Royal’s record-breaking performance highlights Bryant girls’ team win in Hornet Relays
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Behind the 45-point performance from junior Alexis Royal, the Bryant Lady Hornets dominated[more] the field at the Bryant Hornet Relays Thursday night.
In a field of 20 teams that included all the 7A-Central Conference schools, the Lady Hornets scored 150 points to take the team championship by an incredible 60 points. Lake Hamilton finished runner-up with 85 points, followed by Cabot (68), Conway (57), and North Little Rock (46).
Royal, who was awarded the meet high point award, set two Bryant High School records. In the triple jump, she set a new record with her winning leap of 37’10” and in the 300-meter hurdles, she took first with a record time of 46.4. She also added a first place finish in the long jump with a leap of 16’9”. Royal was also on the winning 4×100-meter relay and the first-place 4×400 meter relay.
“Alexis had an unbelievable meet,” stated Lady Hornets coach Danny Westbrook. “To score 45 points in a meet this size at this level of competition is just amazing. She won all six of the events she was entered in and set a school record in two of them. he is a very gifted athlete and works extremely hard in practice, but I think her most impressive asset is her competiveness. She simply hates to lose.”
Sophomore Leah Ward contributed heavily to the team’s winning margin scoring 23 points. She was second behind Royal in both the long jump (16’6”) and the triple jump (34’8”). She also finished third in both the 100-meter dash (12.8) and the 200-meter dash (26.8). Ward was also on the winning 4×100-meter relay and the 4×400-meter relay.
Distance runner Hannah Raney narrowly missed a school record in the 3200-meter run with her winning performance of 11:43.1. The time is a personal record for Raney and only two seconds off the current school record. She also finished second in the 1600-meter run with a time of 5:35.1.
Sophomore Melinda Murdock added 16 points with her second place finish in the 300-meter hurdles (47.1) and sixth place in the 100-meter hurdles (16.5). She was also a member of the winning 4×800-meter relay team and the 4×400-meter relay team.
Joining Ward and Royal in the 4×100, which won in 50.1, was Sarah Evans and Garielle Allen. Stacy Emmerling contributed a leg with Royal, Ward and Murdock in the 4×400, turning in a winning time of 4:08.9. Emmerling and Anna Smedley joined Raney and Murdock in the winning effort in the 4×800. They combined on a 10:24.1 to complete Bryant’s sweep of the relays.
In the 1600-meter run, Emmeriling finish fifth in 5:50. She was fourth in the 800 (2:36.7) with Sam Macchi finishing sixth in 2:39.5.
Mekaylah Muhammad scored in three events. She was fifth in the long jump (15’7”), sixth in the triple jump (30’11”) and seventh in the 200-meter dash (27.8). Allen was fifth in the 200 with a 27.6.
In the 400, Randie Owens took fifth with a time of 66.8 while Lauren Magneson contributed third-place points in the high jump, clearing 5’1”.
“I am extremely proud of our team effort tonight,” Westbrook stated. “These young ladies work extremely hard and they really support each other. Assistant coaches Keith Dale and Beth Solomon are doing amazing things with our sprinters and jumpers. I told the team after the meet that if they can have the kind of team performance at the conference meet like they did tonight, then they have a great opportunity to be conference champions for the third year in a row.”
The Lady Hornets will compete next on April 6 at the Cyclone Relays in Russellville.
