Staff Writer
The Ruston High School boys track and field team took first place at the Ouachita Meet held last Friday.
Staff Writer
The focal event of the local high school track and field regular season is Friday afternoon when Ruston High hosts the annual “Hoss” Garrett Relays.
Ruston’s program ranks among the state’s best. Two of its standout competitors stand among the nation’s best.
All of the Bearcats and Lady Bearcats will be itching to put on a show for their families and friends when field events begin at 3:30, followed by racing at 5:30.
Among the schools expected to line up against Ruston: Cedar Creek, Byrd, Natchitoches Central and Airline.
The Bearcats are headlined by the nation’s No. 2-ranked triple jumper, Brandon Green, and LSU signee Dyllon Nimmers in the distance events.
Green won the indoor state championship in his specialty and opened the outdoor season by becoming only the fourth north Louisiana competitor to ever soar over 50 feet, going 50-3 at Catholic High in Baton Rouge.
Nimmers won the indoor state title in the 800 (1:59.68) and scored 17 ½ points as the Bearcats were second overall. Green led with 18 points, adding a second in the long jump.
The Lady Bearcats have four indoor state champion sprinters, Kemiah Spencer, Jada Williams, Corlaisa Scott and Tyra Fields, who combined to record a 1:43.43 winning time in the 4×200 relay.
Last week, most of the RHS team competed at the Ouachita Lions Relays with others making the trek west to Southlake Carroll for the Texas Distance Festival, and veteran coach Allen Whitaker liked the performances.
“We’re on pace with what we’ve been doing,” he said. “Our girls were second and our boys were first at Ouachita, and we got some big PRs (personal records) from our distance group.
“It was a pretty good weekend to be the Ruston High track coach.”
Bearcat event wins in Monroe came from Damarion Roane (100 meter dash (11.17), Andrew McClinton (400, 53.64), Joshua Anding (800, 2:05.91), Keitravion Hargrove (long jump, 20-7), Green (triple jump, 46-2), and Jordan Gilmore (javelin, 148-7). Ruston’s boys took the 4×100 relay (43.39).
The Lady Bearcats picked up firsts by Fields (100, 12.69), Williams (200, 25.02), Destiny Tatum (800, 2:38.59), and in three relays: 4×100 (48.84), 4×400 (4:01.32) and 4×800 (10:40.21).
BASEBALL: Sterlington avenged Saturday’s 9-3 loss to Ruston with a walk-off 3-2 homefield triumph Monday, winning on William Perkins’ RBI base hit. The Bearcats (12-6) scratched in the first and fifth innings, but the Panthers knotted
it at 2-2 in the bottom of the sixth and won it an inning later.
Ruston opens District 2-5A play Thursday at 6 p.m. Thursday at the Ruston Sports Complex against West Monroe, then visits the Rebels at 1 p.m. Saturday.
Tuesday evening, Cedar Creek fell 7-2 at St. Frederick’s and slipped to 8-8 against a very strong schedule so far this spring. The winners scored in three of the first four innings before the Cougars finally got on the board in the fifth on RBI singles by Jack Parks and Zach Smith.
The Cougars are now off for a while, until April.