Thursday at John Williams Stadium, both Patriot squads took first in a meet that included Hoke County, Seventy-First and Douglas Byrd. The Patriot boys were first in a Tuesday meet hosted by Jack Britt, while the girls finished second.
Coupled with the Apex Relays last Saturday, that made it three events in six days.
“We’ve really packed some in,” said Patriot boys’ coach Larry Martin of a situation partially created by weather-related postponements. “It’s kind of a two-edged sword. Some of the guys need the work. Others are in pretty good shape and need to back off and get rested up for some quality performances at the end of the season.”
A warm day with a nice breeze provided a backdrop for some solid performances, beginning with the first race of the day, the 3,200-meter relay.
The Patriot girls’ quartet of Ann Fields, Amanda McKinney, Caitlin McArdle and Katie Fields won with a time of 10:09.9, the seventh best reported time in the state this year. The Patriot boys unit of Michael Gironda, Lynwood Cox, Brandon Wright and Steven Beattie also came in first in the event with a time of 8:46.
Also early in the meet, the Patriots’ Ashley Dickerson and Antwon Murchison picked up points with two firsts each in the field events. Dickerson took the triple jump with a leap of 29-4 and the high jump with a regional qualifying and personal best mark of 5-0.
“I’m excited about that,” the junior said. “That’s the highest I’ve jumped in three years. That was a goal of mine and my coaches.”
Murchison, a first-year field events performer as a senior, exceeded his personal bests in winning the shot put (46-4) and discus (135-8). He tried the events at the urging of Steve Craven. Craven, who works with Murchison on strength training as he prepares to play football at Clemson in the fall, helped convince Murchison there was an application to the gridiron.
“Coach Craven told me this is a part of football training,” Murchison said. “I can see the connection because you’re working in a small area — especially on the defensive line where you explode off the ball.”
The pole vault produced two wins in the field events for the Patriots. Ashley Brooker won with a 5-6 mark for the girls in her first week of training for the event. Tyler Benton was the winner for the boys (10-6) with teammates Nick Benton and Matt Gallagher making it a sweep of the top-three spots.
Tonineka Turner took the other Patriot first in the field events for the girls with a throw of 78-7.
Martin and Patriot girls’ coach Bill Bivans found plenty to be encouraged about in the running events in spite of the recent wear and tear on the athletes.
One of the standouts for Bivans’ squad has been McKinney. The sophomore won the 800-, 1,600- and 3,200-meter runs at the Jack Britt meet on Tuesday. She was first in the 1,600 (5:53) and 3,200 (12:41) on Thursday along with being a member of the winning 3,200 relay team.
“That 12:41 in the 3,200 is 30 seconds better than when she started the season,” Bivans said. “She is competing with more and more energy and just enjoys it. It’s exciting to watch her.”
McKinney agreed it has been a long week going back to the Apex Relays last Saturday.
“I was a little tired,” she said after her last event (3,200),” but it was just another race and I’m thinking I’ve got to do well. I think it helps me when I have to do more. I think it makes me more focused.”
Other highlights for the Patriot girls included the 10th best performance in the state this year by Shayne Moore in the 100-meter dash (12.3). Moore also ran the last leg for the winning 800-meter relay team.
Tiffany Sealy was second in the 300-meter hurdles (51.0) in spite of a sprained ankle. The first-place time of 2:24.5 by Katie Fields in the 800 was the fifth best in the state this year.
Fields was one of a number of members of the Patriot soccer team that made contributions.
“Katie got her speed back for the first time since last year,” Bivans said. “She had a 59.0 split in the 1,600 relay.”
The Patriot boys showed their strength in the 1600 run with Chase Williams (4:28), Jordan Rickard and Jed Black all finishing within three seconds of each other. Teammate Jonathan Stone was not far behind (4:38) in fourth.
The Pats’ Sam Franklin won the 3,200 (11:04) and Chris Jefferson took the 800 (2:05.4). In a rousing last event of the meet, Jonathan Galberth didn’t yield any of a small lead he inherited on the last leg as the Patriot team that included Williams, Rickard and Black won the 1,600 relay (3:27.7).
Jefferson and his twin brother Tim have been taking one for the team recently by running in the sprint relays. His time in winning the 800 was about two seconds over what he needs to qualify for the regional meet on May 14 at Ashley High School in Wilmington.
“The last 200 meters,” he said, “the pain started kicking in and I just couldn’t overcome it. I’ve been really loaded down these last couple of weeks. My brother and I both started running in events we normally don’t do, but we’re trying to qualify and get all our teams (relays) in for the regional. I can’t really make excuses, but the wear and tear has me tired.”
The Patriots have one more conference meet at home on Thursday before the Mid-Southeastern Conference Championship meet hosted by Jack Britt at UNC-Pembroke May 3-4.
Results
Boys: Pinecrest 94, Hoke 82, Seventy-First 66, Douglas Byrd 22. Girls: Pinecrest 109, Hoke 61, Douglas Byrd 46, Seventy-First 37.
Individual Results
Boys: Pole Vault – T. Benton (P) 10-6; Long Jump – McDuffie (H) 19-10.8; Triple Jump – Wolfe (H) 39-3; High Jump – Jordan (H) 5-10; Shot Put – Murchison (P) 46-4; Discus – Murchison (P) 135-8; 3200 Relay – Pinecrest 8:46; 110 Hurdles – Young (S) 14.71; 100 Dash – Patterson (H) 10.61; 800 Relay – Hoke 1:33.5; 1600 Run – Williams (P) 4:28; 400 Relay – Hoke 43.16; 400 Dash – Grissett (D) 51:06; 300 Hurdles – Young (S) 39.89; 800 Run – Jefferson (P) 2:05.4; 200 Dash – Cummings (H) 23.72; 3200 Run – Franklin (P) 11:04; 1600 Relay – Pinecrest 3:27.4.
Girls: Pole Vault – Brooker (P) 5-6; Long Jump – Barnett (H) 15-1; Triple Jump – Dickerson (P) 29-4; High Jump – Dickerson (P) 5-0; Shot Put – Hyman (S) 36-1; Discus – Turner (P) 78-7; 3200 Relay – Pinecrest 10:09.9; 100 Hurdles – Buckner (S) 18.46; 100 Dash – Moore (P) 12.3; 800 Relay – Pinecrest 1:47.2; 1600 Run – McKinney (P) 5:53; 400 Relay – Hoke 50.75; 400 Dash – Bowman (D) 1:01.9; 300 Hurdles – Shaw (H) 50.66; 800 Run – K. Fields (P) 2:24.5; 200 Dash – Shaw (H) 25.78; 3200 Run – McKinney 12:41; 1600 Relay – Douglas Byrd 4:11.06.
