Ridger Sports: Cochran wins state heptathalon discus

Blackhawk athletes had a great year

Competing in her first state heptathalon championships along with fellow sophomore Emma Pitts, Blackhawk Mikhaela Cochran recorded the best discus throw among the more than 70 athletes. The competition closed the book on Pea Ridge athletics for 2012-2013.

Cochran’s 98’5”-throw was not only the best in a talented field of athletes, it was also her personal best. Her effort was nearly 2 1/2 feet farther than the next best, a 96’0” mark by Jasmine Jackson of Acorn. It was 20 feet farther than the overall heptathalon champion Kelsey Herman who notched 75’4”.

Overall Cochran finished 35th in the combined seven event, two-day competition, while teammate Pitts finished 52nd. Interestingly enough, Cochran finished ninth overall in the field event totals as she made her personal record, or near personal record, in all four of those venues. The field events were the long jump, discus, high jump and shot put.

In the four-field event top 10 totals, overall winner Herman totaled 2,380, with Nashville’s Kassidy Snowden scoring 2,301; Payton Stumbaugh (HarBer) 2,178; Leah Ward (Bryant) 2,092; Greer Clouse (Lead Hill) 2,090; Ashton Purtle (Russellville) 2,043; Madison Richey (Beebe) 1,948;

Olivia Thomas (Fayetteville) 1,938; Mikhaela Cochran (Pea Ridge) 1,934; and Nikki Thordsen (Lincoln) in 10th with 1,921.

Cochran’s four-field event totals broken down include: long jump 14’9” (428), discus 98’5” (462), high jump 4’10” (588), and shot put 29’1” (456). Her running events were: 100 hurdles 19.18 (374), 200 30.10 (475), and 800 3:06.1 (310). Pitts scores were: 100 hurdles 20.01 (301), long jump 14-8 (421), discus 64’1” (270), 200 29.02 (553), high jump 4’4” (429), shot put 23’6” (345), and 800 3:03.9 (330).

In the two-day event held at Fayetteville High School, Cochran scored 3,093 overall, while Pitts scored 2,649 good for 52nd place.

Overall, counting just 4A athletes, Cochran finished fifth with Pitts came in at the eighth spot.

The heptathalon is an athletic marathon pitting the same group of athletes against each other, testing every facet of their athletic abilities. Sheer strength is tested in the shot, with speed the venue in the 200.

Coordination is tested in the hurdles with leaping ability put to the test in the high and long jumps.

Strength and coordination are valuable assets in the discus with the 800 a test of resolve and endurance.

The final event, the 800, often jumbles the final standings as it comes at the end of the several hour competition. Crossett’s Alexis Pippen who was fifth overall after the first four events, jogged the final event (800) in 3:28.4 which dropped her all the way down into 31st place overall. On the other hand, Bryant’s Melinda Murdock rose from 19th overall to finish in the medals at seventh when she blistered the 800 in 2:15.3, scoring 888 points. Top 10 overall finishers are awarded state medals.

The top 10 medalists were: Kelsey Herman (Crossett) 4,844; Payton Stumbaugh (HarBer) 4,538;

Lonan Morton (Bentonville) 4,100; Alexis Royal (Bryant) 4,071; Greer Close (Lead Hill) 4,015; Kassidy Snowden (Nashville) 3,898;

Melinda Murdoch (Bryant) 3,899; Tori Weeks (Cabot) 3,889; Lexi Weeks (Cabot) 3,865; and Ashton Purtle (Russellville) 3,857.

The heptathalon closed out the athletic year for Pea Ridge High School, a year which will go down in the record books as perhaps the best ever in school history.

Conference titles were won in boys basketball, boys golf, boys and girls cross country and junior girls track. The football team finished second in the league and went into the second round of the playoffs while the girls and boys cross country teams claimed second and third at the state championships, respectively. The girls volleyball team made it to state with a lot of track athletes scoring at the state track meet.

The number of Pea Ridge students in athletics is at an all time high, school facilities are being built that will be the best among 4A schools in the state. The athletic culture at Pea Ridge High is improving and will only get better.

This year’s senior class is probably the most decorated in history, with a lot of individual athletes making their mark in 2012-2013.

Conversely, their graduating will put the school to the test with a lot of holes to fill in boys sports, especially football and basketball. It won’t be a surprise if both sports are not highly regarded when school begins again next fall.

Rebuilding will be in order at least in the short run, but with the improving conditions and growing numbers of student athletes, it will be on a faster track than some observers may think.

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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 and writes a regular sports column for The Times. He can be contacted through The Times at [email protected].

Sports, Pages 8 on 05/22/2013