Islanders track star has Olympic aspirations

It's time for summer vacation, but St. John's track and field star Greg Roper isn't slowing down.

He's the best in the state in the 400-meter dash, but he wants to be the best in the nation and eventually, the best in the world.

That's why he's running at the AAU level this summer, going against the nation's best. He'll compete in about five or six meets around the country, and then it's time to get ready for football season.

"I want to reach the Olympics," said Roper, who has been crowned state champion in the 400-meter dash three straight years. "That's something I've been dreaming about since the ninth grade."

Roper had a big day on May 3 when the High School League crowned its state champions. He began the day by finishing second in the 100-meter dash with a time of 10.79 seconds. Next up, he conquered the field with a time of 47.90 in the 400. It was the fastest time of the day in the event, regardless of classification. Roper concluded his day with another gold medal, winning the 200-meter dash with a time of 21.65.

His effort at the state meet earned him The Post and Courier's boys track and field athlete of the year, and he heads up the All-Lowcountry team.

Roper remembers watching Michael Johnson's amazing performance during the 1996 Atlanta Olympics. Johnson became the first male athlete to win the 400 and 200 dashes in the same Olympics. Johnson won the 400 with a time of 43.49 seconds. In the 200, Johnson shattered the world record with a time of 19.32.

Roper was hooked.

"I can remember how he sprinted the entire race," Roper said of Johnson's performance. "He ran so fast, yet he was so calm."

Roper is already thinking about the 2009 track and field season, and his goal is to win the 400 for the fourth year and add an exclamation point to his accomplishment with a state record. But to do that, he will have to break the record of Georgetown's Anthuan Maybank, who turned in a time of 46.67 in 1989. Maybank competed in the '96 Olympics and ran the last leg of the 4x400-meter relay team that captured a gold medal for the U.S. team.

"I'm glad I got the fastest time in the state, but next year I want to run it in the 45 (second) range," Roper said. "That's on my mind. I don't want to break the record, I want to destroy it. It's going to take a lot of work, lifting weights and more practice — a lot more practice."

Roper heads up the 14-man All-Lowcountry first team that includes six state champions in addition to Roper: Andrew Johnson, Woodland (long jump); Eric Powers, Wando (1,600); Raymond Eurie, James Island (400), Devin Taylor, Beaufort (triple jump), Stanley Davis, Beaufort (shot put) and Brice Laughlin, Pinewood Prep (discus).

Jackie Ryant, who led the Woodland Wolverines to a second-place finish at the Class AA state meet, is the coach of the year.