The GHS track and field teams wrapped up their season this past Wednesday at the Class 5A state meet held in Russellville. The event was originally scheduled for Thursday but was moved up a day due to the threat of inclement weather. In the two weeks prior to Wednesday’s meet, the Bulldogs and Lady Bulldogs also participated in the prestigious McDonald’s Relays in Fort Smith and the 5A West conference meet in Alma.
McDonald’s Relays
One of the top outdoor track and field events in Arkansas each spring, 23 teams took part in the McDonald’s Relays held at Jim Rowland Stadium at Southside High School in Fort Smith on Thursday, April 18th. About a dozen girls participated for the Lady Bulldogs while just five GHS boys competed. Among those, Greenwood scored points in just two events, the 4x800 meter relay race for the Greenwood girls and the 100-meter dash for the boys.
For the Lady Bulldogs, Pate Jones finished 12th in the 400-meter dash with a time of 1:05.53. In the 800-meter run, Camryn Coston was 16th (2:40.55) and Piper Ames ran 26th (2:49.94). Julia Witherington finished in 12th place in the 1600-meter run with a time of 5:51.37. Carole Werner ran 11th in the 3200-meter run with a time of 12:44.96.
Two Lady Bulldogs competed in the 100-meter hurdles. Mazzy Van Lare finished 12th (18.72 seconds) and Skyler Monks ran 16th (19.85). Van Lare also ran in the 300-meter hurdles and finished 18th with a time of 59.73 seconds. She also competed in the long jump and also placed 18th with a leap of 14’6”. Norah Sights was 18th in the discus throw with a heave of 72’6”. The 4x800 meter relay team placed second for Greenwood with a time of 10:40.46.
For the Bulldogs, Isiah Arrington was the only GHS athlete to score points with a third-place finish in the 100-meter dash with a time of 11.27 seconds. Tremon Hunt also competed in the same event and finished 19th (11.79). Hunt also participated in the long jump, finishing ninth with a leap of 20’5.25”.
Andrew Rye also competed in two events. He finished 35th in the 1600-meter run with a time of 4:59.76 and placed 27th in the 3200-meter run (11:01.06). Rhett Williams also ran in the 3200-meter event and finished 35th with a time of 12:25.11. Silas Spicer also ran in two events. He finished 16th in the 110-meter hurdles (18.27) and 11th in the 300-meter hurdles (43.83).
5A West Conference meet
The Bulldogs and Lady Bulldogs combined to score points in about ten events last week in the conference meet held at Alma High School, also moved to Wednesday the 24th instead of Thursday the 25th. Kristina Andrews ran 21st in the 100-meter dash while Hadley Webb and Pate Jones both scored points in the 400-meter dash. Webb finished third (1:03.34) and Jones ran fifth (1:05.30). Julie Witherington finished second in the 800-meter run with a time of 2:30.55. Teammates Camryn Coston ran seventh (2:38.68) and Gracie Goines was ninth (2:42.14) in the same event.
GHS cross country runners Carole Werner and Paige Andrews both scored in the grueling 3200-meter run, finishing third and fourth, respectively. Werner had a time of 12:14.16 and Andrews was right behind at 12:14.36. In the 100-meter hurdles, Mazzy Van Lare finished seventh (18.08) and Skyler Monks placed 10th (19.27). Van Lare also competed in the 300-meter hurdles, finishing ninth with a time of 55.12 seconds.
The GHS girls scored well in the relay events. The 4x200 meter squad ran sixth with a time of 2:03.58. The 4x400 meter team placed fourth (4:25.31) and the 4x800 meter quartet placed second with a time of 10:34.89. Mazzy Van Lare placed 10th in the long jump with a leap of 14’8½” and Norah Sights was 15th in the shot put. Sights also placed 16th in the discus throw while Taryn Presson was 19th for the Lady Bulldogs.
For the GHS boys, Isiah Arrington shined in the 100-meter dash with a second-place finish (11.11 seconds). Rhett Williams was 21st in the 400-meter run, while Carson Thornberry was 16th and Ridik Lawless was 18th in the 800-meter run. Andrew Rye ran 10th in the 1600-meter run (4:54.33) while Ridik Lawless was 19th. Rye also ran 10th (11:00.34) in the 3200-meter run.
Silas Spicer placed ninth in the 110-meter hurdles with a time of 17.50 seconds and seventh in the 300-meter hurdles (44.69). The GHS boys 4x100 meter relay team scored points with a third-place finish with a time of 43.79 seconds. The 4x200 meter squad ran eighth (1:37.51) and the 4x400 meter team also finished in eighth place (3:54.50).
In the field events, the Bulldogs scored points in the high jump and the long jump. Easton Carter placed fifth in the high jump, clearing the bar at six feet even. Tremon Hunt then finished second in the long jump with a leap of 21’3”. D.J. Dobbins was tenth and Noah Myers was 19th in the long jump. Dobbins also finished 11th in the triple jump with Myers in 17th place. Finally, Landon Billy placed 14th in the shot put.
Class 5A state meet
Based on qualifying performances at the conference meet, Greenwood had limited participation in the state meet in Russellville this past Wednesday. The GHS boys failed to score any points while the Lady Bulldogs managed to earn eight points against other 5A schools from all over the state.
In the girls 400-meter dash, Greenwood’s Hadley Webb ran ninth with a time of 1:03.35. In the 800-meter run, Julie Witherington was 11th with a time of 2:30.55. The daughter of GHS cross country coach Jim Andrews, senior Paige Andrews scored points with a sixth-place finish in the 3200-meter run with a time of 12:07.38. The quartet of Hadley Webb, Pate Jones, Camryn Coston, and Piper Ames finished 10th in the 4x400 meter relay with a time of 4:27.38. The 4x800 meter squad of Julia Witherington, Piper Ames, Camryn Coston, and Paige Andrews ran fourth with a time of 10:22.85.
For the Bulldogs, Isiah Arrington placed ninth in the 100-meter dash with a time of 11.12 seconds. In the 4x100 meter relay the GHS team of Radley Oneal, Tremon Hunt, Blaze McDaniel, and Isiah Arrington placed 12th with a time of 43.87 seconds. Tremon Hunt placed 16th in the long jump with a leap of 19’4”.