TEXARKANA - Trinity Christian’s girls could have withdrawn and celebrated their Class 1A track and field state championship early.
They chose instead to put an exclamation point on their title Wednesday, winning the the 1,600-meter relay - the day’s final event - and ending Acorn’s three-year reign at the Class 1A champion.
The Lady Warriors finished with 106 1/2 points to easily outdistance runner-up Acorn (86).
“On paper I had it figured we’d score 13 points in the field events and we scored 12,” Trinity Christian Coach Jeff Haynes said. “I had us winning the meet by four points, so to win by 20, I’m just elated.
“Having numbers was the difference. We had 31 entries, and we needed every one of them.”
Caddo Hills’ boys team eased its own frustrations as well as it edged Haas Hall 104-91 and ended Trinity Christian’s four-year run at the top. Trinity Christian finished with 21 points, tying Norfork for 11th place.
The girls’ title was in hand after Elizabeth Gillette finished fifth and Hannah Roberts finished sixth in the 3,200. That performance put Trinity Christian ahead by 101/2 points, clinching the championship no matter what happened in the 1,600 relay.
In an effort to slow the celebration and motivate his relay team, Haynes went to each of his relay runners and told them the Warriors trailed by one point. The only problem was that one of the parents let it slip that Trinity Christian had already wrapped up the title.
It didn’t make any difference. Julie Son, Taylor Wade, Bailee Stevens and Sydney Cowgill capped Trinity Christian’s team championship by winning the relay in 4 minutes, 34.18 seconds.
“Julie Son is my senior and she came up big today,” Haynes said. “She ran a great second leg on the 4x100, won the 300 hurdles and then turned around and got us a fourth in the 200. Julie also got the 4x400 off to a good start.”
Trinity Christian’s Hannah Nelson cleared 7 feet, 10 inches to win the pole vault competition, while freshman Sydney Cowgill won the 800 in 2 minutes, 33.79 seconds and finished second in the 1,600 in 5:46.92.
Lead Hill’s Greer Clouse won the 100 hurdles (17.62), the 100 (13.02) and the 400 (1:00.69) and finished second in the long jump (16-5).
Caddo Hills used a strong showing in the field events to pull out the boys title.
William Bruce won the discus with a throw of 130-1 14, and teammate Hugo Ruiz was third with a throw of 126-53/4. James Whisenhunt finished second in the shot put (43-1 1/2) and pole vault (10-0) to go along with his third place finish in the 400 meters (54.86), and Josh Duncan was second in the high jump (6-1) and third in the triple jump (39-1 1/2).
That helped Caddo Hills overcome Haas Hall’s impressive showing on the track, where Tyler Browne won the 400 meters (51.52) and the 800 meters (2:06.42) and Quin Simkins won the 1,600 meters (4:39.53) and the 3,200 (10:44.01). Simkins also finished second in the 800 (2:09.32).
Haas Hall won the 1,600 relay in 3:46.21 and finished second in the 3,200 relay in 9:05.19.
Omaha finished third in the boys division behind a strong showing by Trent Withrow. Withrow won the triple jump (41-2 1/2) and the pole vault (11-6) and placed second in the long jump (19-3).
CLASS 2A
Dragons, Rattlers win
FORT SMITH - Junction City’s boys and Murfreesboro’s girls captured team titles Wednesday at the Class 2A state track and field meet at Fort Smith Southside’s Jim Rowland Stadium.
Junction City also won the Class 2A state championship in football last fall after narrowly missing the state title in track and field last spring.
It was the third state championship in four years for Murfreesboro.
England senior Curtis Rogers set a Class 2A record in the boys 100 meters (10.83 seconds). Javaria Forbes of Foreman set the previous record (10.90) in 2006.
Mountainburg senior Steven Stearman won the boys shot put (50 feet, 5 inches). Stearman entered with the top throw in Class 2A this spring (51-11), which came at the Airedale Relays on April 9 at Alma.
State meet schedule TODAY CLASS 7A at Bentonville HS CLASS 5A at Hot Springs HS CLASS 4A at Heber Springs HS CLASS 3A at Green Forest HS FRIDAY CLASS 6A at Russellville HS
Sports, Pages 22 on 05/02/2013