Horton sweeps senior banners at district track meet

BY JOHN DECOSTE

The Advertiser/NovaNewsNow.com

Central Kings might well represent the future of school track and field in Kings County, but for now at least, the present, especially at the senior level, still belongs to Horton.

Horton used a team effort to sweep the senior boys’ and girls’ divisions at last week’s Kings-West Hants District competition in Kentville. The Horton boys outscored runner-up NKEC 307-201, while the Horton girls topped second-place Kings-Edgehill 238-133.

At the intermediate level, Central Kings racked up 440 points for an easy win in the boys’ division. West Kings took the intermediate girls’ banner with 157 points.

The junior boys’ competition was the closest of the two-day meet, with EMS compiling 181 points to 178 for Pine Ridge, 172 for Berwick and 157 for Coldbrook.

Coldbrook took the junior girls’ 258-181 over Pine Ridge, with EMS third with 156.

Central Kings dominated the intermediate boys’ competition, placing first in 12 events and totaling 29 top-three finishes.

Brandon Patterson was a triple winner in the 100 and 200 metres and long jump. Other CK winners included Mitch Best in the 400 and 1,500 metres, Alex McCarthy in the 800, Iain MacMillan in the hurdles, Matt Butt in the discus, Andrew Jennings-Lindsay in the shot put, Connor Simmons in the triple jump and Michael Foote in the pole vault.

Central Kings also won both the 4X400 and 4X100 relays, with CK teams finishing both first and second in the latter event.

NKEC winners

In intermediate girls’, Britany MacArthur of NKEC was a triple winner, in the 800, 1,500 and 3,000 metres. Her teammate Rhianna Nicholson won both the discus and shot put -- with Jessica Mahaney of NKEC placing second to Nicholson in both events.

Alanna Fairfax of Central Kings was also a double winner, in the 200 and 400 metres.

Marlene Langelaan of West Kings won the 100 metres and also anchored West Kings to victory in the 4X100 relay. (West Kings also won the 4X400 relay). Kira Pederson of Horton won the hurdles and was second in the 100 metres.

Kristin Smith of Landmark East School won the long jump, Stacy Burgess of CK the javelin and Rachel Blezy of West Kings the high jump. West Kings also had top-three placings from Hilary Rawding and Sarah Thomas en route to the district team banner.

In junior boys’, Drew Wannamaker of Coldbrook was a triple winner, capturing the 100, 200 and 400 metres. Teammate Logan McNeill won the 3,000 metres, was second in the 800 and third in the 1,500.

EMS, however, ended up with the top team performance, led by Robert Adams, first in discus, second in three other events; Norman Atwell, first in long jump; and Adam Melanson, first in javelin. EMS also won the 4X100 relay.

Swept relays

Among those leading Coldbrook to the junior girls’ banner were Kaissa VanMeekeren, first in 100 and 200 metres; Jessica Monette, first in 400 metres, third in 100 and 200; and Jennifer Poirier, first in hurdles. Coldbrook also swept the junior girls’ relays.

Mikayla Webster of Coldbrook won the shot put, was second in the javelin and third in the discus. Maddy Macdonald of EMS also had a strong meet, winning both the 800 and 1,500 metre races.

In senior boys’, Keegan Wood of NKEC won the 800, 1,500 and 5,000 metre races.

Horton’s Greg Theriau was also a triple winner, in the 400 metres, long jump and triple jump, and placed second in the hurdles. Dustin Poirier of Central Kings was a double winner, in the high jump and javelin, and was runner-up in the triple jump.

Other Horton winners in senior boys’ included Tim Boschel in the 100 metres, Scott Duncan in the 200, Jeremy Dunn in the shot put and the 4X400 relay team. In all, Horton had 22 top-three finishes en route to the district banner.

In senior girls’, Marissa Walter of Central Kings won the 100 metres -- setting a new district record of 12.03 -- and 200 metres, and anchored CK to victory in the 4X100 relay.

Walter now holds the district junior, intermediate and senior girls’ 100-metre records.

Also triple winner

Robbyn McNeill of CK was also a triple winner, sweeping the 800, 1,500 and 3,000-metre races. Taya McGillivary of Kings-Edgehill won the 400 metres and shot put, was second in the 800 metres and third in the 200 metres.

Horton won the district banner on the strength of a team effort that included only two first-place finishes -- Sammy Weir in the triple jump, and the 4X400 relay team. But there were five runner-up placings: three by Heidi Stirling, 100, 200 and 400 metres; and two by Jasmine Vos 1,500 and 3,000 metres.

Nichole Morrison of Kings-Edgehill won both the high jump and long jump.

NKEC’s Kaleigh Wolodka, with first in pole vault, second in triple jump and third in long jump, Christine Manning, first in hurdles, second in pole vault, and Rebecca D’Eon, first in discus and javelin, second in shot put, also had strong meets.

Walter had the only new record set at the meet, but given that all the throwing events were contested at new weights this year, technically it resulted in a whole new category of district records.

The top finishers at the district competition advance to the Western Region championships set for this weekend, May 30-31, at Bridgetown Regional High School.