Ramaker lifts Lady Cardinals to title

PEA RIDGE — Cailey Ramaker could have easily gloated about her five first-place finishes during the Blackhawk Relays, but the senior was more pleased with the one race she ran with three of her Farmington teammates.

Ramaker teamed with Xailyn Young, Kennedie Browning and Valerina Victorino and claimed a runaway victory in the 400 relay during Thursday’s meet. The Lady Cardinals finished with a time of 52.43 seconds, almost 4 seconds ahead of second-place Cassville, Mo.

“It’s a team event,” Ramaker said. “The girls I run with, they’re younger but they’re really willing to put their heart out, and I’m proud of them. They did phenomenal. All of their handoffs were great, and they really finished on their legs.”

Meanwhile, Ramaker was pushed a little bit in the running events en route to winning the high-point honors with 52.5 points. She ran the 100-meter hurdles in 16.15 seconds and edged Thaden School freshman Tessa Trujillo by 0.3 seconds, then had winning times in the 100 — 12.54 to 13.15 by Pea Ridge’s Lacy Williams — and in the 200, where she finished in 27.46 ahead of teammate Young.

Her dominance, however, showed in her two field events. She went 17 feet, 11 inches to win the long jump, beating Trujillo by 19 inches, then she went 35-8 in the triple jump to 33-0 by Pea Ridge’s Kennedy Williams.

“I did a lot of practicing in the offseason,” Ramaker said. “In the summer, I was weightlifting and getting on the track, getting time in and what not. I had a rough meet last week, so I really wanted to come out here and prove myself and make up for last week.

“I really wanted to do better in the long jump. I had a PR two weeks ago with an 18-5, and I scratched all three attempts last week. I just told myself I needed to get a jump in that’s really good.”

Ramaker’s closest competitor in the high-point honors was somebody she didn’t compete against in a single event. Providence Academy sophomore Gabby Bishop came away with four firstplace finishes and scored 40 of her team’s points.

Bishop dominated the distance races even though she was advised not to run full speed until the final lap. She also ran the 400 and pulled off another victory with a time of 1 minute, 1.86 seconds, finishing more than 2 seconds ahead of Cassville’s Jadyn Williams-Reed.

“I’m not really a sprinter, but I liked doing the 400 because it was a chance to get in some speed work,” Bishop said. “It was a chance to really respect the people who do that event. I think it’s good my coach put me in that, and I think it’s helpful for other races as well.”

On the boys side, Elkins’ John Townsend finished with 33 points to become the highpoint person. He claimed victories in the high jump (6-1) and the triple jump (a personal-best 43-10) and helped the Elks win both the 400 and 800 relays, then he also finished second in the 300 hurdles.

“I was just focusing on my mechanics and my form,” Townsend said. “It was just the little things and all that. Usually I’m around 41 or 42 on the triple jump and got that 43-10, and I was behind the board. I just got to keep working on that.”

Ramaker’s performance helped Farmington’s girls take the team title by a close 134-131 margin over host Pea Ridge. Bishop then led Providence to its third-place finish with 70 points, followed by Ozark Catholic with 63.5.

On the boys’ side, Pea Ridge came away with the team title as the Blackhawks — led by victories from Isaac Cruz in the 300 hurdles (44.34), Austin James in the discus (127-6) and Logan Tucker in the pole vault (1210) compiled 105.5 points to 94 for second-place Farmington. Elkins was third with 89, followed by Siloam Springs with 82.