Atkins breaks record, Bryant 3rd in Fayetteville
FAYETTEVILLE – Bryant two-time senior All-state basketball player Parris Atkins is a new record-holder in another sport for the Lady Hornets. Atkins broke the track and field school record in the long jump two Friday’s ago at the Mclarty Daniel Nissan
Bulldog
Relays in
Fayetteville.
Atkins, who has signed to play Division
I basketball with the
University of Central Arkansas, broke the 10-year old record and won the event with a jump of 17-11.50, almost 10 feet longer the runner-up jumper, helping the Lady Hornets to a third-place finish at the meet.
Had Atkins not reached back, the jump would have been even longer, according to Bryant Coach Keith Dale.
“Her jump was longer than that and whenever she came back, she actually put her hands back, so that was after she fell backwards,” Dale said. “Her jump was actually a lot longer than it was, but they have to mark from the farthest point back.”
Atkins broke former Lady Hornet Leah Ward’s record of 17-10.25 set back in 2012, and Atkins has the opportunity to jump even further as Dale estimated it would have been close to 19 feet if not for the touchback.
“She’s got the ability to get even farther than what she got on Friday,” Dale said. “She’s just a good allaround athlete.”
Overall in the meet, Fayetteville won with 196 points, Bentonville was second at 190 and Bryant took third with 73.5 points. Har-ber (45) and Pea Ridge (30.50) rounded out the top five of 15 total teams.
“Northwest Arkansas has a real strong bunch of athletes, always have,” Dale
said. “Between Fayetteville and Bentonville, those are going to be your state champions and state runner-ups. We still went up there and competed really well in a lot of different events.”
The Lady Hornet foursome of sophomore Brilynn Findley, junior Lauren Lain, junior Brylee Bradford and Atkins would edge Bentonville for the win in the 4x400-meter relay, with Bryant’s time of 4:11.48 winning over Bentonville’s 4:11.56.
Findley, Mia Jordan, Jayla
Marks and Atkins would also take second in the 4x100 relay in 50.17, less than a second from first.
Bryant sophomore Kylee Branch was third in the discus with a distance of 105-8, with junior Jessica Rolen third in the pole vault with a height of 9-even.
Sophomore Zoe Wilson was third in the 400 in a time of 1:00.74, just a second and a half off the first-place pace.
Bradford was fourth in the high jump with a height of 4-10.
Sophomore Aidan Fisher was fifth in the 3,200 in a time of 12:53.07.
Bryant is back in action Thursday at the Lake Hamilton Invitational.