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Five Metro East Flyers Named National Indoor Track Champions; Student-Athletes Bring Home Highest Awards

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East St. Louis national indoor track champions: Andrew Johnson, Willie Johnson, Marcus Lampley, Xavier Mix and Keontez Lewis (L-R)

EAST ST. LOUIS (IL), March 13, 2019 – Five East St. Louis athletes are proving that their home town is still the City of Champions. Each brought home national champion medals from the New Balance Indoor Track Competition, held March 8-10 in New York.

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Willie Johnson was named the National Emerging Elite National Champion in the 400 meters with a time of 48.39 seconds. He plus Marcus Lampley, Keontez Lewis and Andrew Johnson won the national 4x200 relay with a time of 1:30. The team of Marcus Lampley, Keontez Lewis, Xavier Mix and Willie Johnson won the national 4x400 relay with a time of 3:22.

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Head Coach Barry Malloyd was thrilled with the national championship titles earned, but not surprised. “These young men have explosive speed and know how to perform under pressure,” commented Malloyd. He added that these athletes and the remainder of the Flyers track team look forward to a strong 2019 track season in Illinois. “We bleed orange and blue all day, everyday!”

Willie Johnson and Marcus Lamply add these titles to ones also earned in August at the AAU Junior Olympic Games. Willie Johnson won the national title for the 400 meter in the 15-16 age group with a time of 47.8 seconds. Fellow Flyer Marcus Lamply finished 5th in the 400 meter in the 17-18 age group. They were joined by Darrion Williams, also from East St. Louis Senior High School, who finished 8th in the Triple Jump for 17-18 age group at the AAU Junior Olympic Games.

The team is led by head coach Barry Malloyd with Kevin Anderson and Andre Brewster as assistant coaches in sprinting.

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