The Greenwood Bulldogs and Lady Bulldogs track and field teams have officially opened the 2026 spring season with a series of competitive performances across three early meets, showing depth, steady improvement, and strong participation across both the boys and girls squads. Competing at the Bentonville Winter Festival, the James Lemley Quad City Meet in Van Buren, and the Bulldog Relays at home, Greenwood athletes have already begun building momentum as the season takes shape.
Bentonville Winter Festival
The season began on February 26 at the Bentonville Winter Festival at Bentonville High School, where several Greenwood distance runners performed as part of a large and competitive field. In the girls 800-meter run, Piper Ames posted a time of 2:37.77 to finish 14th, followed closely by Julia Witherington in 15th place at 2:39.53 and Camryn Coston 19th at 2:42.62.
On the boys side, Mickey Joe Thurman ran 61st with a time of 2:35.05 in the 800-meter run, while Andrew Rye recorded a 4:52.31 in the 1600-meter run to finish 39th. While the meet served primarily as an early-season benchmark for GHS coaches and distance runners, it provided valuable race experience and laid a foundation for future performances.
Quad City Meet
Greenwood took a significant step forward at the annual James Lemley Quad City Meet on March 13th, competing against Alma, Van Buren, and both Fort Smith schools. The girls team turned in a strong showing across multiple events, highlighted by Julia Witherington’s second-place finish in the 800-meter run with a time of 2:41.68, along with a fourth-place finish in the 1600-meter run at 5:54.07. Camryn Coston contributed with a fifth-place finish in both the 800 and 1600-meter runs, while Piper Ames placed third in the 3200-meter run at 13:23.82 and seventh in the 1600 event.
In the sprints, Shealynn Mills led Greenwood with a 10th-place finish in the 100-meter dash at 13.99 and an eighth-place finish in the 200 at 30.17. Trinity Spicer, Daisy Farris, and Sadie Gattis also competed in the 100, finishing 15th, 16th, and 20th respectively, while Gattis added a 15th-place finish in the 200-meter dash.
Kiera Johnson delivered a strong performance in the 400-meter dash, finishing fourth with a time of 1:11.96, and also cleared 8’-3” to place second in the pole vault. In the hurdles, Meredith Finley placed second in the 300-meter hurdles with a time of 1:02.99, followed closely by Mazzy Van Lare in third place at 1:03.61. Van Lare also added a fourth-place finish in the long jump at 15’-½”. In the throwing events, Sarah Permenter placed sixth in the shot put at 27’-10” and 10th in the discus at 70’-2”, while Maylee Bethel finished 13th in the shot put (19’10”) and 12th in the discus (58’10”).
The boys team also produced a well-rounded performance in Van Buren, led by Tremon Hunt, who captured first place in the 100-meter dash with a time of 11.43 seconds and later added a second-place finish in the long jump at 20’-9”. Hunt also placed eighth (23.79) in the 200-meter dash. Josh Childers, Drew Dickinson, Colton Lacy, Parker Greenway, William Rye, and Weston Arnett all contributed in the 100-meter dash, finishing 10th, 12th, 16th, 21st, 28th, and 31st respectively. In the 200-meter dash, Dickinson placed ninth, followed by Rye, Max Fowler, Yadiel Garcia, and Greenway.
Greenwood’s strength in the 400-meter dash was evident, with Colton Lacy finishing fourth at 54.87 and Josh Childers placing sixth at 55.66, while Fowler, Terry McGinister, and Arnett finished behind their teammates. In distance events, Andrew Rye placed sixth in the 1600-meter run at 4:51.66 and fifth in the 3200 at 10:58.15, while Mickey Joe Thurman and Weston King competed in the 800-meter run, finishing 13th and 20th respectively. Thurman also added an 18th-place finish in the 1600.
In the field events, Easton Carter won the high jump with a clearance of 6’-1”, followed by Bronson James in third and Gavin Vonderheide in fourth. Noah Myers placed third in the triple jump and eighth in the long jump, while Yadiel Garcia added a fourth-place finish in the 300-meter hurdles and 11th in the long jump. Rhett Holloway placed fourth in the pole vault, and Jacob Pugh, Ethan Shumate, and Braxton Moore competed in the shot put, finishing 11th, 14th, and 16th respectively.
Bulldog Relays
Greenwood continued its strong early-season performance at the Bulldog Relays on March 19 at Smith-Robinson Stadium, hosting 17 teams including an out-of-state competitor from Louisiana. The girls team once again saw strong contributions from its distance runners, with Piper Ames placing third in the 3200-meter run at 13:21.02, Camryn Coston finishing fifth in the 1600 at 5:52.50, and Julia Witherington placing sixth in the 800 at 2:41.29. In the hurdles, Mazzy Van Lare earned a third-place finish in the 300-meter hurdles at 54.72, while Meredith Finley placed 10th.
In sprint events, Shealynn Mills and Sadie Gattis competed in the 100-meter dash, finishing 15th and 21st, while Greenwood’s relay teams placed sixth in both the 4x100 and 4x200. In field events, Van Lare placed 12th in the long jump, while Permenter and Bethel competed in both the discus and shot put, with Sarah Permenter finishing ninth in the shot put and Maylee Bethel placing 24th. In the discus throw, Permenter was 15th with a distance of 76’-7” and Bethel finished in 20th place at 60’-9”.
The boys team continued to show depth and competitiveness, particularly in relay events. Greenwood’s 4x200 meter relay team captured first place with a time of 1:34.31, while the 4x100 relay team placed second at 44.49 and the 4x400 relay team finished fifth (3:44.98). Individually, Tremon Hunt placed fourth in the 100-meter dash at 11.41 seconds and sixth in the 200 at 23.80, while also finishing third in the long jump at 21’-5”. Burroughs Wolfgang added a ninth-place finish in the 100, and William Rye placed 22nd.
Colton Lacy placed sixth in the 400-meter dash at 54.74, while Max Fowler finished 15th. In distance events, Andrew Rye continued his strong season with fourth-place finishes in both the 1600-meter run at 4:45.33 and the 3200 at 10:53.84. Mickey Joe Thurman and Weston King competed in the 800, finishing 16th and 24th respectively, while Thurman added a 21st-place finish in the 1600.
In the field events, Easton Carter cleared 6’-2” to place second in the high jump, while Gavin Vonderheide and Bronson James each cleared 5’-10” to finish sixth and seventh. Braxton Canada placed fifth in the long jump at 20-10, followed by Noah Myers in 11th place. Myers also placed sixth in the triple jump. Rhett Holloway finished ninth in the pole vault, and Braxton Moore, Jacob Pugh, and Ethan Shumate competed in the shot put, finishing 19th, 21st, and 22nd respectively.
Through three meets, both GHS thinclad squads have shown encouraging signs across several event groups. With strong participation numbers, consistent improvement, and early success in both individual and relay events, Greenwood is building a foundation that positions the program well as the season continues. Competition resumes after spring break with the Alma Relays next week on Thursday, April 2nd. The GHS teams are led by Head Coach Jason Gill and cross country Head Coach Jim Andrews, among others on the GHS staff.