Mansfield Ribbon Run Successful for Rookies

Posted Date: 04/05/2023

Spring break ushered in the start of three days of Mansfield Tiger Relays. The first of which was the Seventh Grade Ribbon Run on Monday, March 27.

Mansfield invited eight teams and allowed unlimited entries into their ribbon run format. As a means to get several kids involved, the games committee established the unlimited entry format along with awarding ribbons for each heat.

Whether under the relaxed rules or not, Mansfield athletes still found success. The fact that multiple heats were tabulated individually just increased Mansfield’s usual haul of awards.

For instance, Mansfield discus throwers scored 3 blue ribbons as opposed to just one winner with a saturation of top 8 places to follow.

Rylan Jones, Bailey Quick, and Alivia Wilson were among the trend setters at the discus ring. Jones, Quick, Addison Howard and Aubree Helms similarly headlined the shot put ring.

Sprinter Miley Clopton had a very good night as she took high marks in a loaded event schedule. The up and coming sprinter stood out in the 100m dash, 200m dash, high jump, long jump, and 4x100m relay.

Teammate Abby Smith was a hit big in her role as well. Smith scored well in the pole vault, high jump, 100m hurdles, 300m hurdles, 4x100m relay, and 4x400m relay.

Adeline Bray set a personal record in the triple jump. Two days later she moved up to the junior high team and did so again. By the end of the week, the seventh grade rookie had established her new mark at 27’ 7”. That new triple jump PR advanced her to the second ranked horizontal jumper among all Mansfield junior high leapers.

Bray, Clopton, Jones, and Smith put the shine on the final race. In a photo finish for the 4x100m relay, Mansfield came away with victory. The combination of Payton Meyers, Clopton, Bray and Smith were equally to the task in the women’s 4x100m relay.

Hunter Whittaker continued to get better in the horizontal jumps. In the long jump he topped the 14 foot mark and in the triple he eclipsed the 31 foot margin.

Whittaker joined Matthew Knight, Treven Hattabaugh and Drake Brunson in improving relays as well. The combination scored both in the 4x100m relay and the closing 4x400m relay.

Clayton Garrison stayed in the top rankings for seventh grade shot and discus measurements. Michael Carter made headway in the two tosses as well after spending spring break at volunteer practices.