McKinney’s discus fling highlights Lady Hornets work at State meet
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SPRINGDALE — Taylor McKinney threw the discus for a personal record distance of 104’8” to finish second for the Bryant Lady Hornets at the Class 7A State track and field meet at Har-Ber High School on Thursday.
Amid rugged conditions, the Lady Hornets accumulated 26 points to finish seventh in the field of 16 teams. Fayetteville won the team title with 131 points. Conway and Bentonville tied for second with 125 followed by Rogers (98) and Har-Ber (63).
“All in all, I think we did real well,” said Lady Hornets coach Keith Dale. “It was a long day. It was really cold and we were constantly fighting a head wind or a tail wind.
“The winds would gust from anywhere from 20 to 30 miles per hour, which, for pole vaulting, it became difficult because we were constantly with a tail wind. So, you’d adjust your steps and you’d take off and the wind would die. So, you’d either be way too far out or you’d have a big gust and be way too far under. We had the same problem with the hurdles.”
Kayla Scott, the 7A-Central Conference runner-up in both the 100 high hurdles and the 300 intermediate hurdles, finished third in the 300 in 47.58, edged out by Hannah Luedders of Rogers at 45.55 and league-rival Taylor Conway of Conway at 47.02.
However, Scott did not finish the 100 hurdles.
“Kayla went over the first two (hurdles),” Dale said of the race, “and then there was big gust of wind and it threw her steps off. She was right in between a three step and a four step and instead of either extending out to make the three step and possibly crashing on top of one (of the hurdles) or pulling back and pretty much coming to a stop, she decided, ‘I can’t make it.’ So, she pulled up and quit right there, which was a smart thing on her part because that saved her to come back on the 300.
“We had a couple of other little incidents,” he mentioned. “A few of us got lined up in the wrong lanes, things like that.”
McKinney was second to Fayetteville’s Jasmin Franklin who had a remarkable throw of 136’8”. Bryant’s Imani Jones scored and eighth-place finish with a toss of 92’8”.
“We’re hoping Taylor can qualify for the Meet of Champs so she can come back and throw,” Dale said. “I’m pretty sure our mile relay will qualify and Kayla should qualify in the 300 hurdles.”
The Meet of Champs, which brings together the top performers at all seven classifications, is scheduled for Saturday, May 13, at Russellville.
In the 4×400, Megan Lee, Zhania Hall, Zeia Robinson and Maggie Laws combined to finish fifth in a time of 4:10.59.
“Some of our girls went out in the 4×400 and actually set PR’s even against a head wind as we were coming in,” Dale said. “The way the track was situation, you’re coming into a head wind going to the finish line, which is tough.”
In the 4×800, Lee, Hall, Bailey Brazil and Laws combined on a 10:29.14 to finish sixth. Even without Scott, the Lady Hornets picked up points in the 100 hurdles with Cassie Ray seventh in 17.78 and Deborah Shaw eighth in 18:10.
Despite the conditions in the pole vault, Bree Hood cleared 8’6” to finish eighth.
