HOT SPRINGS — Monticello coach Marty Davis had faith that his young group of talented athletes, mainly freshmen, were going to be challenged at the Class 5A state track meet Thursday at Hot Springs High School.
Davis stated before the meet began that he just wanted his squad to gain valuable experience in the season finale. Sarah Claycomb made even more of believer of Davis as the freshman took second place in the 3,200-meter run, finishing less than 25 yards behind Batesville’s Logan Bishop.
“That was a heck of a performance for a ninth-grader,” Davis said following Claycomb’s personal-best effort of 12:25.91. “To come out and compete as hard as she did … she’s a heck of a competitor. We’ve known that all year. I am proud of her. I am proud of all of them. They did a heck of a job.”
Claycomb qualified for state with a time of 12:48.04 at the conference meet. She took the lead at the halfway point at state and maintained a 10-yard distance for three laps until Bishop overtook the lead as the two crossed the start-finish line entering the final lap. Claycomb fell behind 10 yards in the front stretch and attempted to make one final push to keep pace.
“I just couldn’t do it,” an exhausted Claycomb said after the race. “That’s something I need to work on, finishing the full race. I just didn’t have anything left. But I gave it everything I had and did the best I could.”
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Monticello’s girls finished alone in 20th place. Crossett and Camden Fairview tied for the state title with 98 points.
Watson Chapel’s Alyssa Anderson was expected to compete well in the 1,600 and 3,200-meter runs but finished well back in the 1,600 and failed to show up for the 3,200, citing “stomach issues” for her no-show.
Watson Chapel coach Marcus Aynes spent 15 minutes looking for the senior runner after the event and was just as confused as anyone as to where she was and why she failed to show.
“You know as much as I do,” Aynes said. “All I can say is this is disappointing. I am upset. We have been working all year for this. I am trying to find out what’s going on just like you.”
Anderson emerged after a search and said she was in no condition to compete.
“I was not feeling well,” she said. “It must have been something I ate. I feel bad because I wanted to run it. But it’s one of those things that when your body can’t go, your body can’t go.”
Without points from Anderson, Watson Chapel’s girls failed to mark. The WC boys team finished with two points, along with Monticello, for a 22nd-place tie. White Hall also failed to make the leaderboard in boys and girls, but the 4×100 relay team of Mary Kathryn Bush, Ricki Jackson, Morissa Lewis and Charese Simpson finished fourth in their heat.
White Hall’s Joseph Stewart finished second in his heat in the 300 hurdles, the same heat in which Monticello’s Blake Dorman fell as he knocked over the first hurdle and finished seven of eight runners. Stewart’s time was not good enough to earn points.
Vilonia won the boys team title with 118 points, far ahead of Camden Fairview’s 75 second-place points.