Hawkins athletes hold their own at elite meet

BLOUNTVILLE — Athletes from Cherokee and Volunteer battled rainy conditions to test their mettle against some of the best track and field competition from East Tennessee, Southwest Virginia and Western North Carolina on Friday at the Trojan Timing Classic (formerly the Times News Relays) at West Ridge High School.

Nine meet records fell, including Volunteer track coach Sam Barton’s 2013 mark of 14.48 in the 110 hurdles. D-B’s Brayden Simpson set the new mark (14.21) on his way to earning the Danny Sexton Award for the most outstanding male running events performance. Simpson also won the 300-meter hurdles with a meet record time of 38.60. Virginia High’s TiShiyah Skinner earned the Whitney Jessee Ball Award as the most outstanding female running events performer.

The most outstanding field events awards — the Angie Barker Award for girls and the Gary Buchanan Award for boys — went to Watauga’s Olivia Burroughs and Swain County’s Nse Uffort. Burroughs won the pole vault with a meet record leap of 11-6. She also won the discus. Uffort swept the boys’ shot put and discus events.

Hawkins County athletes posted a trio of second place finishes in the highly competitive field.

Volunteer’s Aliah Laster was second in pole vault with a leap of 10-6. She also threw a personal record 97-8 to finish ninth in discus and ran a season’s best 16.93 in the 100 hurdles to finish ninth overall.

“That means I’m moving in the right direction,” Laster said, after confirming her PR in discus. The multi-event qualifier had to take her throws before the boys started because she was tied up in pole vault on the other end of the facility when the girls threw.

Cherokee freshman Leah Mowell finished second in the shot put with a throw of 35-8.5 and was seventh in discus (101-7).

Volunteer’s Roman Borghetti-Metz was second in the 800 with a PR of 1:56.38. D-B’s Luke Mussard ran a meet record 1:52.64 to win the event.

On the boys’ side, Volunteer also posted three third-place finishes. Kasey Brown picked up two of them, finishing third in shot put with a season’s best 54-4.5 and third in discus with a throw of 149-5. Lucas Gilliam was also third in high jump at 5-10 and finished fifth in triple jump with a PR of 40-0.75.

Other Hawkins County meet qualifiers and their finishes included:

CHEROKEE

Jhay Sulit was sixth in pole vault (10-6).

Elizabeth Coward was eighth in the 400 (with a PR of 1:02.88).

Lofton Hayes was eighth in the 400 (52.32).

Kolden Singleton was eighth in the triple jump (39-9.75)

Trey Smith was 10th in the 100 hurdles (17.53) and 13th in the 300 hurdles (44.20).

VOLUNTEER

Jacie Begley was sixth in the 800 (2:20.81).

The boys 4x800 relay of Roman Borghetti-Metz, Kevin McCurry, Isaac Jennings and Carter Manis was sixth (8:29.76).

Jordyn Collis-Winegar was seventh in the 110 hurdles (with a PR of 16.50) and 11th in the 300 hurdles (44.01).

Jackson Clonce was eighth in discus (143-8) and ninth in shot put (with a PR of 47-10.25).

The girls 4x400 relay of Taylor Boggs, Jacie Begley, Alli Hostetler and Lillie Bullock was eighth (4:29.25).

Kevin McCurry was ninth in the 1600 (with a PR of 4:39.67).

John Ross was ninth in the 300 hurdles (with a season’s best 43.35).

Taylor Boggs was ninth in the 300 hurdles (51.54) and 10th in the 100 hurdles (with a PR of 17.00).

Belle Fritts was 10th in the 200 (27.76).

The girls 4x800 relay of Cayden Gent, Allyssa Gent, Lillie Bullock and Sabella Borghetti-Metz was 10th (11:21.25).

Lillie Bullock was 10th in the 1600 (5:45.39).

Kadey Brown was 15th in discus (79-04).