FAYETTEVILLE -- Kessiah Bemis started strong, but she finished even stronger Wednesday afternoon.
The Fayetteville senior put together a pair of solid performances and scored 2,715 points through four events to take the lead after the first day of competition of the state high school heptathlon at Ramay Junior High.
Bemis picked up 843 points with her outing in the 100-meter hurdles as she finished in 14.99 seconds, then closed out her day with the best time in the 200. Her time of 25.43 seconds was good enough to pick up another 848 points.
"I feel a little winded after that 200, but overall I'm feeling pretty good," Bemis said. "The heat is a little different than usual.
"The 100 hurdles were very good for me, and a massive PR by almost a full second, so that was exciting. The long jump was a little off, and my steps just weren't right. It was the first time I threw the discus, so I was happy with it, then I just wanted to finish strong in the 200."
Bemis' closest competitor heading into today's final three events turns out to be her teammate. Fayetteville junior Hannah Estes had the best performance in the 100 hurdles, finishing in 14.64 seconds for 890 points, and finished with 2,619 points.
Kinleigh Hall of Springdale Har-Ber is in third place with 2,519 points. Rounding out the top five are Carshaila Rozier of El Dorado with 2,510 and Layla Reese of Cabot with 2,460.
"It's really exciting," Bemis said. "I love being able to be pushed by my own teammate, and it's nice knowing that -- practicing together and pushing each other -- we're able to get the results we want."
Rozier had the best performance in the long jump, going 18 feet, 2.25 inches for 712 points and edging out Bentonville's Emilia Thurston, who jumped 17-11.5 and scored 691 points. Reese, who finished third in last year's heptathlon, had the best outing in the discus with her throw of 116-4 and scored 566 points in that event.
Meanwhile, Beebe's Adrian Carranco finished among the top four athletes in four of five events in the opening day of the boys decathlon and enjoys a decent cushion heading into the final day of competition. Carranco compiled 3,411 points while Ashdown's Shamar Easter was second at 3,177.
"I'm pleased with where I am right now in terms of placement," Carranco said. "The heat can take a toll on you, as well as a number of other factors, but I'm trying to control what I can control and compete.
"With this, I'm also looking at doing summer track across Florida, as well as the East and West coasts. It can get hot, and as an athlete, you can't let that take control."
Carranco started his day with a second-place finish in the 100, picking up 812 points for his 11.22 time, then he added 655 more points with his third-place outing in the long jump. His only struggle was in the shot put, where he scored 487 points with his throw of 32-10.5, but he bounced back with 653 points with his fourth-place outing in the long jump before he won the 400 and scored 804 points with his 50.24 time.
"I'm not a big boy," Carranco said. "You usually see those big boys throwing the shot around. The 400, I dominated in that with first place. Now it's a matter of coming out here [today] and stacking another brick on top of another and finishing the day out. Hopefully, I can come out with a top-five finish."
Easter showed balance en route to his second-place standing as he scored between 598 and 670 points in each event. Alexander Anderson of Bentonville West is in third place with 3,148 points, while Iziah Owens of Sheridan and Sloan Jones of Fayetteville rounded out the top five with 3,078 and 3,077 points, respectively.
Lance Yarborgh of El Dorado ran the fastest 100 and scored 830 points for his 11.14 performance, while Drake Fowler of Bryant had the best showing in the long jump with a leap of 21-4 and 697 points. Rogers' Isaac Chapman was the day's best in the shot put and scored 812 points with his toss of 50-5.25, while Genoa Central was tops in the high jump at 6-5.5 and scored 776 points.
The competition continues at 9 a.m. today as the boys will compete in the 110 hurdles, discus, pole vault, triple jump and the 1,500. The girls will take part in the high jump, shot put and 800.
TOP FINISHERS
Decathlon
Name;School;100M;Long Jump;Shot Put;High Jump;400;Day 1 Total
1. Adrian Carranco;Beebe;11.22 (812);20-8.5 (655);32-10.5 (487);6-0 (653);50.24 (804);3,411
2. Shamar Easter;Ashdown;11.98 (655);20-1.5 (615);41-1.75 (639);6-0.75 (670);55.03 (598);3,177
3. Alexander Anderson;Bentonville West;11.27 (801);20-4.25 (630);30-5.5 (443);5-6 (528);51.52 (3,148
4. Iziah Owens;Sheridan;11.26 (804);19-9.75 (595);33-7.5 (501);5-8.75 (585);55.15 (593);3,078
5. Sloan Jones;Fayetteville;11.37 (780);20-7;646);28-0.25 (398);5-10 (610);53.91 (643);3,077
6. Will Shaver;Crossett;11.46 (761);21-3.5 (695);37-6.75 (573);5-1 (426);55.12 (595);3,049
7. Drake Fowler;Bryant;11.79 (693);21-4 (697);31-0 (453);5-10 (610);55.30 (587);3,040
8. Hayes Cox;Cabot;11.50 (753);19-10.25 (597);44-2 (695);5-8 (569);59.81 (420);3,034
9. Lance Yarborgh;El Dorado;11.14 (830);16-9.75 (405);32-3.75 (477);5-8 (569);51.53 (745);3,026
10. Parker Brown;Heber Springs;11.56 (740);20-1.5 (615);34-3.5 (513);5-10 (501);56.70 (532);532;3,010
Heptathlon
Name;School;100 Hurdles;Long Jump;Discus;200M;Day 1 Total
1. Kessiah Bemis;Fayetteville;14.99 (843);17-6 (651);82-9 (373);25.43 (848);2,715
2. Hannah Estes;Fayetteville;14.64 (890);17-3.5 (634);72-11 (318);26.23 (777);2,619
3. Kinleigh Hall;Springdale Har-Ber;15.21 (814);16-7 (573);75-0 (330);25.94 (802);2,519
4. Carshaila Rozier;El Dorado;16.20 (690);18-2.25 (712);64-11 (274);25.58 (834);2,510
5. Laylah Reese;Cabot;15.81 (738);15-8.75 (503);116-4 (566);27.72 (653);2,460
6. (tie) Karis Martin;Cabot;16.71 (630);17-8 (665);62-4 (260);26.12 (787);2,342
6. (tie) Paisley Hight;Bentonville;15.05 (835);17-0 (609);54-2 (216);27.36 (682);2,342
8. Savannah Carrigan;Bentonville West;16.15 (696);17-9.75 (680);61-6 (256);27.23 (693);2,325
9. Jaylea Hooten;Heber Springs;16.49 (655);16-11.5 (606);88-8 (407);27.81 (646);2,314
10. Emelia Thurston;Bentonville;16.95 (602);17-11.5 (691);59-11 (247);26.57 (7648);2,288
Ian Murray of Hot Springs Lakeside (from left), Blake Osinigua of Camden Fairview, James Robertson of Rivercrest, Andres Revolorio of Decatur, Luke Pearce of De Queen and Cooper Johnson of Jessieville compete in the second flight of the 100 meters Wednesday in the state high school decathlon at Ramay Junior High School in Fayetteville. (NWA Democrat-Gazette/J.T. Wampler)