Mucker Mixes A Winning Style WSU Sprinter Races Into Another Successful Phase Of Her Life
Much of LaTroya Mucker’s youth can be divided into phases, most having been more redeeming than the one that ended so abruptly with a small explosion in her make-believe home laboratory.
“I had this one crazy idea - it was this kit, and it said to mix this with that, and I mixed something else with something else, thought it would make it better,” the Washington State University freshman sprinter said, mixing in a laugh. “And it just got hot and it blew up in front of me. I’m like, ‘Get a towel, Mom!”’
There were no casualties, but thus ended Mucker’s home chemistry phase, not to be confused with the home electrician phase, in which young LaTroya was known to dismantle and reassemble a radio, just out of curiosity; or the interior decorator phase, in which she was allowed to paint the fireplace mantle gold; or the entertainment phase, in which dance lessons seemed like a necessity; or the fashion designer phase, in which she bought the requisite material and made like Calvin Klein.
“I took quite a few things in phases,” Mucker mused. “Put my mom through hell.”
Mucker’s latest phase appears to be the 400-meter dash, although this phase has the look of an era.
A specialist in the 100 and 200 meters at Hamilton High School in Los Angeles - Mucker ran 11.80 and 24.30, respectively - she is now the Cougars’ best quarter-miler.
In WSU’s unprecedented victory over the Oregon women last month, Mucker won the 400 in 54.96 seconds - far from world class, but fast enough to rank fourth all-time at WSU and sixth in the Pacific-10 Conference this year.
Celestine N’Drin’s 1988 school record is safe for now at 52.04, but don’t be surprised if Mucker soon supplants Toni Williams (54.43, ‘87) and Jennifer Carpenter (54.56, ‘89)
Time is on her side.
“Look at the amount of training she’s done, and it doesn’t really (correlate) to running 54 seconds,” WSU sprints coach Mark Macdonald said. “Even in the race where she ran a PR (personal record), we watched the tape and she’s way out of it with 100 to go and just ran them down.”
With teammates Attrina Higgins, Tamika Brown and Sharika Higgins routinely sweeping the 100 and 200, and with quarter-miler Nicole Henderson slowed by injury, Mucker’s success in the 400 has helped give the WSU women valuable depth.
And while Mucker is hardly willing to write off the more glamorous short sprints - she’ll run the 100 at next week’s Modesto Relays - it’s the 400 that will take her to Seattle for the Pac-10 Championships later this month.
All in all, not bad for a turtle worshiper.
Alas, of all the animals to choose from, Mucker’s favorite had to be the turtle. Not the elusive cheetah or graceful gazelle, but the plodding and unsightly turtle, a reptile incapable of covering 400 meters in 54.96 minutes.
So turtle-taken is Mucker that Chocolate, her beloved 7-year-old box turtle, will accompany Mucker’s mother, Stephanie Kay DiBrell, on the flight to Pullman for Saturday’s meet at Mooberry Track.
And as always, Mucker’s neck will be decorated with a gold chain and, uh, gold turtle pendant. Mucker swears it hasn’t left her neck since she purchased the jewelry three years ago.
But mockers, beware.
“Remember the story about the rabbit and the tortoise,” Mucker warns. “The turtle always wins.”
, DataTimes ILLUSTRATION: Color photo