PEARL – French Camp boys and girls teams both finished eighth at the 1A state track meet last Saturday at Pearl High School, the boys with 30 points and the girls with 35.
Choctaw County was 18th in the boys meet with 12 points, but did not have any participants in the girls meet.
French Camp coach Joe Watkins was pleased with the performance by his teams. “They did great. I could not have asked for anything more. Almost every athlete did a personal best. You want to do your best when you go to state.”
Distance runners Colby Walters and Ami Sherrif led the French Camp teams. Walters was second in the boys 800 in 2:03.94 and second in the 1600 (4:44.26). Sherrif was third in the girls 1600 (5:46.30) and fourth in the 800 (2:36.86). Both also anchored relay teams.
Other boys who participated were Adlai Urbina, third in the 400 (53.93); James Fowler, fifth in the discus (106-9). The 1600 relay team with Urbina, Jake Seawright, Phillip Caradine and Walters finished fifth.
For the girls, Averie Jane Gundy was sixth in the 800 (2:51.25) and sixth in the 1600 (6:12.24), Maddi Davis fifth in the 300 hurdles (53.07) and sixth in the 100 hurdles (19.52) and Jasmine Bonty fourth in the shot put (31-3¼) and seventh in the discus (81-7) and 1600 relay team with Emma Wright, Gundy, Davis and Sherrif was fifth.
Watkins had special praise for Davis and Bonty, both freshmen. Davis had personal bests in both hurdles. Bonty had a personal best in the discus and was an inch and half from her best in the shot put.
“They both really rose to the occasion,” Watkins said.
For Choctaw County, Israel Whitmore was second in the shot put with a throw of 49-9¼, Julius Buggs seventh in the discus (111-6) and the 3200 relay team of Devonta McMillan, Jared Bellew, Trenton McGee and Brandon Hadley finished seventh.
Tupelo Christian won the boys and girls 1A meets. Tylertown won the 3A boys meet for the sixth year in a row.
