Norris, Mitchell set new school standards
EDITOR’S NOTE: In this time of COVID-19, with no sports action, BryantDaily.com will be posting past stories of Bryant athletics either posted on BryantDaily.com (from 2009 to the present) or published in the Bryant Times (from 1998 to 2008).
CONWAY — Senior Jessica Norris and junior Kelsey Mitchell set new school records and the Bryant Lady Hornets’ 3200 meter relay team ran a State Meet qualifying time to highlight the competition at the Conway Invitational track meet held on Thursday, April 14, at Conway High School.
As a team, the Lady Hornets, still not doubling up in many events, accumulated 78 points to finish fifth. Conway won the meet with 112 points, two more than Russellville.
Norris, on her final long jump of the day, covered 35 feet, 1 1/2 inches in the triple jump to snap her own school record. Mitchell, meanwhile, ran a career best in the 100 meter hurdles, setting a new school mark of 15:04. Both won their respective events.
“I was really excited for Jessica and Kelsey,” stated Lady Hornets head coach Danny Westbrook. “With all the attention that our distance squad gets, they are the unsung heroes of our team. They work extremely hard and their performances definitely prove that they are contenders for a State title in those events.”
The 3200 meter relay team of Samantha Montgomery, Mary Edwards, Jessica Sowell and Brooke Higgs ran a 9:39.1 to win the event and earn the trip to State.
Higgs, fresh from signing with the University of Arkansas the day before, won the 800 meter run with a season’s best time of 2:19.3. Mitchell added a second-place finish in the 300 meter hurdles with a time of 51.2.
In addition, Sowell contributed a second in the 3200 meter run with a time of 12:43.2, and a fourth in the 1600 (5:39.2). Edwards ran a 5:36.1 in the 1600, to take third.
Chelsea Mansfield finished on the heels of Sowell in the 3200, taking third in a time of 12:48.2. In the 800, Montgomery’s 2:42.2 was good for fourth. Tracy Neal added seventh-place points in the pole vault, clearing 8 feet.
In the other relays, the 1600 meter team of Amber Bengtson, Edwards, Higgs and Montgomery finished third with a time of 4:17.8. In the 400, Bryant finished sixth but the team of Montgomery, Mitchell, Norris and Bengtson turned in a season-best time of 53.4.
