Record Gaines
- Updated: April 27, 2019
Weaver senior sets two sectional records in first day of 3A qualifying; Donoho produces two winners; also includes PV softball’s storybook senior night finish, area tournament schedules
By East Alabama Sports Today
FORT PAYNE – All Robert Gaines was looking for was was something that would get as many points as he could for the Weaver track team. If that meant giving up an event for something he hadn’t done this season so be it.
Turning in a couple sectional records along the way didn’t hurt.
The Weaver senior set sectional records in the triple jump (45-4) and high jump (6-6) to highlight the Bearcats’ first-day lead in 3A sectional qualifying at Fort Payne.
“I haven’t done it all year,” he said. “I practiced at JSU once this week and I didn’t know how I was going to do really. I just went out there. I was the first one to go before everybody I had to set the standard and I just went there and did it.
“I didn’t know what the record was for triple jump or high jump. I just went out and broke those.”
Gaines gave up the 100 in order to do the triple jump. He’ll compete in the 4×100 relay and the 110 hurdles, his specialty, Saturday.
“Me and coach Marcus (Herbert) talked about it,” Gaines said. “He thought I’d have a better chance at state doing the triple jump than the 100. He said you could do both or pick one, so I picked triple jump. I was trying to rack up all the points I could for my team.”
“I talked to all the kids this morning after we stretched and I just told them to do your best and leave your mark in whatever event you do,” Herbert said. “Robert hasn’t done triple jump all year, but I convinced him into doing it and, man, his second jump he nailed it. In the high jump, he just did what he does.”
But with that success, Gaines knows, comes a price when he gets to the state meet.
“I think I’ll have a target on my back,” he said. “I think everyone’s going to come for me, really. I looked at the 110 hurdles for the other side of the section and they were right at me. Then I looked at the triple jump and right now I’m No. 1 in 3A so I have a target on my back, and in the 4×100 we’re the No. 1 relay in 3A, so there’s one there, too.”
Among the Bearcats’ other top performances, Marcello D’Ambrosia was third in the triple jump with a PR 40-9 and Brendyn Knight was seventh. Katrina Jones punched her ticket to the state meet with a fourth-place finish in the 400. Amardric Elston and Jadon Calhoun finished second and third, respectively, behind Gaines in the high jump.
Amelia Baker and Tyler Rigsby brought 1A sectional titles home to Donoho.
Baker, putting a traditional technique into practice for the first time in a meet, won the girls discus with a throw of 80-9, some eight feet farther than she’s ever thrown before during her first season in track.
“I’ve never tried the spin technique at a meet,” she said. “I tried to do my normal throw in warmups and couldn’t throw a qualifier. After my second throw, a 75, Coach (Mark) Sanders told me, ‘Don’t be complacent with that, spin and get that 80.’ So that’s what I tried to get.”
She was 15 feet ahead of the next qualifier.
She followed that with a third-place finish in the girls shot, putting it 25-1, nearly a foot better than her previous best and three inches shy of second place.
Rigsby won the boys shot at 45-1.
WHAT A FINISH: It was a storybook ending to a special night.
Cortney Williams ripped a two-run double with one out in the bottom of the ninth inning to bring home fellow seniors Lindsey Pritchett and Savannah Williams and give Pleasant Valley a 5-4 walk-off win over White Plains on the Lady Raiders’ Senior/VIP Night.
The Lady Raiders tied it 3-3 in the bottom of the seventh on Rylee Haynes’ two-out RBI single. White Plains took a 4-3 lead in the top of the ninth.
Leah Patterson pitched to all but the last two batters of the game to get the win. She struck out 10.
In addition to honoring their senior players, the Lady Raiders recognized Jan Roberts, a longtime assistant of former PV coach Sandy Hunter who is retiring after 37 years at the school.
The Lady Raiders (24-9) return to the field Monday to play the Saks-Weaver winner in their area tournament.
AREA TOURNAMENTS
CLASS 6A
Area 13 at Oxford
April 30
Game 1: Fort Payne vs. Albertville, 4:30 p.m.
Game 2: Fort Payne-Albertville winner vs. Oxford, 6 p.m.
May 2
Game 3: Loser Game 1 vs. Loser Game 2, 4:30 p.m.
Game 4: Winner Game 2 vs. Winner Game 3, 6 p.m. (7:30 p.m., if necessary)
CLASS 5A
Area 7 at Sylacauga
April 30
Game 1: Clay Central vs. Munford, 5 p.m.
Game 2: Clay Central-Munford winner vs. Sylacauga, 7:30 p.m.
May 1
Game 3: Loser Game 1 vs. Loser Game 2, 5 p.m.
Game 4: Winner Game 2 vs. Winner Game 3, 7:30 p.m.
May 2
Game 5: if necessary, 5 p.m.
Area 12 at Alexandria
April 30
Game 1: Etowah vs. Southside, 4 p.m.
Game 2: Etowah-Southside winner vs. Alexandria, 6 p.m.
May 2
Game 3: Loser Game 1 vs. Loser Game 2, 4 p.m.
Game 4: Winner Game 2 vs. Winner Game 3, 6 p.m.
Game 5: if necessary, 8 p.m.
CLASS 4A
Area 9 at Lincoln
April 30
Game 1: Lincoln vs. Talladega, 4 p.m.
Game 2: Handley vs. Cleburne County, 5:30 p.m.
Game 3: Loser Game 1 vs. Loser Game 2, 7 p.m.
May 2
Game 4: Winner Game 1 vs. Winner Game 2, 5 p.m.
Game 5: Loser Game 4 vs. Winner Game 3, 7 p.m.
May 3
Game 6: Winner Game 4 vs. Winner Game 5, 5 p.m.
Game 7: if necessary, 7 p.m.
Area 10 at White Plains
April 29
Game 1: White Plains vs. Jacksonville, 4 p.m.
Game 2: Hokes Bluff vs. Cherokee County, 5:30 p.m.
Game 3: Loser Game 1 vs. Loser Game 2, 7 p.m.
April 30
Game 4: Winner Game 1 vs. Winner Game 2, 4 p.m.
Game 5: Loser Game 4 vs. Winner Game 3, 5:30 p.m.
Game 6: Winner Game 4 vs. Winner Game 5, 7 p.m.
Game 7: if necessary, 8:30 p.m.
CLASS 3A
Area 11 at Pleasant Valley
April 29
Game 1: Weaver vs. Saks, 4 p.m.
Game 2: Piedmont vs. Wellborn, 8 p.m.
Game 3: Weaver-Saks winner vs. Pleasant Valley, 6 p.m.
April 30
Game 4: Loser Game 1 vs. Loser Game 2, 4 p.m.
Game 5: Winner Game 2 vs. Winner Game 3, 6 p.m.
Game 6: Winner Game 4 vs. Loser Game 3, 8 p.m.
May 2
Game 7: Loser Game 5 vs. Winner Game 6, 4 p.m.
Game 8: Winner Game 5 vs. Winner Game 7, 6 p.m.
Game 9: if necessary, 8 p.m.
CLASS 2A
Area 9 at Ranburne
April 30
Game 1: Woodland vs. Ohatchee, 3:30 p.m.
Game 2: Woodland-Ohatchee winner vs. Ranburne, 5:30 p.m.
Game 3: Loser Game 1 vs. Loser Game 2, 7:30 p.m.
May 2
Game 4: Winner Game 2 vs. Winner Game 3, 4 p.m.
Game 5: if necessary, 6 p.m.
CLASS 1A
Area 8 at Woodland Park
April 30
Game 1: Talladega Co. Central vs. Winterboro, noon
Game 2: Faith Christian vs. Wadley, noon
Game 3: Loser Game 1 vs. Loser Game 2, 2 p.m.
Game 4: Winner Game 1 vs. Winner Game 2, 2 p.m.
Game 5: Loser Game 4 vs. Winner Game 3, 4 p.m.
May 1
Game 6: Winner Game 4 vs. Winner Game 5, 1 p.m.
Game 7: if necessary, 3 p.m.
Area 10 at Appalachian
April 29
Game 1: Appalachian vs. JCA, 2 p.m.
Game 2: Coosa Christian vs. Ragland, 2 p.m.
Game 3: Loser Game 1 vs. Loser Game 2, 4 p.m.
Game 4: Winner Game 1 vs. Winner Game 2, 4 p.m.
April 30
Game 5: Loser Game 4 vs. Winner Game 3, 2 p.m.
Game 6: Winner Game 4 vs. Winner Game 5, 4 p.m.
Game 7: if necessary, 6 p.m.
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