The 4A State Track and Field meet which starts tomorrow in Heber Springs will test the dozen locals who will be in attendance.
The lone individual competitor, Mikhaela Cochran, had two marks among the top eight performances coming from the six 4A district meets that were held recently. Cochran, the teams’ high-point athlete for the season, had the seventh best mark in both her events: the high jump and discus throw.
Both girls and boys 4x100 relay teams had the 10th best time among the district qualifiers coming into the meet.
Besides the top two finishers in each event in each district, there could be additional athletes or relays added to the meet who qualified on time or distance prior to the district level of competition.
The state meet dynamic will likely mean that the lists shown will probably not be the way the finalscoring list will look. Teams that may have had bad weeks in district might well bounce back while some teams may not do as well as previously.
Because the track is fast and well maintained in Heber Springs, there may well be considerable improvements in marks over last week. The National Weather Service, however, is predicting a 50 percent chance of rain tomorrow in Heber Springs, with morning temperatures in the 50s with afternoon marks to rise to the upper 60s. It has been my experience over the years that rainy or colder weather can often severely affect some southern teams, more so than the teams used to cold conditions.
Girls high jump
Kelsey Herman, Crossett 5-4
Kamry Orr, Maumelle 5-2
Kassie Snowden, Nashville 5-2
Shacola Poole, Ashdown 5-2
Kayla Lassiter,Waldron 5-1
Nikki Thordsen, Lincoln 5-0
Mikhaela Cochran, Pea Ridge 4-11
Farmer Meran, Hamburg 4-10 Girls discus throw
Donyel Johnson, Crossett 107-0
Shaquanna Keith, Crossett 105-1
Shyla Lipham, Waldron 102-2
Lacy Grace, Nashville 99-9
Linda Stang,Waldron 95-6
Mckenzie Ruiz, Berryville 92-1
Mikhaela Cochran, Pea Ridge 89-8
Darien Gaines, Ashdown 89-4 Girls 4x100 relay
Crossett 47.2
Pulaski Robinson 51.6
Nashville 52.0
Warren 53.2
Batesville Southside 53.4
Maumelle 53.5
Heber Springs 53.8
Gosnell 54.0
Waldron 54.2
Pea Ridge 54.4 Boys 4x100 relay
Lakeside 43.1
Monticello 43.4
Dollarway 43.6
Nashville 43.8
Highland 44.5
Dardanelle 44.6
Maumelle 44.7
Lonoke 44.78
Prairie Grove 44.8
Pea Ridge 45.2 Hall in All-Star game
Senior Blackhawk Jacob Hall has been selected to play in the Arkansas High School Coaches All-Star Classic this summer.
Known for his prolific scoring for some time, Hall became a defensive star this year as well, earning a berth at the prestigious event.
Hall is in a select group of five athletes from northwest Arkansas named to the 15-man West All-Star roster.
Other selectees include: Josh Ferrell, West Fork; Payton Hensen, Siloam Springs;
Nick Smith, Bentonville; and Manny Watkins, Fayetteville. Hall was the only 4A player to be named.
He will be coached by Pottsville coach Shane Thurman.
So long to coach Clark
In my 30-plus years covering sports for a variety of newspapers, I have interviewed or worked with a lot of basketball coaches, bothon the collegiate and the high school level, and I would have to say that now-former basketball coach Charley Clark was perhaps the most cooperative, congenial coach I ever got to deal with. A lot of coaches couldn’t care less what gets put into newspaper reports, but Clark had a real concern that athletes who needed recognition or deserved honor, got it. He always made things available to get it done.
Yes, you can steal first
Have you ever wondered about whether it is legal or possible to steal first base - from second? Well, it happened and in a major league game no less.
Jean Segura of the Milwaukee Brewers had gotten on base, then stole second.
After the Chicago Cubs pitcher walked the next batter, the Brewers had men on first and second. Segura decided to steal third, but when he saw he would be put out, he reversed course and headed back to secondbase. After he got there, the runner from first base got there, too, not realizing that Segura came back.
The umpire bellowed “out” when a player on defense tagged both men.
Segura then started walking back to the dugout beyond first base when his coach yelled “You’re not out! The other guy is.” Segura then ran to first base as it was the closest one available. A few pitches later, Segura tries to steal second for the second time but gets caught this time.
So he stole second, tried to steal third but wound up stealing first, then was tagged out stealing second again.
I saw something like that in T-ball once.
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Editor’s note: John McGee is an award-winning columnist and sports writer. He is the art teacher at Pea Ridge elementary schools, coaches elementary track. He can be contacted through The Times at [email protected].
Sports, Pages 8 on 05/01/2013