MADISON – French Camp runners Colby Walters and Ami Sherrif turned in strong performances at the 1A South State meet at Madison Central High School in preparation for Friday's state meet.
Walters won the 800 and 1600 and was a close second in the 400, finishing a stride behind Alex Jones of Mississippi School for the Deaf. Walters led French Camp to second place with 75 points, eight fewer than MSD.
Walters trailed through the first two laps of the 1600, passed Jacob Galaher of Sacred Heart at the start of the third lap and won easily. “Me and my coach (Joe Watkins) talked about it. I wanted to go out real slow, then do what it took to win,” he said of the strategy for the first of his four races.
Sherrif easily won the 800 and 1600, with teammate Averie Jane Gundy, a seventh grader, second in both races. The Lady Panthers finished fifth with 69 points, trailing Vardaman with 95 points, Ethel 79, East Marion 75½ and Sacred Heart 73.
“I was really proud of the team. We didn’t post the best time or distances, but we did what we had to do.” Watkins said.
At the state meet, Sherrif will face stiff competition from Tupelo Christian runners who took the top two spots in the 800 and 1600 at the 1A North State meet at Potts Camp. “I'm looking forward to it,” she said.
Walters and Sherrif were the only individual winners for French Camp.
Other boys who qualified for the state meet by finishing in the top four were James Fowler, second in the discus, Adlai Urbina, third in the 400 and 800; and the 1600 relay team anchored by Walters which finished third. He was joined on the team by Urbina, Jake Seawright and Phillip Caradine.
Other French Camp boys who participated in the South State meet were Caradine with sixth in the 100, sixth in the 200 and seventh in the long jump; Seawright, sixth in the 300 hurdles and seventh in the 110 hurdles; Eric McKinney, sixth in the 3200; and Josh Deal, eighth in the 1600.
Sherrif and Gundy were joined as Lady Panther qualifiers by Maddi Davis with thirds in both hurdles; Jasmine Bonty, third in the discus and fourth in the shot put; and the 1600 relay team of Emma Wright, Gundy, Davis and Sherrif running the anchor leg.
Tessa Mullins was fifth in the 300.
The state meet will be held at Pearl High School.
