Camden Fairview athlete leads field without victory

CABOT — Despite not winning any of the four events Wednesday in the 21st annual state high school heptathlon, Camden Fairview’s Tai’Sheka Porchia is in front after the first day.

The junior leads the competition with 2,507 points, 46 ahead of Maumelle senior Claire Luallen.

Porchia finished second in the 200-meter dash (787 points), fifth in the discus (440), eighth in the long jump (631) and ninth in the 100 hurdles at Panther Stadium.

Entering the heptathlon, Porchia earned third-place finishes in the 300 hurdles and triple jump at the Class 5A state track and field meet May 3 in Magnolia.

Luallen has 2,461 points and is followed by Little Rock Parkview senior Johnaya Givens (2,365).

Rounding out the top 10 are El Dorado’s Breya Clark ( 2,342), Rogers’ Ashlynne Silcott (2,231), Vilonia’s Ally Swaim (2,230), Bryant’s Megan Lee (2,217), Pocahontas’ Natalie Toney (2,214), Mills’ Sydney Griffo ( 2,191) and Sheridan’s Lauren Godwin (2,188).

Last season, Givens finished fifth in the heptathlon, Swaim was sixth, Toney ninth and Luallen 10th. Clinton’s Allie Hensley, now at Arkansas State University in Jonesboro, won the 2017 heptathlon.

The 100 hurdles title was claimed by Luallen with a time of 15.09 to earn 830 points. Swaim was second at 15.70 and Givens came in third (15.98).

Luallen was the 100 hurdles champion at the Class 5A state meet and Meet of Champs on Saturday at Lake Hamilton in Pearcy. She helped Maumelle earn a second-place finish in Class 5A behind Sylvan Hills.

Godwin earned the long jump title by leaping 17 feet, 11¾ inches, earning 694 points. Givens came in second (17-11) and Rogers’ Mikayla Slagle was third (17-9.50).

Sheridan picked up a second victory Wednesday, as Carly Strong won the 200 in 26.04. She earned 794 points. Porchia was second (26.12) and Russellville’s Tamera Rhode came in third (26.17).

Strong won the 200 and Godwin took the long jump crown at the Class 6A state track and field meet May 3 in Russellville.

In the discus, Gentry’s Chastery Fuamatu had a winning toss of 126 feet, 11½ inches. Fuamatu earned 629 points. Mills’ Cetra Dale was second ( 113- 6 ¼ ) and Ashdown’s Kylie Cross finished third (98-11).

Fuamatu also won the discus state title at the Class 4A meet May 1 in Pocahontas and won the event at the Meet of Champs on Saturday at Lake Hamilton in Pearcy.

The heptathlon resumes at 9 a.m. today with three events — the high jump, shot put and the 800.

Arkansas Democrat-Gazette/THOMAS METTHE Gentry’s Chastery Fuamatu throws a discus Wednesday during the state high school heptathlon in Cabot. Fuamatu set the state record with a throw of 126 feet, 11½ inches in the event.

Arkansas Democrat-Gazette/THOMAS METTHE Maumelle’s Claire Luallen (right) runs past Springdale Har-Ber’s Kenna Ebert as they come out of a turn Wednesday during the 200-meter competition at the state high school heptathlon in Cabot.