Columbia Academy qualified several runners to the MAIS AAA State Track Championship on Friday and Saturday, May 4 and May 5 in Jackson.
May 4 at Jackson Academy, senior Brent Mitchell and junior Warren Parker competed in the 3200-meter run. Both had outstanding runs with Mitchell finishing third with 10:53.49 and Parker fourth with 10:55.31.
On May 5 at Jackson Prep, the team of Natalie Ragan, Ina Claire Parker, Samantha Ragan and Hannah Rogers finished third in the girls 4x800-meter relay. The team, which consists of three eighth-graders and a freshman, set a new CA school record with 11:14.05.
Rogers, an eighth-grader, finished fifth in the 800-meter run. Rogers was on pace for a new school record and a third place finish when contact was made with another runner. She took a hard fall just two meters short of the finish line. She got up and still managed to finish fifth with a good time of 2:36.84. Rogers had set the CA school record the previous week at South State with 2:34.34.
For the boys Mitchell finished sixth in the 800-meter run with 2:09.06. Parker finished fourth in the 1600-meter run with a personal record of 4:59.47.
In one of the most exciting races of the meet, the team of James Ragan, Macen Smith, Parker and Mitchell took the bronze medal in the 4x800-meter relay with 8:58.76. Mitchell, the anchor leg, took the baton over 60 meters behind the third place team’s anchor leg. He slowly closed the gap but was still more than 20 meters behind with 200 meters to go. Mitchell then kicked and blew by the other runner for third, much to the astonishment of the crowd. Mitchell’s split for his leg was 2:05.
“We are very proud of our teams,” distance coach Duane Powell said. “We only had two varsity boys and no varsity girls participating this season, and we did exceptionally well considering their youth. We had 32 total kids with 11 sixth-graders. We won our junior high district championship in girls and boys, so if these kids stick with it, we certainly have a bright future.”
Pictured Above: From left, Samantha Ragan, Hannah Rogers, Ina Claire Parker and Natalie Ragan led the Cougars to a bronze medal in the 4x800-meter relay. | Photo Submitted
