GRAVETTE — Two boys and two girls earned places in the tough Junior Lion Track Invitational last week in Gravette.

Austin Easterling was the meet standout for the Jr. ’Hawks, nabbing a fourth in the 800 meter run to score 5 points. His time of 2:24.6 was just a second from second place in the two-lap race.

Easterling battled for a first place position for much of the race before fading in the backstretch in the second lap. The 9th-grader regrouped heading into the final curve, generating a surge that carried him to fourth.

The girls’ top finisher came in the same event with Anna Morgan breaking the 3:00 barrier, runninga 2:58.04 to tie for fifth place scoring 3.5 points in the process. The 7th-grader led the large contingent of 800 runners until the final curve where she was passed by a quartet of 8th- and 9th-graders

Daniel Beard was the only ’Hawk to score in two events, taking eighth in both the long jump as well as the shot put. His long jump was 15 feet 7 inches with his best throw in the shot being 38 feet 5 inches.

Rylee Patrick continued to improve in the 1600, as the diminutive 7th-grader took eighth in the 1600 meters with a 6:32.04 timing.

Patrick is the only Lady ’Hawk who has scored in both meets to date and has been the top finishing 7th-grader among the other schools.

Other Lady ’Hawk finishers inthe meet were: Felicia Walker, 100, 17th (14.39); Kaylee Laster, 200, 24th (33.30); Mikhaela Cochrane, 400 18th (76.1) and long jump, 10th (12-2); and Jerika Schooley, discus, 16th (50-5) and shot put, 11th (26-2).

The 4x100 meter relay team (Laster, Walker, Winn, Cochrane) finished ninth with a time of 59.1.

The 4x400 relay (Bell, Patrick, Laster, Morgan) was 13th in 5:21.4

Other ’Hawk competitors were: Jonah Torres, 200 15th (27,41);

Logan Rose, 400, 12th (62.31); Dayton Winn, 1600, 10th (5:51.71); and Braxton Caudill, discus 16th (96.9). The 4x100 relay team (Torres, Rose, Gomez, Beard) was ninth in 51.35. The 4x400 relay (Morgan, Stamps, Gomez, Easterling) was 11th in 4:35.8 with the 4x800 relay finishing 16th (Duffy, Oldenbeken,Stamps, Earley).

Team scores for the boys were Siloam Springs, 117; Prairie Grove, 110; Gravette, 65; Lincoln, 57; Gentry, 52; Huntsville, 39; Jay, 39; Elkins, 28; Green Forest, 25;

Shiloh, 25; Decatur, 14; Berryville, 13; Greenland, 13; Lincoln, 8; Pea Ridge, 7; Mountainburg, 6; Farmington, 4; and Eureka Springs, 2.

Girls scores were: Mountainburg, 88.5; Shiloh, 65; Berryville, 58; Siloam Springs, 54.5; Lincoln, 53.5; Decatur, 44; Gravette, 43; Jay, 42; Elkins, 39; Prairie Grove, 33;

Huntsville, 31; Green Forest, 27;

Gentry, 17; Eureka Springs, 13; Pea Ridge, 4.5; and Lincoln, 1.

The Junior tracksters competed last night in Eureka Springs with their next meet being the 4A-1 District Track and Field Championships later this month.

Sports, Pages 7 on 04/07/2010