leader, who was shy, withdrawn and responded to instruction with a blank look as a freshman. The older brother to sisters ages 6, 9 and 15, Whitlock grew up babysitting his siblings. Through that experience he has discovered a passion for mentoring children. He works at the YMCA where he runs track and basketball camps for 5- and 6-year-olds. In the fall, he plans to attend San Francisco City College, which won three state men's track championships from 2004-06. As for his immediate future, today will be memorable. He is seeded 19th in the 100 meters and only nine advance to Saturday's finals. The numbers suggest his prep career will end tonight, just as he earns his diploma. If so, Maurice Whitlock will leave high school triumphantly, a teenager who's going to be all right in this world. You can reach Staff Writer Eric Branch at 521-5268 or eric.branch@pressdemocrat.com. CIF STATE TRACK & FIELD CHAMPIONSHIP Empire athletes to compete in the state track and field meet at Hughes Stadium, Sacramento, beginning today. Seed marks from last week's NCS Meet of Champions. Records listed are for Empire athletes at the state meet. Results of the meet will be posted at www.pressdemocrat.com/running. BOYS SHOT PUT Daniel Erdman, Healdsburg 5th 59-0 Top seed: Joe Canavan, Palm Desert 64-10 1/4 All-time Empire best: 1st place Wayne Weeks, SR (1915-16) & Ben Steele, SR (1940) 800 METERS Blake McDowall, Montgomery 5th 1:53.98 Top seed: Cory Primm, Westlake 1:50.41 All-time Empire best: 1st Jerry Siebert, Willits 1:53.8y 1956 1,600 METERS Brian Cole, St. Helena 16th 4:16.63 Top seed: Hudson Andrews, Royal 4:09.10 All-time Empire best: 1st, Les Schwobeda, Petaluma, 4:40.0 (1922) 100 METERS Maurice Whitlock, Santa Rosa 19th 10.91 Top seed: Charles Saseun, Rancho Cucamonga 10.39 All-time Empire best: 1st Mel Gray, Montgomery 9.4y 1967 DISCUS Daniel Erdman, Healdsburg 20th 157-0 Austin Davis, Cardinal Newman 22nd 154-4 Top seed: Derek Johnson, Agoura 194-2 All-time Empire best: 1st Wayne Weeks, SR (1916) & Merritt, SR (1915) 3,200 METERS Sterling Lockert, Petaluma 22nd 9:23.55 Top seed: Chad Hall, Big Bear 9:03.50 All-time Empire best: 4th Bob Waldron, Montgomery 9:24.4 1965 HIGH JUMP Brian Martinelli, Sonoma 23rd 6-4 Top seed: Chris Hicks, Palmdale 6-10 All-time Empire best: 2nd Gabe Manville 6-10 1989 GIRLS 800 METERS Kristen Sanzari, Maria Carrillo 9th 2:12.51 Top seed: Emily Dunn, Esperanza 2:06.48 All-time Empire best: 4th Kerri Woolheater, Casa Grande 2:12.59 (1992) SHOT PUT Corrine Rich, Montgomery 13th 40-6 3/4 Top seed: Rosario Sanchez, Selma 47-10 1/2 All-time Empire best: 5th Melissa Van Paris, Sonoma 43-9 2004 3,200 METERS Jacque Taylor, Casa Grande 15th 10:47.59 Brittny Escamilla, El Molino 23rd 11:00.02 Top seed: Jordan Hasay, Mission Prep 10:20.86 All-time Empire best: 1st place, Sara Bei, Mont., 10:11.11, '98, 01 & Julia Stamps, S.R., 10:15.17 '94, '95, '97 1,600 METERS Leanne Fogg, Maria Carrillo 16th 4:58.66 Top seed: Shelby Buckley, Corona Del Mar 4:46.80 All-time Empire best: 1st place, Jenny Aldridge, MC, 4:49.63 '00, Sara Bei, Mont., '4:49.21, '98 & Julia Stamps, SR, 4:44.78, '97 . STATE MEET When: Trials today; finals Saturday Where: Sacramento City College's Hughes Stadium Field events: 2 p.m. today, 3 p.m. Saturday Running events: 5 p.m. both days KEYWORDS: TRACK PREP ENHANCER: jimc
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