Track teams prep for conference meet
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SHERIDAN — In their final tune-up before the AAAAA-South Conference championship meet, the Bryant High School track teams both finished third in their respective divisions at the Yellowjacket Relays.
The Bryant Hornets finished 3rd in the Yellowjacket Relays held in Sheridan on Thursday afternoon.
Senior Mandy Medlin qualified for the State meet with her time of 5:35.08 as she won the 1600 meter run. In addition, Candice James came within 0.5 seconds of setting a new school record in the 800. She won in 2:25.7. Medlin finished second in 2:30.3.
The Lady Hornets also picked up first-place points in the 3200 as Jessica Graham ran a 13:17. Jamie Waldron was third in 14:29 and Amy Whitworth sixth in 15:25.
The 3200 meter relay continued to be the Lady Hornets’ domain. Melanie Steel and Lauren Harris combined with Medlin and James to win in 11:01.
The same quartet ran 4:35.4 in the 1600 relay, placing third. In the 800 relay, Sandra McAnear, Callie Short, Danielle McClure and Claudia Eberhardt combined on a 2:01.9 to place fifth.
Eberhardt was third in the 100 meter hurdles in 17.8, and fifth in the 300 meter hurdles in 54.2.
Amy Griffin pitched in with second-place points in the pole vault, clearing 7-6. Medlin added a third in the high jump at 4-8.
“Candice James ran a great 800-meter race,” said Lady Hornets coach Danny Westbrook. “I think she’ll get (the record) at the conference meet.”
The Lady Hornets finished with 85 points, trailing champion Watson Chapel (136) and runner-up Camden Fairview (104).
The Hornets picked up first-place finishes from a couple of veterans in distance men Graham Linder and David Stafford but they also picked one up from a sophomore Bo Lee, who won the 100 in 11.6.
Linder paced the field in the 1600, running a 4:41.7. Cody Walker finished third in 4:58.
Stafford won the 3200 in 10:23.4 with Ethan Thompson getting fourth in 12:11 and Zach Williams sixth.
The Hornets got a second-place finish from Greg Prewett in the pole vault. He cleared 11-6. Josh Koon was third at 10-6.
Fourth place points were also picked up by Mark Pagan in the 800 (2:07.7) and Lee in the 200 (24.1). The 1600 meter relay team of Linder, Pagan, Walker and Steven Rushen placed fourth as well, clocking in at 4:42.5.
Thompson, Michael Parker, Brian Ballew and Williams teamed up for a fifth-place finish in the 3200 meter relay. Brian Youngblood contributed with a sixth place put in the shot.
The conference meet was scheduled for Thursday, April 25, back at Sheridan.
