MJH Track Girls finish second after delayed scoring

It took an extra day to find the results. In the end, however, it was the Mansfield junior girls that climbed all the way into second place at the Greenwood Bullpup Relays.
Router issues kept the three computers that run the Greenwood track meet from communicating in a timely fashion on the April 4. Results were being announced but official times and places were sketchy as the Mansfield girls competed in an invitational only meet at Smith-Robinson Stadium.
One day later, results were uploaded. Mansfield, who felt as if they had improved since a disappointing sixth place finish at their own meet a week earlier, indeed made progress. The 22 player roster scored 143.5 points for the runner-up position. That was only 3.5 points behind the eventual winner Alma who collected 147.
Mansfield eighth grader Danielle Lillie won the girls long jump to pace the Tigers. Her 15’ 1” launch bettered her performance of 14’ 6” accomplished at the Tiger Junior Relays.
The Lady Tiger also led in the triple jump with a season best 30’ 5” until a Greenwood athlete edged her by one-half inch for the win. Lillie’s improvement in that event was nearly two feet better than her home meet measurement.
Lillie accumulated 38.5 points on the night behind one first place, two seconds, a third, a fourth, and a relay third. It was one of the multi-dimensional athlete’s better nights this track season.
The team chunked up additional scoring through the throwing events. Between Brooke Wright, Janna Coplin, and Amber Elmore the throws team netted 24 total points.
Wright was right in both rings for a second place (67’ 7”) discus toss and a third place (28’ 10.75”) shot put. Coplin was just behind her teammate with a third place (64-6) whirl of the 1kg discus. Elmore added a fifth place (27’ 0.5”) toss of the 4kg shot.
Mansfield only managed four points from the throws in their home debut against a much larger field. The 20 point surge was most likely a welcome sight as the junior Tigers ready for the district championships on April 19.
Seventh grade pole vaulter Kiara Thomas surprised with a personal record of 7’ 0”. The high bar action was good for a second place red ribbon. Teammate Daniella Santander went 6’ 6” for the bronze reward.
MJH got additional vertical jump points through the high jump. Sadie Roberts, another seventh grader, and Hailey Walker both cleared 4’ 4” for an eleven point push.
All three of the Tiger relays scored. Hailey Reves, Kara Sweeten, Morgan Burns, and Mikayla Harrison completed the 4x800m cooperative for the silver reward. Addison Goetz, Hailey Walker, Delilah McKusker, and Lillie went bronze in the 4x100m stint. Finally, Goetz, Harleigh Mars, McKenzie Griffin, and McKusker took another bronze in the 4x400m grouping.
Griffin, a seventh grader, with older freshman running mate Lennon Woods made the distance events a valuable part of the Tiger scoring.
Woods tallied nine points with high placements in both the 1600m (6:42.84) and 800m (3:04.14) runs. Griffin contributed five points off her 6:43.14 marking in the 1600m run.
McKusker also added to the Tiger tote with nine points through the hurdle events. The 300m intermediate style was her best output with a 58.61 clocking for fourth place.
Others producing points for Mansfield included Haylee Helms in the 800m run along with Harrison and Madison Nelson in the 400m dash. Harrison also scored in the long and triple jumps. Walker pointed in the 100m and 200m dashes. Reves tallied in the 200m.