Thirty-one Port City SPEED athletes competed at the AAU Arkansas District Championship in Texarkana, Texas, June 13-14, and all 31 qualified for the regional meet in Springfield, Mo., to determine qualifiers for the AAU Junior Olympics.
The district meet was held at Liberty-Eylau High School. It was there where Port City SPEED earned 24 gold medals, eight silver, five bronze and 19 ribbons ranging from fourth to eight places.
The top 16 performers in each event advanced to the regionals, which began Thursday at Springfield Parkview High School and conclude Sunday. Athletes from Arkansas, Missouri, Kansas and Oklahoma are participating.
Port City SPEED was one of three Pine Bluff-area clubs competing in Texarkana and had a number of athletes win events: Malachi Rayford in the men’s 110-meter hurdles at 16.08 seconds; Stanley Gaddy, boys 8-under 400 meters, 1:15.40; Mario Rayford Jr., men’s 400-meter hurdles, 1:04.91; Mykhia Mangrum, girls 13-year-old 800 meters, 3:16.34; Trinity Thornton, girls 11-year-old 1,500 meters, 6:20.09; Josiah Harrison, boys 15-16 year-old discus throw, 85 feet, 9 inches; Mangrum, girls 13-year-old discus throw, 44-1; Mangrum, girls 13-year-old javelin throw, 45-4; Tyler Harrison, boys 8-under shot put, 14-5.5; Mangrum, girls 13-year-old shot put, 29-10; and Madison Bagby, women’s shot put, 24-1. Also, the girls 12-year-old 4×100 (58.00), girls 10-year-old 4×400 (6:13.31) and girls 12-year-old 4×400 relay (5:37.68) teams won their races.
From Pine Bluff Track Club: Jeremiah Lee, boys 13-year-old 200, 25.01; K.J. Poney, boys 11-year-old 800, 2:32.39; Kobe Hinton, boys 8-under 1,500, 7:16.28; and Lee, boys 13-year-old long jump, 16-1.
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Louis Moss Striders: Deshawn Roy, boys 9-year-old 100, 13.69; Myron Edwards, boys 11-year-old 80, 14.32; Roy, boys 9-year-old 200, 28.31; D’Ariah Harris, women’s 400 hurdles, 1:09.63; Chave’la Sanders, girls 11-year-old 800, 2:51.28; Myron Edwards, boys 11-year-old high jump, 4-8; Eraii Briggs, girls 15-16 year-old high jump, 4-8; D’Ariah Harris, women high jump, 5-2; Joe Page IV, boys 11-year-old long jump, 11-11; Roy, boys 9-year-old long jump, 13-3; Ameliyah Taylor, girls 11-year-old long jump, 13-8; D’Ariah Harris, women long jump, 17-9; Myron Edwards, boys 11-year-old shot put, 33-3. Also, the boys 15-16 year-old 4×400 relay team won with a time of 3:53.83.
Port City SPEED also announced its regional qualifiers:
8-year-olds – Sheriah Miller in the 100, 200 and 400; Dakota Skelton in the 100, 200 and 400; Emberee Thornton in the 800 and 1,500; Stanley Gaddy in the 100, 200 and 400; Christopher Shorter in the long jump and 200; Xzayvier Dolford in the long jump, 100 and 200; Tyler Harrison in the shot put and turbo javelin;
9-year-olds — Z’Niyah Proctor in the 4×400, 100 and long jump; Cayden Hughes in the 100, 200 and 400; C’Mahj Murphy in the 100, 200 and 400;
10-year-olds — Ka’Leigh Piggie in the 4×400, shot put and turbo javelin; Riley Allen in the 4×400, 100 and turbo javelin; London Hinton in the 4×400, 100 and 200;
11-year-olds — A’Kyre Ento in the 4×100, 4×400 and long jump; Naomi Battles in the 4×100, 100 and long jump; Khalie Piggie in the 4×100, 4×400, 100 and 200; Kali Smith in the 200, 400 and 4×400; Trinity Thornton in the 1,500, 4×400 and 800; Andre Dolford in the long jump, 100 and 200;
12-year-olds — Ariel Hargrave in the 4×100 and 4×400; Amier Terry in the turbo javelin, long jump and 100; Carter Jarmon in the turbo javelin, 100 and 200;
13-year-olds – Mykhia Mangrum in the shot put, javelin, discus and 800;
15- and 16-year-olds — Cherese Wright in the shot put and long jump; Makenzie Coleman in the 800 and long jump; Kaiden Collier in the long jump; Tyler Bagby in the 800 and 1,500; Josiah Harrison in the discus, shot put and javelin;
17- and 18-year-olds (men and women) — Madison Bagby in the shot put, discus and javelin; Malachi Rayford in the 110 hurdles, long jump and triple jump; and Mario Rayford Jr. in the 110 and 400 hurdles, 200 and long jump.