Mansfield freshmen Braxton Bartlett and Dominic Shores compete at the state indoor track meet before moving outside to the Ozark Junior Hillybilly Relays this past week.

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Mansfield freshman boys gained valuable experience competing up on the high school team at the indoor state track championships. Just a few weeks removed from that third place finish, many of those same boys moved back down to start the outdoor junior high season.

Missing pieces due to dual sports kids involved in baseball, the Mansfield junior boys still held their own against a slate of 12 schools competing at the Ozark Junior Hillbilly Relays. The March 7 outdoor opener for most teams, saw the Tigers finish in third place overall.

“It was a good start,” said Mansfield boy’s assistant coach John Mackey. “We left some points on the table as a reduced roster left some events empty. Overall it wasn’t a bad start as the outdoor season gets underway. We’ll need others to get in better shape and fill those gaps.”

The Tigers totaled 76 points on 11 scoring events for the third place team position. Lamar played a strong hand pulling away late with the first place tally of 125 points. Booneville stayed in the fight but dropped to second place overall with 97.5 points.

The Lady Tigers sent a very young team to Ozark. With some illness and softball overlap, the group was populated with mostly seventh and eighth graders added to a trio of freshmen. 

Freshman sensation Daisy Nelson, who won the 60m and 200m dashes at the 2A state indoor meet, was unavailable. She was double booked with spot duty on the Lady Tiger softball team.

That left freshman leaders Chloe Beran, Madison Hearron, and Addison Robles to corral the youth filled lineup.

Hearron posted one of the better scores for the ladies. The ninth grade horizontal jumper went 28-3 in the triple jump for third place points.

Seventh grader Abby Smith offered the most individual help with two top four individual scores. A second place pole vault of 7 feet coupled with a fourth place 300m hurdle race in 58.64 gave the team 13 quick points.

Whitley Boyd, an eighth grader, cleared 4-4 in the women’s high jump for another eight points off a second place finish.

It was Dominic Shores off the men’s team that had the highest finish from the Mansfield camp through the entire night. Shores cleared a competitive 110m hurdle race in 18.53 for the blue ribbon win.

He collected another six points from a third place 300m hurdle race later in the evening.

Braxton Bartlett appeared to be the fastest Tiger on the night. The freshmen runner went 24.37 in the 200m dash for second place. He also measured 12.25 in the 100m dash for seventh place.

The relay squad of Zander Walters, Dawson Robinson, Shores, and Bartlett finished in a second place time of 48.78 in the men’s 4x100m relay. The final 30 meters was a near disaster as Bartlett, the team’s anchor, had to fight through another runner’s interference. 

Unaware of his lane space, a Booneville Bearcat had drifted to the outside completely out of his lane. What turned into a roadblock within Mansfield’s lane forced Bartlett through and around the interference to finish the race.

Caden Ore had the top throwing measurement of any Tiger on board. Ore sailed the 1kg discus 116-6.5 for a second place red ribbon. Robles, for the women, squeaked into the top eight also at the discus ring.

Alex Hecox contributed value through both hurdle races. His 49.80 clocking in the 300m intermediates was his best individual finish at fifth place.

Joseph Carter and Joey Williams each brought home a fourth place marker. Carter went 5-2 in the high jump while Williams went 5:26.20 in the 1600m run.

The pair also served as half the 4x800m relay team that also crossed in fourth place. Gunner Williams and Hunter Whittaker completed the other half.

Ashlynn Whittaker, Adeline Bray, Rylan Jones, and Smith copied the boy’s placement in the 4x800m relay. The combination of three seventh graders and an eighth grader completed the race in 12:25 for fourth place.

Payton Meyers, Emilee Parsons, Summer Lyon, and Bray offered 4x200m points to the Lady Tiger total. 

Mansfield’s total team score ended at 46.5 points for fifth place in the team standings. Waldron took the team championship. Pottsville, Booneville, and Dardanelle finished in consecutive order just above the Lady Tigers.

Mansfield seventh grade 4x400m relay winners Adeline Bray, Abby Smith, Rylan Jones, and Lilly Young celebrate with a handful of ribbons from Ozark Ribbon Run.

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The first track meet of the season is hectic. A “three ring circus” of sorts, more questions than answers typically surround the proceedings especially for seventh grade runners. So was the going when Mansfield took a small clan of thinclads to the Ozark Ribbon Run on March 6.

Blessed with their own track on which to practice, all was not completely new to the Tigers and Lady Tigers as they traveled to the first meet to start the 2023 campaign. Seasoned with only a few weeks of practice, the rookie runners, jumpers, and throwers found out much about themselves and their team.

What was learned was Mansfield has some pieces that can compete. Ribbon after ribbon found its way into Tiger claws. The 17 events moved along in rapid fashion as MHS took home its fair share of ribbon rewards against five competing schools.

Newcomer Abby Smith showed out by winning five blue ribbons. The first time track athlete won the pole vault, long jump, 100m hurdles, 300m hurdles, and was part of the first place 4x400m relay team.

“Abby has some natural track abilities,” said longtime Mansfield coach John Mackey. “She is pretty good at several events. The task is to develop that talent so she and the team can maximize success.”

Hunter Whittaker was impressive for the men’s team. The All-District cross country runner, blazed the field in the 800m run stretching out a huge lead and maintaining it for the win. Showing a versatile skill set, the team’s leading scorer also won the triple jump.

“Hunter is built for track and field,” offered Mackey. “He has the frame to be a really good distance runner, and he has the hops to develop into a solid jumper.”

Adeline Bray, Lilly Young, and Rylan Jones joined Smith on the winning 4x400m relay team. Already adorned with earlier rewards, each dug deep to insure the concluding race would end with another blue ribbon.

Bray specialized in the triple jump and 800m run to go along with a pair of relays. Jones covered the distance events and made good use of the 100m hurdles for extra spoils. Young surprised in the long jump and high jump as well as her two sprint relays.

Payton Meyers went with a conservative schedule of events but grew that list as confidence and talent took over. The sprinter and jumper saw high marks in the pole vault, high jump, and sprint relay.

Miley Clopton added value in three sprint races and three jump events. Her second place ribbon in the 100m dash was a highlight along with a third place cooperative in the 4x100m relay.

“There are not many runners on the preps team,” announced the coach. “But, there are solid pieces that will fit into the junior high program. Our expectations are always the same regardless of grade level, and that’s to compete for conference championships.”

Addison Howard found her moments competing in the pole vault, long jump, and high jump. She added two race results bringing home top five ribbons in both. Next meet she will move forward in the shot put competition.

Aubree Helms, Bailey Quick, Kerrington Quick, and Alivia Wilson all found high placements in their respective field event throws. Wilson was the Lady Tigers top discus performer while Helms led the pack at the shot put ring.

Clayton Garrison was the Mansfield men’s top shot put athlete at 29-5. He was also the second best discus performer on the night with a 72-0 toss.

Michael Carter and Kingston Hawkins joined the discus competition and shot put. Each carried home a top five ribbon for their efforts.

Treven Hattabugh, Drake Brunson, Matthew Knight and Whittaker manned the Tiger’s 4x100m relay team. The group finished in fourth place as did the team’s 4x400m relay. Gabe Baker joined that unit along with Hattabaugh, Knight, and Whittaker.

Clayton Pruitt took home a 110m hurdle ribbon and a 200m dash marker.

Brunson was involved in the sprint events as well as the long jump. Baker competed in three races to round out the Tiger scoring.