May I, 20J9
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By Richard Dumas
forsyfh@mymcr.net
The Mary Persons girls track team
achieved an impressive runner-up finish
at the Region 2-AAAA meet at Spalding
on Tuesda) April 23 with a total of 127
points.
Howard easily captured the girls
team title with 196 points. West Lau-
rens placed third with 106 po'mts while
Spalding came in fourth with 88 points.
Perry took fifth place with 49 points
while Upson-Lee placed sixth with 41
points.
The Lady Dogs did not have any indi-
vidual region champions but several MP
girls athletes recorded second-place fin-
ishes. Ava McKallip finished in second
place in the 1,600 meters with a time
of 5 minutes, 48 seconds, which trailed
champion Jordan Rozier of Howard by
nearly 19 seconds. Meradeth Leverett
placed second in the 3,200 meters with a
time of 13 minutes, 14 seconds, finishing
behind only Rozier, who took first place
with a blazing time of 12 minutes, 7 sec-
onds. Precious Gaines took second place
in the shot put with a heave of 33 feet,
5 inches, finishing behind first-place
]ayden Rogers of West Laurens, who
recorded a throw of 35 feet, 10 inches.
Also, MP's J'Mya Mann was the runner-
up in the discus with a throw of 93
feet, I inch, trailing first-place finisher
LaQueene Pittman of West Laurens,
whose winning throw traveled 97 feet, 5
inches.
MP girls head coach David Carey said
he told his team members that even
without an individual win, the team
can still fare well if they stack up high
finishes.
Carey said, "I told the girls ffwe can
place second, third and fourth, We can
make some noise. And that's what we
did"
Other MP girls athletes who placed
in the top four at region and therefore
qualified for state sectionals included:
Campbell Brown, who placed third in
the 100 meters with a time of 12.70 sec-
onds and placed third in the 200 meters
with a time of 26.71 seconds, Courtney
Whatley, who placed fourth in the 100
meters with a time of 12.86 seconds,
Demarria Scandrett, who placed third in
the 400 meters with a time of I minute,
2 seconds and placed fourth in the long
jump with a leap of 15 feet, 6 inches,
Leverett, who placed third in the 1,600
meters with a time of 5 minutes, 50 sec-
onds, McKallip, who placed third in the
3,200 meters with a time of 13 minutes,
15 seconds, Kaylee Gordon, who placed
fourth in the ll0-meter hurdles with a
time of 19.44 seconds, Cheyla Tafolla,
who placed third in the pole vault with a
vault of 8 feet, Leslie Rivera, who placed
fourth in the pole vault with a vault of
7 feet, 6 inches, and Mann, who placed
fourth in the shot put with a heave of
29 feet, 2 inches. Also, MP's No. 1 4 x
400-meter relay team of Brown, Nakiah
Wilson, Alyssa Green and Scandrett
placed fourth with a time of 4 minutes,
17 seconds.
Other MP girls athletes who scored
points at region but failed to qualify
for state sectionals included: Whatley,
who placed fifth in the 200 meters with
a time of 27.11 seconds, Green, who
placed fifth in the 800 meters with a
time of 2 minutes, 49 seconds, Katie
HoUis, who placed sixth in the 800
meters with a time of 2 minutes, 50
seconds, Jordan Shannon, who placed
fifth in the 100-meter hurdles with a
time of 20.78 seconds and placed sixth
in the 300-meter hurdles with a time
of 52.09 seconds, Gordon, who placed
eighth in the 300-meter hurdles with
a time of 58.89 seconds, and Gaines,
who placed seventh in the discus with
a throw of 69 feet, 2 inches. Also, MP's
No. 2 4 x 100-meter relay team of Green,
Wilson, Tysheeka Hart and Scandrett
placed fifth with a time of 52.20 seconds,
MP's No. 1 4 x 100-meter relay team of
Jordan Shannon, Brown, Alvina Shan-
non and Whafley placed eighth with
a time of 56.61 seconds, and MP's No.
2 4 x 400-meter relay team of Hollis,
Jordan Shannon, Ashley Fagan and Hart
placed sixth with a time of 4 minutes, 43
seconds. Carey said his lone regret from
an otherwise excellent meet was that his
top 4 x 100-meter relay team had a bad
exchange that kept it from qualifying for
sectionals.
Demarria Scandrett, who placed third in the 400 meters at the April 23 Region 2-AAAA
championship meet at Spalding, was one of 12 Lady Dogs' athletes to qualify for the AAAA
state sectionals in Columbus on Saturday (Photo/Richard Dumas)
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MP BOYS TRACK
Continued from 1 B
800, but he really has the best
times in the dassification, if not
the whole state, in the 3,200'
Burdette said. "So his chances
of going deeper in state really
set better with the 3,200 and the
1,600"
Burdette added that Battles,
who is often overshadowed
by Wachtet, has stepped up to
become an outstanding distance
runner in his own right in 2019.
"Connor Battles is one of our
most improved runners from last
year" Burdette said. "I think just
training together with Wachtel
and maturing a year has really
helped Connor He'S done re-
ally weU"
MP junior Rico Harden also
was an individual region cham-
pion, winning the long jump
with a leap of 22 feet, 9 inches to
top second-place finisher Daniel
Dorsey of West Laurens by six
inches. Also, MP junior Wyatt
Currie, who had only raced in
two meets prior to Tuesday due
to playing on MP's baseball team,
was also a region champion in
the 400 meters. Curries time of
51.21 seconds beat second-place
finisher Malik Dennis of Perry,
who posted a time of 51.94 sec-
onds, by more than seven-tenths
of a second. Currie, who was in
rightfield when the Bulldogs'
baseball squad clinched region
four days earlier, was also a mem-
ber of MP's region championship
football squad in the fall, possibly
making him the lone MP athlete
in program history to win three
region championshil s in the
same school year.
Burdette said of Currie: "Wyatt,
he surprised us a little bit. But
we knew Wyatt could do it. It
was just us being able to have a
chance to use him and get him
The Bulldogs also swept the
in the 4 x 400 relay was an eye-
two relay races, winning both the opener.
4 x 100 meters and the 4 x 400 "If we can drop a couple more
meters. MP's No. 1 4 x 100-me- tenths off, we've got a chance
ter relay team of Quen Wilson, to do really well in the 4 x 100;'
Kelvin Harden, William Stewart Burdette said. 'And that was the
and Rico Harden took first place best time we've run all year. We
with a time of 42.19 seconds, had smooth passes all the way
MP senior Daniel Lavelle placed second in the shot put competition at
the April 23 region meet. (Photo/Richard Dumas)
besting second-place West Lau-
tens by three-tenths of a second.
Also, MP'S No. 1 4 x 400-meter
relay team of Rico Harden, Cur-
rie, Stewart and Kelvin Harden
for any length of time has been
kind of tough. We 9xpected him of 3 minutes, 30 seconds, topping
to place and advance, but we second-place Spalding by just
daimed the top spot with a time
didn't expect him to win it really, over three-tenths of a second.
He did it. It was the best time Burdette said MP expected to
we've run in the 400 in three or come out on top in the 4 x 100
four years probably." relay but said the Dogs' victory
around, we got the baton all the
way around, and everybody
ran really well. We've got some
fast kids. They've got to pass the
baton and give themselves an
opportunity to win it. The 4 x
400 win was a big surprise. Wyatt
helps a little bit, but those kids
were really fired up about it. They
really wanted to advance. It came
out of nowhere really to win the
4 x 400:'
A number of other MP boys the 800 meters with a time of 2
athletes also recorded second- minutes, 20 seconds, DeAdrek
place finishes at region Wilson Alford, who placed fifth in the
placed second in the 100 meters 110-meter hurdles with a time
with a time of 10.90 seconds, of 15.42 seconds and placed fifth
which was nearly three-tenths in the high jump with a leap of
slower than first-place finisher 5 feet, 8 inches, Kelvin Harden,
Keith Edwards of West Laurens. who placed sixth in the ll0-me-
Rico Harden placed second in the ter hurdles with a time of 15.74
200 meters with a time of 22.06 seconds and placed seventh in
seconds, also trailing Edwards, the triple jump with a leap of 38
who took the top spot with a time feet, 10 inches, Cameron Buck-
of 21.60 seconds. Battles finished ner, who placed seventh in the
in second place in both the 1,600 300-meter hurdles with a time of
meters and the 3,200 meters. 45.17 seconds, Tra Walker, who
Desmond Williams placed placed fifth in the long jump with
second in the high jump with a leap of 20 feet, 6 inches, and
a leap of 6 feet, 2 inches, which Rico Harden, who placed fifth in
matched the height cleared by the the triple jump with a leap of 40
Champion Malik MuUis of Perry. feet, 9 inches. Also, MP's No. 2 4 x
However, Mullis won the tie- 100-meter relay team of Lada-
breaker as a result of successfully mian Sands, Mford, Malik Davis
completing every jump for longer and Antonio Davis placed sev-
to start the competition than enth with a time of 45.17 seconds.
Williams Daniel Lavelle finished With three victories, including
runner-up in the shot put with a two relays, and two other Top-5
heave of 43 feet, 7 inches, placing finishes, Rico Harden was the
behind champion Antwan Fann boys high-point individual award
of Perry, who recorded a heave of winner on Thursday.
48 feet, 4 inches. Burdette said, "Rico's running
Other MP boys athletes who his best times of the year, and I
placed in the top four at region think he has a chance to go lower
and therefore qualified for state moving forward at sectionals and
sectionals included: Stewart, who state:'
placed fourth in the 100 meters The MP boys and girls track
with a time of 11.04 seconds and squads will next compete in
placed third in the 200 meters the AAAA state sectional meet
with a time of 22.39 seconds, at Kinnett Stadium in Colum-
Kelvin Harden, who placed third bus on Saturday, May 4 against
in the 300-meter hurdles with athletes from Regions 1, 2, 5 and
a time of 41.99 seconds, Brycen 6-AAAA. MP athletes who place
Young, who placed fourth in the in the top eight at sectionals will
pole vault with a vault of 9 feet, 6 then advance to the three-day
inches, Colton Dingmore, who AAAA state championship meet
placed third in the shot put with at Hugh Mills Stadium in Albany
a heave of 42 feet, 10 inches, and beginning on Thursday, May 9.
Lavelle, who placed third in the Burdette said MP has a lot more
discus with a throw of 112 feet, "seasoned" boys athletes compet-
6 inches. Also, MP'S No. 2 4 x ing at sectionals than it did a year
400-meter relay team of Antonio ago.
Davis, Malik Davis, Wachtel and "They've run a lot of important
Adrian Hughley placed third races. They've been in the starting
with a time of 3 minutes, 39 blocks. They know the gist of the
seconds, track meet" Burdette said. "It's
Other MP boys athletes who not a surprise to anybody. You
scored points at region but failed don't how to teach anybody, 'This
to qualify for sectionals included: is how the track meet is: They
Holden Haworth, who placed get it. They know what's going to
fifth in the 800 meters with a time happen. They know there's going
of 2 minutes, 17 seconds, Anto- to be fast people, and they know
nio Davis, who placed eighth in they have to run good:'
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