CRAWFORD — Last year, East Oktibbeha County High School didn”t have a girls track team.
A year later, the Lady Titans are coming off a sixth-place finish at the Class 1A South State meet. The team will look to finish in the top five at the state meet Friday at Pearl High.
Had it not been for the boys track program rising from the dust in a similar fashion two seasons ago, the Lady Titans” achievements this season would have more luster.
Still, the team deserves a tremendous amount of credit, coach Randy Brooks said, because jumper/runner Shaniqua James was the only athlete with track and field experience entering the season.
“James ran track two years ago, and last year she”s the one who said ”Coach, we”ve got to have it this year and get it to the boys level,” ” Brooks said. “I wouldn”t say I”m surprised at how well they”ve done because when they combined Alexander and Moor (high schools), there was a good, strong tradition at both schools. I used to tell people that with that talent there”s no reason we shouldn”t have competitive programs.”
The Lady Titans scored 47 points last week at the South State meet, led by top-four finishes from their three relay teams. Savannah Blair, Chansity Evans, Shaniqua James, and Tynisha Barrett piloted the 4×200-meter relay team to a third-place finish at 1 minute, 55.09 seconds and the 4×100 relay to third (54.48 seconds).
Barrett, Evans, Chaurieal Jenkins, and Marjada Tucker, ran a 4:41.57 in the 4×400 to take third.
All three teams will compete this weekend.
“The 4×400 team has dropped a whole minute off their time from the middle of the season,” Brooks said. “That”s tremendous improvement. They finished third in South State from a hundredth of a second out of second place. That”s a real credit to coming to practice and working hard.”
Jenkins became the first Lady Titan to qualify for state in the 3,200 since Alexander and Moor consolidated in 1997, clocking in at 17:18.14. She finished fourth last week at the South State meet.
James went 14 feet, 5 inches in the long jump to take third and punch her ticket to the state meet, while Tucker ran 52.83 in the 300 hurdles to finish second.
Tucker”s personal record is sixth in 1A, while James is ranked 13th in the long jump in 1A.
Brooks said his Lady Titans got a passionate testimony from the boys track team about the feeling of standing on the podium and receiving a medal in Pearl.
East Oktibbeha”s boys 4×400 team won the Class 1A state title last year and hasn”t lost a race in three years.
“Tynisha said, ”I want that. I really want that,” ” Brooks said. “Arthur (Gillespie) and Kody (Petty) were telling the girls there”s no greater feeling than knowing you”re one of the best in the state. I know they”re excited.”
Brooks feels the Lady Titans will score 37-45 points Friday.
Titans looking to keep 4×400 crown
One thing has been constant the past two years: The East Oktibbeha County High boys 4×400 team doesn”t lose.
Aside from former runner Clifton Halfacre, the Titans have had the same lineup of Terrence Rice, John Outlaw, Kody Petty, and Arthur Gillespie run the 4×400 relay.
Last season, the 4×400 team went undefeated and won the 1A state title. They look to be favorites to repeat this year, though Broad Street High”s time of 3:38 at the North State meet knocked the Titans out of the No. 1 ranking.
Don”t count out the Titans, who take just as much pride in winning that event as the number of points they score at a meet, Brooks said.
“That”s also one of the things this school is really proud of,” Brooks said. “A lot of people are saying they want to come down this weekend just to see them run that race.”
East Oktibbeha”s 4×400 team won the South State title last week (3:39.03). The Titans also took second in the 4×200 (1:34.48) and 4×100 (52.58).
Gillespie, despite not being fully recovered from anterior cruciate ligament surgery during football season, won the 300 hurdles (43.81).
Gillespie won the state title in the 110 and 300 hurdles last season, but he failed to qualify for the 110 hurdles at South State.
“Those high hurdles on the 110 were kind of wearing him out,” Brooks said. “But in the 300, you could see the feeling come over him about halfway through the race. After that, he started to dominate.
“For the first part of the season, he wasn”t able to compete. He”s still not all the way back from that ACL surgery.”
Outlaw, a freshman, is qualified in the 3,200 (12:12) and 800 (2:26.11) at South State. He finished fourth in the 3,200 and third in the 800. Brooks wanted to use him in sprints, but the Titans were already loaded with Petty and Rice.
Outlaw”s bloodlines — his father, John Sr. was a miler and 800 runner at Alexander — led Brooks to put Outlaw Jr. in distance events.
“He has trained on his own,” Brooks said. “He comes from a family of good distance runners. I ran track with his father, and those were his two races, so he”s had a coach at home.”
Timberwolves leaning on Fair
MABEN — With just one representative and one relay team, West Oktibbeha High”s track team won”t have much of an impact on Friday”s Class 1A state meet.
But if Shun Fair has his way, the Timberwolves will bring back a state title that will help rejuvenate the program.
Fair ran a personal-record 23.60 in 200 last week at the South State meet and finished fourth. He already has shaved a second off his previous personal record, and he believes he can cut another second Friday.
“I feel I have a good chance of winning because I”ve basically been running on a bad quad lately,” Fair said. “But it”s gotten better over the last two races. Now that I”m good, there”s a really good chance I can win. I have to go all out.”
West Oktibbeha”s 4×200 relay team of Fair, Alex Dawkins, Johnathan Love, and Dwight Quinn took third at the South State meet (1:36.36).
Fair runs the anchor leg of the relay.
Though West Oktibbeha didn”t qualify a girls team member for the state meet and the boys are competing in just two events, Fair believes success can impact the school in a positive way.
“We just really need some people who can come out here with heart,” Fair said. “We just need people to be dedicated. If we get (a title), there”s no doubt people will want to come out.”
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