Jasmine Bonty went straight from basketball to track and didn't miss a beat. Competing against girls from larger schools, the French Camp sophomore won the shot put at the TrackTown Mississippi Relays hosted by Pearl High School.
“She is awesome,” said French Camp coach Joe Watkins. “She went out there and did what she should do. Even with minimal time getting back in the season she did great.”
Bonty's winning distance of 30 feet, three inches was more than three feet better than runner-up Anila Thomas of Pearl. Bonty also took fifth in the discus with a throw of 74-2.
At the 1A state track meet in May, Bonty was fourth in the shot put as a freshman, finishing behind three seniors with a throw of 31-3¾, and seventh in the discus (81-7).
The only individual events at the meet were the shot put, discus, pole vault and hurdles. Everything else was relays. Two athletes who performed well for French Camp were senior Colby Walters and sophomore Taylor Benoist.
Walters ran in the 1600, 3200 and distance medley boys relays. Watkins said Walters was the leadoff runner in all three events so he could start at the same time as runners from other schools. “Colby finished first or second in every event.”
In the distance medley, he ran 1200 meters.
Benoist, like Bonty a basketball player, ran on four girls relay teams. “If she had run in individual events, you would have seen her name at the top of the leader board,” Watkins said.
The girls 1600, 3200 and distance medley relay teams all finished third.
In individual girls events, Madison Wise and Maddi Davis finished eighth and ninth in the 100 hurdles and Olivia Surrette was 11th in the discus and 12th in the shot put. For boys, Caleb Haire was ninth in the discus and 15th in the shot put and John Moore 13th in the discus and 14th in the shot put.
The next event for French Camp will be March 21 at Winona High School. It will be the school's first regular meet.
