Tiger Track Double Feature

Targeted Time Reached as Tigers Qualify Again
Using the Gaile Hainley Relays as another place to qualify to state, the Mansfield Lady Tigers did it again. Behind a blistering pace, the MHS 800m unit will be sending another Tiger to the state round. Reaching the targeted time now gives the Mansfield women three free passes to the 3A Track and Field Championships in Prescott.
Eden Jones stayed away from her normal schedule of events to save the energy to get a 2:37.44 in the 800m run. The strategy worked as the senior middle distance runner torched the opening lap and held form to the tune of a 2:36.72 final time.
The measurement sends Jones to her second pre-qualification standard. Earlier in the season she meet the high jump standard of 5’ 0” with two surpassing marks of 5’ 1”. One was accomplished at the Tiger Relays the other at the Alma High School Invitational.
Jones now will sit beside Megan Rose on a trip to Prescott. Rose pre-qualified in the women’s 3200m run. She hit the standard in that 8 lap race at Alma as well.
As a group Mansfield finished fourth overall at the Waldron hosted Hainley Relays. The team did not run a full schedule of events as they were more interested in qualification bids.
The Tiger sat out of the shot put, 4x800m relay, and the 4x100m relay. The hope was to get Jones through in the 800m and Audrey Walker in at the 300m hurdles.
Walker fell short of her bid by just over one second. Her race finish over the 300m intermediates was 52.07. She needed a 50.98 mark leaving her 1.09 seconds shy of the pre-qualification number. Walker is the class 3A state champ in that event form 2016.
Mansfield made point production in several areas. Rose in two distance races accumulated 12 points. Jones won the high jump for another ten points. Walker totaled 11 individual tallies through two hurdle races.
Alyssa Berry, Corrina Wesley, Jones and Walker rallied in the 4x400m relay for a fourth place ribbon and five points. Fayth Schwartz closed the pole vault at 7’ 8” for another Tiger trey at sixth place.
Schwartz scored in the long jump. Makiah Holmes pointed in the 100m hurdles with her best effort this season at 18.57. Wesley marked in the triple jump at 29’ 5” for fourth place while Walker took fifth in the 200m dash.
Mansfield was scheduled to host their “Last Chance” qualifier at home on Monday, April 17. They are scheduled to attend the Blade Runners in Fort Smith on Thursday before the 3A senior high districts on April 16.
Junior Girls Take Fourth at Waldron Invitational
Mansfield’s junior girls track team are starting to come around as the season dwindles to the end. With the crew now in its last week of competition, the Tiger cubs look to leap from there fourth place finish at the Waldron Invitational to a conference title on April 19.
The junior Tigers met up with hundreds of competitors at the Waldron meet on April 11. By most accounts, this was the largest track meet of the season for MJH this year. Despite the large number of athletes and the high volume of schools, the junior ladies felt good about their placement against so many teams.
Mansfield got a pair of individual wins to pace their scoring. Seventh grader Sadie Roberts won the high jump at 4’ 7” and eighth Danielle Lillie won the 100m hurdles at 17.57.
Lillie also ran a strong race in the 300m hurdles. She was picked second among two flights of runners. Her time was 54.56. Teammates Harleigh Mars (55.12) and McKusker (57.09) were in hot pursuit to give Mansfield one of its best events on the night.
Only one other Tiger hurdler could score according to games committee limitation rule. So Mars picked up third which would have left McKusker 5th if allowed.
Lennon Woods and McKenzie Griffin both made season bests in the women’s 1600m run. Respectively the pair went 6:22.93 and 6:23.87 for sixth and seventh place.
The team of Hailey Reves, Hailey Walker, Delilah McKusker, and Lillie was third in the women’s 4x100m relay. Their posted time was 59.10 for the one lap cooperative.
Mansfield’s other relays both finished sixth. The combination of Mikayla Harrsion, Reves, Jesse George, and Woods rounded the 4x800m in 12:40.13. The group of Woods, Mars, Griffin, and McKusker went 5:04.58 in the 4x400m.
Point production also came out of the pole vault as well. Daniella Santander, Haylee Helms, and Kiara Thomas all made strides at the horizontal jump. Santander and Helms were the two scoring Tigers for a total of 8 points.
Brooke Wright took fourth in the discus at 67’ 1. Lillie gained three points off the long jump at 14’ 3” for sixth place. Walker took fifth in the high jump for four tallies.
Mansfield will host the 3A Region 1 West District Championships on Wednesday, April 17. Cedarville, Charleston, Elkins, Greenland, and Haas Hall are expected to battle with Mansfield in the small school affair. Cedarville and Mansfield are two of the top teams in the league play and are expected to fight for top honors.