They left it all on the field. A long and grueling track and field season came to an end last Friday and several area athletes saved their best for last at the NCHSAA 1-A state meet at N.C. A&T University.
Southside, Northside and Riverside where each represented at the meet and each school left feeling good about their athletes’ performances.
Riverside, who brought only five players to last year’s meet, returned with 13 this season and placed 16th overall in the girls’ meet and set school records in the girls’ and boys’ 4×800-meter relays.
Southside competed in five events and placed 10th or better in all of them, while, Northside got another outstanding performance by Summer Cordon.
The Knights’ girls have been strong all season and on Friday senior Jessie Anne Rogers threw the discus 105’11” to earn a bronze medal. Rogers was followed by Southside’s DeAndria Purdue, who hurled it 103’11” to place fourth. Purdue had an outstanding meet as she also placed fifth in the shot put with a throw of 33’5.”
The team of Hannah Copeland, Chesson Ward, Ann Marie Manning and Alex Hardison knocked 18 seconds off their best time in the 4×800-meter relay to run a school-record 10:27 and finish in fifth place.
The combo of Jonathan Price, Hunter Meban, Lenny Sanchez and Adam Parker shaved 11 seconds off their time in the 4×800-meter relay to finish in ninth place and also set a school record.
Copeland would go on to placed 14th in the 300-meter hurdles (55.82), while Hardison ran a 2:31.58 in the 800-meter run to place fourth.
On the boys’ side, Iran James placed eighth in the shot put with a throw of 44’4.”
“They’ve worked very hard all year long,” Riverside coach Mark Cagle said. “They had the desire to prepare to win and it really showed at all of our meets this season, especially at the state. They represented our conference and our region well.”
The Seahawks 4×400-meter relay team of Cole Kellum, Aaron Jones, Isiah Moore and Leevonte Grimes has been sensational all season and on Friday it was no different as they cut three seconds off their best time to run a 3:35.46 to place seventh.
“I was pleased with it,” said Southside coach DeWayne Kellum. “The kids were a little disappointed but their best time before that was about a 3:39. All you can do is do your best and knocking three seconds off their best time was amazing to me.”
When asked how they were able to cut that time down Kellum said simply “heart.”
Jones also competed in the 800-meter run and dropped two seconds off his best time to run a 2:06.48 and place eighth.
In the high jump, Moore equaled his best performance of the season and cleared 5’10” to place 10th.
After putting forth a strong performance at the East Regional, Northside’s Cordon advanced to the state in the 100-meter dash, high jump and long jump.
Cordon would go on to place fifth in the long jump (16’4”), sixth in the high jump (4’8”) and seventh in the triple jump (33’3”) to wrap up a tremendous season.