Keeping track

Oxford boys, Alexandria girls run away with Calhoun County track titles; 5 all-time records broken or tied

Boys highlights: Oxford’s boys win eight events, smash 4×800 relay record with best time in Class 6A this season by 8 seconds; White Plains’ Matthew Moore shatters county pole vault record, brother Jake wins 3200; Weaver’s Robert Gaines breaks 110 hurdle record; PV’s Matisse Miller wins 800, 1600.

“This is extremely satisfying, especially with the 4×8 team that now has the fastest time in the state (8:23.22),” Oxford coach Vic Rimpsey said. “We should win this because we are the only 6A program, but we strive to have the best overall time in the state 7A on down.”

Girls highlights: Alexandria girls win six events, Abby Nunnelly wins 1600 and 3200; Oxford’s Shania Vincent wins three events, ties 100 record; Oxford’s Haley Dempsey misses her own javelin record by an inch.

“On Day One this season I mentioned winning the county championship,” Lady Cubs coach Chase Brisendine said. “We set it for our goal; it was something every day in practice I went over and I said we have to work towards this. I told the girls before we got the trophy this is not the end goal; that’s the sectional championship. This is just a step along the way. Now, the focus just shifts; we attained one goal lets move on to the other.”

Look for a photo gallery from the meet at www.bjfranklin.smugmug.com

By Al Muskewitz
East Alabama Sports Today

OXFORD – All Shania Vincent wanted to do was put on a good show for the people – and maybe set a few records along the way.

The Oxford sophomore earned the distinction as the fastest female in the county for the second year in a row when she won three individual events at Monday’s Calhoun County Track and Field Championship at Choccolocco Park.

Vincent won the 100 (12.49), 200 (25.49) and 400 (59.27), tying the girls 100 record set by her coach’s daughter Victoria in 2011.

“it’s just a blessing, another day I can come out here and showcase my talents that God gave me,” Vincent said. “Having faith in myself, having faith that God gave me all the tools I need to utilize this time right here and do what I had to do for my team, for myself, for my mom and my dad; just giving people a good show. That’s all I wanted to do. Entertain the people. Give them something to look forward to.”

Vincent claimed the fastest female distinction last year when she won the 100 and 200, but this year, she said, she was more prepared.

“Last year I trained really hard, but this year I really trained, like I buckled down,” she said. “I was going for every single record that I possibly could go for and I’m just giving it my best. Not saying I didn’t do that last year.

“This year I was probably more mentally focused. Last year I was already physically prepared, same as this year, but this year I was really mentally and physically ready and I had all the confidence in the world that I could have. I had faith in myself that I could do what I could do. I trained to be the best and that’s all I wanted to do. I wanted to be the best today and just trained really hard to get there.”

She has tall dreams that go beyond being the fastest in town. She wants to run in college. She wants to run professionally, all the way to the Olympics.

“I really want to take it that far; it’s something I’ve always wanted to do,” she said. “I see (U.S. Olympic sprinter) Allyson Felix on TV, all the amazing things she does and all the people who look up to her. I want people to look up to me too. I want people to be like, ‘see that girl, she’s giving it her all, she’s focused, she’s not distracted, she’s not negative, she’s positive all the way.’ I want that right there for myself.”

REACHING NEW HEIGHTS: White Plains’ pole vaulter Matthew Moore went to watch his future teammates at Montevallo jump a couple weeks ago and during a break he got to talking with a former county rival.

“(Piedmont’s) Wil (Mitchell) was like the county’s coming up right, and I said yeah it was,” Moore recalled the conversation. “He was like, well, I hope you jump good all year – except for that day. When I get out of here I’m going to send him a message to tell him I got it.”

Moore took down Mitchell’s county record when he cleared 13-0, then added to it when he cleared 13-6. Mitchell set the old mark at 12-10 in 2016.

Moore won his event when he cleared the bar on his opening jump at 12-0, but he wanted much more. He broke Mitchell’s record on his second attempt at 13-0. He cleared 13-6 on his first attempt, using the same pole he jumped 13-6 at the state indoor meet earlier this year, but having to go to Pelham to get it.

“Today was really the only day I cared if I cleared over 13,” he said. “Leading up to this week it was practice, practice, practice.

“Today was more of an emotional thing if I wouldn’t have cleared it. Last year I was mad – I can’t get over 13 any more. Today, if I don’t get over 13 I’d have laid on the mat and cried. I’d have just sat there. This is the last chance to get it and I really wanted it.”

A few minutes before Moore made his record jump, his brother Jake came over to show off his medal for winning the 3200.

“Everybody underestimates that short little freshman,” Matthew said.

JACKETS RUN RAPID RELAY: Oxford’s 4×800 relay team set a blistering pace and ran one of the fastest times in the state (8:23.22). The Jackets would be top five in 7A.

Reed Robinson got it started with a 57-second opening lap, James Elrod and Shane Denman kept it going in the middle, and Kendrick Foster brought it home at the end with 1:59 leg. Foster and Anniston’s anchor were waging a battle on the last lap, but Foster pulled away coming out of the curve in the final 200 meters.

“When I got the baton I knew the responsibility I had to bring it home for us,” Foster said. “I just gave it my all. That’s the fastest time I’ve ever ran in the 800 in my life – by far.”

Foster is only in his second year running track. He came out last year because one of his coaches said it would help him for basketball. He was a high jumper then, but the first time Rimpsey watched him run the 400 he put a stop to that and Kendrick has been a runner ever since.

Foster also won the 400 Monday (51.68). The Yellow Jackets’ other event winners included Antuan Crowder (200), the 4×100 and 4×400 relays, Richard Cantrell (long jump), Devion Ball (triple jump) and Andrew Halpin (javelin). Crowder will be signing a track scholarship with Kentucky Wesleyan later this spring.

CALHOUN COUNTY TRACK & FIELD CHAMPIONSHIP

At Choccolocco Park

Boys Team Scores: Oxford 217, Anniston 96, Weaver 74, Piedmont 71.5, White Plains 57, Jacksonville 55.5, Pleasant Valley 45, Ohatchee 39, Alexandria 30, Saks 17.

Girls Team Scores: Alexandria 152, Oxford 107, Pleasant Valley 99, Ohatchee 80.5, Anniston 69, White Plains 68.5, Piedmont 43, Saks 37, Jacksonville 37, Donoho 3, Weaver 3, Wellborn 3.

Event Winners
(x-County record)
Boys
100 – Darian Bossey, Piedmont 11.3
200 – Antuan Crowder, Oxford 22.96
400 – Kendrick Foster, Oxford 51.68
800 – Matisse Miller, Pleasant Valley 2:05.11
1600 – Matisse Miller, Pleasant Valley 4:50.36
3200 – Jake Moore, White Plains 10:50.50
x-110 hurdles – Robert Gaines, Weaver 15.74 (old record: Giovanni Mosley, Weaver 15.77, 2016)
300 hurdles – Hunter Rouse, Anniston 41.36
4X100 – Oxford 43.67
4X400 – Oxford 3:33.85
x-4X800 – Oxford 8:23.22 (old record: Anniston 4:32.34, 2016)
High jump – Demecus Thomas, Anniston 6-2
Long jump – Richard Cantrell, Oxford 20-10
Triple jump – Devion Ball, Oxford 44-1
Discus – Logan Beadles, Piedmont 127-0
Shot put – Brandon Boyce, Weaver 46-9
Javelin – Andrew Halpin, Oxford 141-0
x-Pole vault – Matthew Moore, White Plains 13-6 (old record: Wil Mitchell, Piedmont 12-10, 2016)

Girls
(x-County record, y-ties County record)
y-100 – Shania Vincent, Oxford 12.49 (old record: Victoria Rimpsey, Oxford 12:49, 2011)
200 – Shania Vincent, Oxford 25.49
400 – Shania Vincent, Oxford 59.27
800 – Trinity Roberts, Pleasant Valley 2:36.46
1600 – Abby Nunnelly, Alexandria 5:46.71
3200 – Abby Nunnelly, Alexandria 12:46.84
100 hurdles – Shoshanna White, Anniston 17.72
300 hurdles – Amia Montgomery, Jacksonville 50.64
4X100 – Alexandria 52.09
4X400 – Alexandria 4:24.91
4×800 – Pleasant Valley 10:47.91
High jump – Brenna Harris, Pleasant Valley 5-0
Long jump – Jhanya Quinones, Oxford 16-4
Triple jump – Rachel Faucett, Pleasant Valley 33-2.5
Discus – Taylor Spradley, Alexandria 104-2
Shot put – Kalee Johnson, Alexandria 34-0.5
Javelin – Haley Dempsey, Oxford 110-5
x-Pole vault – Savannah Yates, White Plains 9-7 (old record: Savannah Yates, White Plains 9-6, 2017)

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