‘Hawks, Bengals Make Mark at Meet

Westwood’s Anthony Friday with a championship thrust. (Photo/Ross Burton)

Blythewood’s Mike Lantz digs for the finish line. (Photo/Ross Burton)

Friday Flings First-Place Shot

COLUMBIA – Last Friday afternoon and Saturday, Spring Valley High School hosted the state track and field championships at Parone Stadium. The top eight athletes in every event came to take their chance at victory and have a gold medal placed around heir necks. Both Blythewood schools were represented and acquitted themselves well.

In the boy’s shot put, Westwood’s Anthony Friday heaved the heavy iron ball nearly 3 feet beyond the next best competitor’s throw to win his first state title. Last season, Friday threw the same distance as the state champion, but had to settle for second place when the tie was broken by the athlete’s next farthest throw. In warm-ups, Friday threw the shot beyond the 60-foot shot put pit and onto the grass.

“I keep telling him not to throw his best in warm-up,” Westwood head coach Lawrence Terry said about the long throw, “save it for the meet.”

Friday was also on the podium in the boy’s discus. Last year he was on the third spot on the podium, but he improved his placing by rising to second place in that event. Westwood claimed sixth place in the boy’s overall team standings.

Marvin James finished seventh in the boy’s 800 meter run. Jerald Glover finished eighth in the 3200 meter run. Both Glover and James joined Kelvin Rosemond and Ereck Lewis as the 4×800 meter relay team, which claimed fourth place.

Sadly, Westwood’s Adonus Lee was injured and could not compete in the high jump. Lee was last year’s state runner-up.

Blythewood High School had two athletes in the boys’ competition. Mike Lantz did a great job in the distance event, finishing fourth in the 1600 meter run and fifth in the 3200.

Adam Ramsdale garnered a pair of fifth-place finishes in the boys’ 200 and 400 meter dashes.

On the girls’ side, Westwood’s returning state champions were not able to defend against the stellar field of athletes who competed this year. Brianna Presley had to settle for fourth place in the girls’ 100 meter dash, but she was on the podium in the girls’ 200 meters, finishing second to the same girl who took the 100 meter victory.

Kelsey Briggs was the runner-up in the girls’ long jump. Briggs and Makayla Stanley of James Island High were in a pitched battle for the long jump victory. The pair were the only girls to jump over 19 feet, the rest of the field trailing by a good 2 feet. Stanley managed to nip Briggs by a mere 3 inches for the win. Westwood’s Da’Sha Jobes also qualified for the girls’ long jump, finishing fourth.

The other girl’s podium finish for the Lady Redhawks came from the girls’ 4×400 meter relay. The team of Briggs, Jobes, Ellison Blow and Jordan Harding claimed third place. With Presley replacing Briggs, the Westwood girls’ 4×100 meter team managed a seventh place in that event.

On the Blythewood Bengals distaff side, only Brooke Taylor qualified for the state meet. She qualified in the girls’ high jump and cleared 5-feet, 2-inches, which was good enough for fifth.

Complete results of the meet, along with the times and distances can be found by logging onto:

http://sc.milesplit.com/meets/158102-schsl-state-championships#.U3uwKS9PLw4

Contact us: (803) 767-5711 | P.O. Box 675, Blythewood, SC 29016 | [email protected]