news
“I’m pleased with our score,” said Warrior head coach Mickey Mapp, “of course you always want to win if there’s any way possible. But, as early as it is, Saturday was a good start for our guys.
“I was really pleased with the way the kids competed.”
The Lady Warriors got their season off to a great start, also.
Coach Mike Bain’s girls finished first (220) overall and first place in 10 out of 17 events, with a one-two finish in six events.
Tupelo (143) followed Pontotoc in second place, with Noxubee County (123), New Albany (53), West Point (42), Shannon (29) and North Pon-totoc (12) rounding out the field.
“I was pleased with the way the girls competed Saturday,” Lady Warrior head coach Mike Bain said.
“We have a lot of improving to do over the next four weeks before the division meet, but these girls do work hard and believe they can be one of the best girls teams in the state in any class and possibly make a run for the 4A state championship in May.”
For the first time in several years, the North Pontotoc track and field program is fielding teams for the 2010 season.
At Saturday’s Pontotoc Invitational, the Lady Vikings (12) finished seventh and the Vikings (22) finished sixth.
With only six student athletes competing in eight individual events on the girls side, and nine student athletes competing in 10 individual events on the boys side, North Pontotoc will probably not win a meet this year as a team.
But, on the other hand, North Pontotoc may qualify some individuals through the division, region and north half meets. With a lot of hard work, don’t be surprised if you see some Lady Viking and Viking track and field members making it to state.
The Lady Warriors
“This is a very talented team. We have some very strong events,” Coach Bain said, “but we also have some events that are not nearly where we need for them to be ... yet.”
First place finishers for the Lady Warriors were Rhandi Ball in the 100, 200 and 100 hurdles. She also finished second in the high jump.
Eboni Brinker won the long jump, triple jump and 400 meter dash.
Whitney Ray won the 800 and 1600 meter runs.
Amber Brinker won the high jump and finished second in the 100 meter dash and long jump.
Katie Gentry won the pole vault with a 9’ 6” effort.
Also finishing second were Alicia Lipsey in the 100 hurdles, Hannah Holland in the 400 and Katy McAuley in the 800 and pole vault.
The 4x400 relay team finished first with Katy McAuley, Whitney Ray, Hannah Holland and Ebony Brinker.
The 4x200 relay team finished second with Katy McAuley, Hannah Holland, Destinee Holder and Amber Brinker.
Robin Shumaker finished third in the 1,600 meter run and Catherine Holcomb was third in the 3,200 meter run.
Ashlee Grisham was third in the discus and fourth in the 300 meter hurdles.
Dollie Gill was fourth in the discus throw and shot put.
Emily Holcomb was fourth in the 3,200 meter and the 4x100 relay team was fourth with Katie Gentry, Naquesha Buchanan, Dollie Gill and Destinee Holder.
Destinee was also fifth in the 200 meter dash.
“Fortunately, we are two athletes deep in some events and that really makes a difference,” Bain added. “The key to having a shot at state is to qualify athletes through the division, region and north half meets in most of the 17 events and get them to the State Meet.
“Our first goal is to get there, and then we will see what happens.”
The Warriors
The Pontotoc boys had 10 student athletes to capture 14 first, second and third place individual finishes.
Blake Hill, a sophomore, finished first in the 800 meter run with a time of 2:07 and second in the pole vault with a vault of 8’ 6”.
“Blake has one of the best times around in the 800 meter and he gets better and better every year,” Mapp said, while noting his vaulting skills have some work left to do.
“Not knowing a whole lot about pole vaulting, Blake and Mike (Coach Bain) will get it down where he can become more competitive as the season goes on.”
Senior Jordan Hall, with a time of 41:32, finished first in the 300 hurdles. Hall made it out to state last year in the 300.
“I was pleased with him and Shaq Gillard (sophomore), who came in second in the 110 (meter hurdles). We hope to get Jordan back out this year.”
Senior Ryan Thompson came in second in the 100 meter dash (11.51) and third in the 400 meter dash (53.90).
Senior Quamne Berry, with a jump of 18’ 2.25”, finished second in the long jump, and in the triple jump, with a jump of 38’ 8.5”, finished in third place.
“Quamne works hard and has come a long way. His hard work will pay off down the road. He had a good day.”
Devon Ware, with a jump of 5’ 10”, came in second in the high jump.
Luke Hatcher, a sophomore, finished third in both the 3,200 meter and the 1,600 meter runs with times of 11 and 5:08, respectively.
Tupelo’s Max Homan is an Ole Miss signee and one of the best high school athletes to run the 3,200 meter run. He most always finishes first and “you pretty much know before the race begins that it may be a second place finish for you,” Coach Mapp said. “He is just that good.
“Luke, like he does every time he steps on the track, brought his A game, and I feel he’s got a shot at being as good as Homan. We’ve got quality time left with him, and the work ethic Luke Hatcher has will get him where he needs to be. I can guarantee it.”
Joe Hall finished third in the 110 meter hurdles with a time of 16.12.
Senior Tony Williams, with a toss of 41’ 4.5”, took third place in the shot put.
“Tony’s working harder this year and, I think, has the potential to throw 45-46 ft. with the shot. He had a good day Saturday and I look for him to get better.”
Taylor Ashe, a junior, finished third in the discus throw with a throw of 114’ 9”.
Sophomore Ethan Park finished fourth but Coach Mapp likes him and Ashe both.
“Both of these guys will be back. They have good form and throw well.
“I’m really pleased with both of them and am excited about how good they will become.”
The Warriors 4x400 relay team, with a time of 3:53, finished third.
“We don’t have the sprinters that we normally do this year,” Mapp explained while noting PHS will not run a 4x100 or 4x200 team this year.
“But we do have a 4x400 and right now we are sort of playing with who will run which leg of the race.”
Nathaniel Butler, very much a newcomer to the sport, ran with the team this week along with Jordan Hall, Blake Hill and Joe Hall.
Coach Mapp is looking for ICC football signee Ryan Thompson, who also ran the 200 meter dash on Saturday, to broaden his horizons.
“It’s early, but Ryan is one of our main sprinters this year and he’s going to have to participate in more events, because we don’t have relay teams.
“We’re counting big on Ryan this season.
“He had a good day Saturday and he’s got a shot at going on to state and maybe in more than one category.”
The North girls
The Lady Viking relay team of Ashley Gambrell, Emily Russell, Cheyenne Akers and Lara Nanney finished sixth in the 4x100 meter relay.
In the 4x200 relay race, the North team of Brook Kelly, Russell, Akers and Nanney finished seventh with a time of 2:20.17.
Alexus Gambrell finished seventh in the shot put, eighth in the long jump, ninth in the 300 meter hurdles and 11th in the 100 meter dash.
Kelly, with a time of 8:53, came in seventh in the 1,600 meter run and eighth in the 800 meter with a time of 4:04.
Nanney and Russell finished eighth and ninth, respectively, in the 400 meter dash with times of 1:16.58 and 1:23.61.
Ashley Gambrell came in ninth, with a time of 32.06, came in ninth in the 200 meter dash and 10th, with a time of 14.95, in the 100 meter dash.
Akers, with a time of 35.81, finished 10th in the 200 meter dash.
The North boys
Saturday’s finishes for the North Pontotoc boys were actually better in the relay races.
The Vikings finished fifth overall in the 4x100 meter relay and third among 4A schools. The team of Tim Jones, Vince Urbina, Calvin Kuykendall and Ramsey Black finished with a time of 49.56.
In the 4x200 meter relay, the team of Bradley Forman, Tim Jones, Bryant Nickles and Hunter Jones came in fifth overall and third in 4A with a time of 1:54.99.
The Viking team of Hunter Jones, Collin Russell, Mason Hudson and Nickles finished sixth in the 4x400 relay with a time of 4:42.
Kuykendall ran a good 3,200 meter run, finishing fifth with a time of 12:46.
Black made a good showing in the 1,600 meter run with a seventh place finish (6:02).
Black and Foster tied for seventh place in the long jump with jumps of 16’ 8.75”.
In the 300 meter hurdles, Jamal Foster finished eighth with a time of 47:99.
In the 100 meter dash, Foster and Black finished eighth and 11th, respectively.
Devonte Souter finished 10th in the discus throw (88’ 2”) and 12th in the shot put with a throw of 31’ 10.5”.
In the 200 meter dash, Urbina and Tim Jones finished ninth and 10th, respectively.
Nickles and Mason Hudson finished 12th and 13th, respectively, in the 800 meter run.
Thanks from Bain, Mapp
“We want to thank everybody who helped put the meet on Saturday,” Coach Bain said.
“It takes a lot of people to do it right and we were proud for how well the meet went.
“We have some coaches at Pontotoc that I have a lot of respect for because they are here for the kids, from start to finish, and we are grateful to you.
“You walk the walk and we are lucky to have you here at Pontotoc.
“Thanks also to the parents for taking care of the concessions”
Both Pontotoc teams will be competing Friday at Mississippi College.
Post a Comment
