The early outdoor track and field season had its rounds made prior to spring break. Now, with a week of rest and recovery under the collective belts of local teams, schools will now head to Mansfield for the annual running of the Tiger Relays.
Mansfield is listed as the next stop on most team’s schedules as schools return to business as usually following a lengthy spring break.
The Tigers will host a trio of events starting March 28 and running through March 31. Up first will be a “Ribbon Run” on Monday for local seventh grade teams. Tuesday will see some 21 teams enter the Senior Tiger Relays. The week will wrap up on Thursday with the Junior Tiger Relays.
“We expect good crowds for the next few days,” said meet director and head Mansfield women’s coach John Mackey. “Mansfield is close to several schools and our volunteers put on a good show. There should be some competitive races and some opportunities to pre-qualify to state among several classifications.”
Field events each night are scheduled for a 4 PM start. Races will follow on a rolling schedule with the 4x800m relay listed for a 5:30 PM start.
Mansfield has three athletes already qualified to the state finals through earlier entries. Darby Jones, Sadie Roberts, and Ryan Hayslip have each met standards for pre-qualifications to the Quitman hosted finals. The Tigers hope the comfort of their home course will afford additional entries by standards.
The Lady Tigers have performed well so far this outdoor season with a small roster. Already the group has collected a championship and runner-up team award through two outdoor senior high meets. The junior girls have walked away with a pair of runner-up plaques so far through two weeks of outdoor meets.
The Mansfield men have shown promise as well. Freshman Trey Powell has quickly built a reputation as the player to watch. He has flirted with school records in the sprints and horizontal jumps. Seniors John Branche, Tyler Escalante, and Axle Ravnsborg look to join junior Tommy Phang as they set their sights on the school’s 4x200m record.
“We hope to have a fuller roster at all levels for our home meets,” announced Mackey.
MHS squads have had to juggle weekly lineups due to conflicts with other spring sports and school academic trips.
“Our home meet is always a highlight,” added the Mansfield women’s coach. “It’s one of the few times our fans get a real chance to see us in action. Right now the conflicts are minimal for our track athletes. Were excited to see how our kids prepared over break for this opportunity at home.”
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