Ladyhawk track team three-peats, claims indoor state title at UofA
Coach Heather Wade’s LadyHawk tracksters grabbed their third straight indoor state track and field title at the University of Arkansas track Friday, Feb. 28.
Though the Blackhawk boys were in the championship hunt for most of the evening, winning 11 gold or silver medals, Nashville’s superior depth earned them the boys’ title with the Hawks settling for fourth, 3 points back of third-place Crossett.
Bolstered by big performances from senior Cassidy Mooneyhan and junior Blakelee Winn, the Lady Hawks took the title by 35 points over second place Valley View, winning 118-83. It was a two-team race for most of the evening with the rest of the 35 team field 40 or more points behind the two leaders.
The Lady Hawks developed a slight lead over the Valley View Blazers after most field events were final and they just kept adding to their lead until they held a 30-point lead late in the competition. The Blazers got a 1-2 finish in the 3,200 late to seemingly cut the lead, but the pole vault was then added, with Mooneyhan’s championship performance and Jamison Tom’s sixth-place in the pole vault (7’0”) clinching the title for the Hawks.
The Lady Hawks were the only team to score in every single event.
A huge part of the big lead the Hawks had piled up was Winn’s 39 point scoring outburst in the meet, earning the meet’s High Point Trophy. Winn was the state champion in the 60 hurdles by a wide margin, winning in 9.62, a half second ahead of everyone else. She was also second in the long jump (16’6”), second in the 60 (8:13, just behind teammate Mooneyhan who won by .02 of a second), fourth in the 400 (64.4), and sixth in the shot put (30’8”).
Mooneyhan scored 28 points in three events with a double gold medal performance in the pole vault (12’0”) and 60 dash (8.11). She also had an extremely fast time in the 200 (26.6) to take second, losing to another athlete in another heat with a slightly better time.
Besides Winn and Mooneyhan, four other Lady Hawks earned state gold medals with their first place in the 4x800-meter relay. Harmony Reynolds, Madison Smith, Liz Vasquez and Dallice White combined to run a 11:13, 7 seconds ahead of runnerup Valley View, a team that was hoping to knock Pea Ridge off the top of 4A track and field. Four other Lady Hawks ran legs of the 4x400 race to claim a silver medal with a second place time of 4:35. Members of that team were Madison Smith, Kyleigh Pruitt, Jamison Toms and Olivia McCracken. The other silver medal was earned by Kynley Burton’s 5’4” effort in the high jump.
The boys had a double gold medalist in Josiah Small, who blazed to a victory in the 400 dash (51.6), then anchored the team to a victory in the meet ending 4x400 relay. Small teamed up with Cade Mann, Lance Nunley and Adam Trammel to win in a very fast 3:35.
The Blackhawks had two athletes win silver medals with marks that would have won most year’s competitions. Sophomore
Patrick Elliot scorched the track with a 22.8 mark in the 200 with Zach Wood flying to new school records in the pole vault with a 15’0” performance.
Four other boys took a silver by winning second in the 4x800 meter relay race. Kevin Vasquez, Logan Spears, Levi Schultz and Josiah Small combined to run 8:48.
Other girls who scored points in the Hawks’ championship run were: Madison Smith, fourth in the triple jump (31-4); McCracken, sixth high jump (4’8”); Harmony Reynolds, fourth in 1,600 meter (5:56.6) and fifth 800 (2:44); Liz Vasquez, sixth 1,600 (6:11) and fifth 3,200 (13:47).
The Top 10 girls team scores were: Pea Ridge 118, Valley View 83, Gravette 43, Farmington 37, DeQueen 33, Ozark 30, Heber Springs 29, Little Rock Mills 28, Forrest City 21, Dardanelle 20 and Pocahontas 20.
Other boys scoring were: Lance Nunley, fourth pole vault (12’6”); Patrick Elliott, eighth long jump (19’6”) and fourth 60 dash (7.31); Tate Christensen, seventh shot put (41’3”); Adam Trammel, sixth 400 (55.0); and Grant Grandon, seventh 3,200 (11:25).
The Top 10 boys teams scores were: Nashville 95, DeQueen 83, Crossett 64, Pea Ridge 61, Gentry 30, Farmington 30, Valley View 29, Gravette 26, Camden 19 and Hope 16.