BEARCATS WIN THE BIG ONE

You can expect last minute heroics in almost every sport, in track and field not so much. Thursday’s District 4-AA track met was the exception to the rule for the Hawley Bearcats Varsity track team as they dramatically won their fourth straight meet and the first district title since 1971. The Cats trailed Stanton the entire day and just before the 800 meter final the Buffalo lead was 30 points. Then the Bearcats, slowly but surely, started to claw their way back picking up points here, staying even there. It came down to the last two events with the Stanton lead cut to 17. Then the Hawley milers chalked up 19 points to Stanton’s 6 and drew the Cats up tight, only a 4-point deficit. All that had to happen was for one team to finish the 1600 relay between the Cats and the Buffs. Enter the Anson Tigers. If Anson couldn’t win the relay, which nearly happened, they could at least keep the District Championship in Jones County. As soon as the Bearcats finished first the Hawley fans all became Tiger fans as they came running through. Final tally: Hawley 157 Stanton 153.

The Bearcats will send 8 athletes in 13 events to the regional meet April 28th & 29th at ACU. Seth Manly will compete in the pole vault, triple jump, 110HH, 300IH, and the 1600M relay, Brendon Bounds will be the favorite in both the 800M and 1600M runs and will also run on the 1600 Relay. Luke Walker will go in the 3200M and 1600m runs. Seth Lockwood will compete in the pole vault and the 1600M relay. Corbin Coonrod made it in the discus, Kody Sims in the high jump. Tracy Whitehead qualified in the 100HH, as did Josh Winegeart in the 1600M relay.

Other point earners were Justin Bristow in the 3200M and 1600M runs, Winegeart in the 200M and 800 Relay, Lockwood, Sims and Colby Kinnard in the 400m, Rodney Rud in the 800M, Matt Penny in the 110HH and 300IH, Whitehead in the 300IH and 400M relay, Billy Penny, Josh Harris and Billy Malone in the 400M and 800M Relays, Sims in the long jump and Chad Tallion in the discus.

Results:
High jump: Sims 3rd. 5’ 10”
Pole vault: Manly, 2nd, 10’0”. Lockwood, 3rd. 10’0”
Long jump: Sims 4th. 19’ 3”.
Triple Jump: Manly 2nd. 38’ 11”.
Discus: Coonrod, 3rd. 125’ 10”, Tallion 6th, 112’ 06”
3200M Run: Walker 3rd 11:07:66, Bristow 6th 11:42:47
400M Relay: 4th. (B Penny, Malone, Harris, and Whitehead) 45.5
800M Run: Bounds 1st 1:59:38, Rud 6th 2:13:12
110HH: Manly 2nd 15.78, Whitehead 3rd 16.24, M Penny 4th 16.78
800M Relay: 4th (Winegeart, B Penny, Harris, and Malone) 1:35:49
400M Run: Lockwood 4th 54.96, Sims 5th 55.34, Kinnard 6th 56.59
300IH: Manly 1st 41.34, M Penny 4th 44.81, Whitehead 5th 45.21
200M Dash: Winegeart 4th 23.43
1600M Run: Bounds 1st 4:41.87, Walker 2nd 4:52.84, Bristow 6th 5:07.62
1600M Relay: 1st (Bounds, Lockwood, Manly and Winegeart) 3:31.75