Conquerors' Real Mccoy -- Kentwood's Senior Track Standout Simply Lets His Legs Do The Talking

-- KENT

Rhamu McCoy doesn't waste effort trying to be something he isn't.

The Kentwood High School senior is quiet and unassuming in the oft-times brash, boastful sport of track and field. While many sprint stars choose to run their mouths as much as their legs, McCoy silently slips around the track in efficient anonymity.

"That's the way I am," says McCoy, almost apologetically. "When you come out on the track at meet time, a lot of guys ask who runs what and how fast. I try not to do that because it tends to take away from your concentration on what you're trying to do."

McCoy's concentration rarely has been broken. Last year, after finally overcoming a nagging hip-flexor problem that ruined his sophomore season in 1990, he clocked one of the five fastest Class AAA times in both the 100- and 300-meter hurdle races. At the state meet, he placed third in the 100 hurdles and seventh in the 300 hurdles, although he led early in the latter event before falling over a hurdle.

This year, McCoy is solemnly determined to improve. He already has a time of 39.28 seconds in the 300 hurdles, a clocking that would have given him third at state a year ago.

"Rhamu's in twice the shape he was in last year," said Kentwood track and field Coach Rick Comer. "He worked hard all winter and got much stronger."

Maybe he was working to fulfill the Hawaiian meaning of his name Rhamu: Little Warrior. "I don't have any Hawaiian blood in me," he explained. "It's just the name my dad wanted to give me. My mom didn't want it, but my dad won the argument."

In typical fashion, McCoy tried to sidestep the name question. Only the chiding of a loose-lipped teammate forced him to fess up. Similarly, McCoy cringed when asked about his personal goals.

"My overall goal is just to get faster," he said. "In the 300, I'd like to get into the lower 38s, and long range I want to get into the 37s."

Long range, of course, is the state meet, since at the college level the longer distance hurdles event is 400 meters. McCoy says his favorite race right now is the 100 hurdles, but he realizes that at 5 feet, 11 inches and 160 pounds he might not have the size for the older guys' highs. College high hurdles are 42 inches off the ground; at the high-school level they are 39 inches.

Not that McCoy can't overcome barriers. When he was a fifth-grader, doctors told him a bone-growth problem in one of his knees would keep him out of sports activities for at least five years. But by the seventh grade he was playing football and running track.

"That was kind of hard, watching all my friends get the play while I couldn't, because I've loved sports since I was real little."

Still, McCoy's days in the shorter sprint and hurdle races are likely drawing to a close.

"He probably doesn't want to hear this, but I think the colleges would like to see him run the open 400 (meters) to get ready for the hurdles at that distance," said Comer. "He's got 11-second speed in the 100, which is great for us but not what they're after for short sprinters in college.

"He's just super for us because we can use him in seven events - the two hurdles races, the three sprints and the 400 and 1,600 relays."

So far, the University of Washington, Eastern Washington and Nevada have given McCoy the most attention. But colleges and a specialty event will have to wait. First up is getting ready for state.

"Last year at state I didn't expect to win, because some of the guys I was racing against had beaten me before," he said. "But this year I want to do better."

In a quiet sort of way.

All-City meet tonight -- The Kent All-City track championships will be conducted today at Kent's French Field starting at 5 p.m. Kent District rivals Kent-Meridian, Kentridge and Kentwood will compete.