Junior Blackhawk boys track squad win 4A-1 District Championship
The junior Blackhawk boys track squad came out of the field events in second place but a powerful showing in the sprint events sent them on their way to the 2019 4A-1 District Championship title.
The ’Hawks trailed Gentry 6857 after the field events but Pea Ridge outscored the Pioneers by more than 30 points in the sprint events to win by a healthy margin. Pea Ridge won the meet with 148, followed by Gentry with 115, Shiloh 106, Prairie Grove 81, Gravette 55, Farmington 54, Huntsville 24, Harrison 22 and Berryville 11.
Patrick Elliott scored 36 points to lead the ’Hawks to the championship. Elliott won the 100-meter (11.51), the 200-meter (24.36), and was a part of the winning 4x100meter relay (50.18) along with Colton Neal, Andrew Shackleford and Joe Adams. The ninth-grade sprinter also took a second in the long jump (17’4”) and third in the 400-meter (59.37).
The only other Blackhawk athletes to claim an individual title was Caleb Neil who cleared 9’0” in the pole vault to keep his win streak alive, and Jared Brewer, who won the 110 hurdles (18.59).
The Lady ’Hawks led the meet after the field events, scoring 68 points ahead of eventual meet champion Shiloh which picked up 61 points. However, Shiloh outscored Pea Ridge 40-3 in the four sprint events (100-meter, 200-meter, 400-meter, 4x100meter) to provide the eventual margin of victory. Shiloh won with 135, followed by Harrison 120, Pea Ridge 108, Gravette 93, Farmington 82, Gentry 31, Prairie Grove 28 and Berryville 22.
The Lady ’Hawks were led by Lauren Wright, who scored 16 individual points and was the only first place Pea Ridge finisher. Wright finished her junior high season undefeated in the pole vault, winning the district meet with a 7’6” jump in very poor conditions. Wright was also fourth in the long jump (14’2”) and eighth in the 800-meter (2:56.50). She teamed up with Liz Vasquez, Madison Smith and Dallice White to take third in the 4x800-meter relay (12:01.56) and also earned a seventh in the 4x400-meter relay (4:55.62) with Smith, White and Kyleigh Pruitt.
Also scoring for the boys individually were: Jared Brewer, sixth discus (87’4”) and second high jump (5’3”); Tanner Willey, third high jump (5’2”); Gavin Stanley, fourth high jump (5’0”); Amario Rodriguez, sixth long jump (16’1”); Cade Mann, sixth pole vault (6’6”), seventh 400-meter (1:01.77), eighth 100-meter (12.81), and seventh long jump (15’9”); Phoenix Edmisson, seventh discus (87’0”); Malachi Martin, discus (85’8”); Drake Wolfenden, pole vault (8’0”); Nathan Tucker, sixth 110-meter hurdles (20.80) and eighth 300-meter hurdles (52.31); Evan Anderson, sixth 400-meter (1:01.7); Bric Cates, seventh 300-meter hurdles (52.08); Eli Wiggins, third 800-meter (2:25.78); Britton Gamel, eighth 800-meter (2:33.90), Joe Adams, fifth 200-meter (26.44), and Sebastian Mullikin, eighth 200-meter (26.69).
Additional girls scorers were: Smith, second long jump (14’8”) and third triple jump (29’5”); Mikayla Humphrey, fifth triple jump (28’4”) and second 300-meter hurdles (54.82); White, second discus (74’0”), fourth 800-meter (2:50.96), and third shot put (28’4”); Gracie McGarrah, shot put (28’00”), Lily Edmisson, seventh shot put (26’4”); King, second pole vault (7’0”); Trinity Alley, fourth pole vault (6’0”); Sarah Richardson, seventh 100-meter hurdles (20.06); Ryleigh Gilbreath, second 1,600 (6:35.21); Vasquez, fourth 1,600-meter (6:42.16); and Rylee Raines, eighth 1,600-meter (6:46.74).