RED SPRINGS – West Bladen piled up points in the sprints, hurdles, and the field events Thursday en route to a victory over East Bladen and Red Springs in the opening Three Rivers Conference track meet for Coach Stanley Williams’ Knights.
The Knight boys outscored the Eagles 14-1 in the sprints, 5-0 in the hurdles, and 13-7 in the field events to overcome East Bladen’s 20-3 advantage in the relays. West Bladen’s boys totaled 48 points to the Eagles’ 41 points. Red Springs was 3rd with 38 points.
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Photos by Kenneth Armstrong
Senior ShyRon Adams racked up 11 points for West Bladen by winning the long jump (21ft. 5 in.) and placing 2nd in both the 200-meters (23.66 sec.) and 100-meters (11.26 sec.). Sophomore Deonte Lacey won the shot put with a heave of 38 ft, 7 in.
Junior Keegan Haraldson tallied 8 West points by winning the 3200 meters (12 min., 51 sec.), taking 3rd in the 1600 meters (5 min., 33 sec.) and 4th in the 400 meters (59.07 sec.). The Knight 4×100 relay team placed 2nd (46.53 sec.).
Junior Josiah Brown matched Haraldson’s 8 points by winning the 110-meter hurdles (20.59 sec.), placing 3rd in the 400 meters (58 sec.) and 4th in the long jump (20 ft, 9 in.). Senior Donovan Stone captured 2nd place in the 800 meters (2 min., 31 sec.), and junior Bradley Taylor took 2nd place in the 3200 meters (14 min., 1 sec.).
Sophomore Gary Parker posted 3rd place finishes for the Knights in the 200-meters (24.02 sec.) and 100-meters (11.33 sec.). Sophomore Xavier Lopez finished 3rd in the shot put (35 ft, 5 in.).
The Lady Knights rode a 16-0 advantage in the hurdles, a 10-3 edge in the field events, and a 17-10 lead in the sprints to a 50-33 victory over the Lady Eagles. Red Springs placed 3rd with 18 points. East Bladen’s girls outscored West 10-2 in the distance events and 10-5 in the relays.
Freshman Annabell Horrigan racked up 13 points for the Lady Knights with victories in the 300-meter hurdles (1 min., 5 sec.) and 400-meter dash (1 min., 15 sec.) and a 2nd place finish in the 100-meter hurdles (20.59 sec.).
Senior Tinyauh Rhoda and junior Jessalyn Vendrick won 2 events each for the Lady Knights. Rhoda won the 200-meter dash (27.88 sec.) and the 100-meter dash (12.88 sec.). Vendrick heaved the shot (33 ft. 1 in.) and hurled the discus (255-10) for her 2 victories.
West Bladen sophomore Azilliyah McDonald took 1st place in the 100-meter hurdles (19.9 sec.) and tallied 4th place points in the 200-meters (31.5 sec.) and 100-meters (14.67 sec.). The Lady Knights won the 4×100 meter relay (59.08 sec.). Senior Emily Pait claimed 4th place in the 1600 meters (9 min., 28 sec.). Freshman Trinity VanEyken was 4th in the 100-meter hurdles (22.1 sec.).
Senior A. J. Smith was the only individual double-event winner for the Eagle boys taking the top spot in the 800 meters (2 min. 28 sec.) and 1600 meters (5 min. 17 sec,). The Eagle relay teams won the 4×400 (4 min. 18 sec.), 4×100 (44.9 sec.), 4×200 (1 min. 41sec.), and 4×800 (9 min. 35 sec.) relay events.
East Bladen’s Tyreon Graham captured 2nd place in the long jump (21 ft. 2 in.). Freshman Zachary Metz finished 3rd in the 800 meters (2 min. 33 sec.) and 4th in the 1600 meters (5 min. 43 sec.). Sophomore Malcom Bolden placed 3rd in the long jump (21 ft.), and sophomore Zylique Lewis was 3rd in the discus (305-1). Other 4th place finishers for the Eagles were senior Charles Brown in the 200-meters (24.1 sec.) and junior Timothy McLean in the 100-meters (11.57 sec.).
Junior Cate DeVane was a double-event winner for the Lady Eagles taking top honors in the 800 meters (3 min. 7 sec.) and 1600 meters (6 min. 39 sec.). The Lady Eagle relay teams won the 4×400 (5 min. 12 sec.) and 4×200 (2 min. 5 sec.) events. Alicia McKoy posted 3rd place finishes in the 200-meters (31.25 sec.) and 100-meters (14.02 sec.).
The coronavirus rescheduling this spring afforded East Bladen basketball and soccer star Maya McDonald an opportunity to run track, and the speedy junior claimed 2nd place in both the 200-meters (29.16 sec.) and 100-meters (13.06 sec.). Junior Tatiana McElveen tallied 3rd place points in the discus (213-3) and 4th in the shot put (26 ft. 9 in.). Sophomore Shanyla Hunter was 3rd in the 100-meter hurdles (21.04 sec.).
Other competitors in the meet for the West Bladen boys were: junior Demarius Robinson, freshmen Javarrie Adams, Travis Baxley, and freshman Aaron Lewis. Other West Bladen girls competing were junior Alicia Lawson, freshman Trinity Meares, and junior India Haskins.
Other East Bladen boys competing were freshmen: Omarion Atkinson, Jair McElveen, Jacob Caulder, Jayden Dailey, and Yontee Dobson; junior Robert McKoy; sophomores Bailey Williams and Kenneth Armstrong; seniors: Damondta Smith, Collin McKoy, and Jeremiah Jones. Zavarion Palmer also competed for East Bladen.
Other East Bladen girls competing were juniors Shaquanna Kemp, Nacaela Melvin, and Azariah Rhodie, senior Aaniya Jackson, and freshman Tayla Jackson.
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