Scott County rivals Mansfield and Waldron once again set the bar high in the local track and field circuit. It was the two neighboring schools that pulled away from a dozen other contenders to dominate the rescheduled Mansfield Tiger Relays on April 14. The pair finished one-two in the team rankings with Waldron spoiling Mansfield’s home debut for the 20th annual event.
The Lady Bulldogs of Waldron used depth across the board scoring in 17 of 18 events to take the senior high Tiger Relays championship plaque. Front loaded with sprinter speed, hurdle talent, and horizontal hops; it was the orange and black Bulldogs that piled up the points for a 185 winning total.
Mansfield lacked overall player numbers in their bid for the top prize. Although the team scored in 16 of 18 events, many of those marks came from a single entry rather than two like the larger Waldron roster produced.
Mansfield’s inability to manipulate an already limited lineup was compounded when its second leading scorer, Danielle Lowery, was pulled from the meet early due to illness. The Lady Tigers had to shuffle the deck to accommodate the loss of their maxed out player. Doing so admirably, the team still scored 127 total team points. It was that accumulated total that easily earned them the runner-up team prize.
Westville, Magazine, and Booneville rounded out the remaining top five of eleven scoring schools. None below the top two trophy teams, however, produced a pile surpassing 63 total points.
Individually, it was Mansfield’s Daisy Nelson that took top honors in the high point category. The junior sprinter, hurdler, and long jumper made her presence felt with 35.2 total points. Wins in the women's 100m hurdles and long jump kick started her night. Additionally, solid placements in three other sprinting events moved her high point needle to the top spot.
“Daisy is a natural,” said Mansfield’s interim head coach John Mackey. “This is her first track meet in 31 days. You could sense a lack of competition reps played a role in her overall production and stamina. She’s been past 50 points in the past. Still, this was special for her. To see her state qualify and to win a high point award on her home track is a testament to her natural gifts.”
Nelson did prequalify to the class 3A state track meet scheduled for Prescott on May 6. It was a winning long jump of 16’ 1” that equaled the state standard and assured her early admission into the track finale.
“We are extremely proud of Daisy for cashing in on her first opportunity to qualify,” smiled the longtime Mansfield track and field coach. “As the schedule unfolds, she should have two more opportunities to expand her state schedule. That would certainly be a blessing as Daisy already joins Kaylee Ward and Danielle Lowery as early state meet entries.”
Ward, Mansfield’s top throwing candidate, prequalified in the shot put some weeks ago at a registered meet in Alma. The three sport All-State athlete most recently won the Van Buren Pointer Relays on April 17 in that same event. At Mansfield’s meet, she came in second behind Trinity Duncan of Westville, Oklahoma.
Lowery, Mansfield’s other prequalified track athlete, did so by meeting the state standard in the high jump. Her 5’ 0” personal record produced one week ago in Greenwood put her into the Prescott hosted state event. At the Tiger Relays and the Pointer Relays three days later, the sophomore scored with more modest leaps of 4’ 8” while suffering from the onset of sickness.
Laney Wood, Mansfield’s typical leading scorer throughout the regular season, came through with a solid night of her own at the Tiger Relays. The senior navigated an altered schedule from her normal routine to garner 30 points to which was third on the overall individual leaderboard. Her best marks came from a first place pole vault (8’ 6”) and a second place triple jump (32’ 5.5”).
Waldron’s Keirstyn Hall was also in the high point conversation as she accumulated 32.5 points at the Mansfield hosted event. A first place measure of 54.12 seconds in the 300m hurdles added to the sophomore’s cause. A second place mark just behind Wood in the pole vault, and a pair of thirds in the 100m hurdles and long jump gave her solid medalist consideration.
Seandraia Brown of Waldron was special in the short races. As the anchor leg in the women’s 4x100m relay, she brought the stick by the finish for an accumulative team time of 54.17. The junior also crossed first in both the 100m dash and 200m dash at Mansfield’s Tiger Stadium.
Similarly special, April Carter, also of Waldron, made good with a 32’ 11” triple jump. That was the night’s top horizontal installment just ahead of Wood.
Bailey London, Mansfield’s top distance runner, was spectacular in her own way, turning the two lap 800m run in 2:50.23. The wire to wire win earned the sophomore All-District cross country runner ten quick points. A second place mark in the 1600m run, finishing only behind All-State product Phoebe Hopper of Magazine, gave London another eight points for the Lady Tiger team.
London also anchored Mansfield’s second place 4x800m relay team. She was joined by Wood, Ashlynn Whittaker, and Trinity Triska.
Waldron won the distance relay at 11:53.96. The Lady Bulldog team used Stephanie Grano as the lead leg followed by Abigail Lance, Kimber Carahan, and Emily Defoor.
Mansfield also came in second in the closing 4x400m relay. Summer Lyon, Whittaker, Wood, and Triska edged out Booneville by one-hundredth of a second to split the silver and bronze medals. Westville, out of Oklahoma, won the event.
Additional settings for Safari Browser.
