COLUMBIA – Qualifying track and field athletes from Westwood and Blythewood high schools headed to Spring Valley High School May 10 – 11 for the State Finals.
In a show of consistent growth, Westwood boys track finished third overall, their third top five finish in as many years. The Redhawks scored 51 total points, finishing behind Hilton Head with 57 and Beaufort with 93.
Christian Horn took home the 4A State Championship in the 400 meter dash with a time of 47.69. Paul McCants IV finished behind him in second at 48.82. McCants also took second in the 800m run at 1:58:78 and Horn took third in the 200m dash at 21.66.
The Redhawk 4×400 meter relay team of Rayhshawn Floyd, Robert Johnson, Horn and McCants also stood atop the podium as they claimed the 4A State Championship with a finals time of 3.18.82.
The 4×800 relay team of McCants, Johnson, Jordan Alexander-Coleman and Floyd finished second at 8:05.66, and the 4×100 relay team of Alonzo Connor, Sean Wise, Jalen Briggman and Horn finished eighth with a time of 43.97.
The Westwood girls team had a 25th place finish of the 28 teams. The relay team of Jahmera Trapp, Adaora Okeke, Sierra McCant and Kennedy Rivers placed third in the 4×100 behind Greenville and AC Flora.
Blythewood boys also had some bright spots in the 5A State Championships, finishing 16th overall out of 28 qualifying teams.
Alan Deogracias placed third in the 3200m run with a finals time of 9:47.74 behind Evan Prince from Laurens and Zane Jackson of Cane Bay High School.
Payton Manuel placed fourth in high jump at 6-06.00, and Joab Cochran placed fifth in the 110 meter hurdles with a time of 15.03.
While no Bengal girls placed in the top three of their events, the Bengal girls team finished 14th of 30 teams.
Teleah Moorer finished fifth in the 100m hurdles with a time of 15.36, followed by Makeshria Brown in sixth at 15.52.
The relay team of Jordyn Benson, LaTavia Bracey-Ransom, India Haygood and Arianna Williams placed fifth in the 4×400 meter relay finals with a time of 3:59.23.
Briana Green placed sixth in long jump at 10-02.50 and Sharell Cherry placed eighth at 17-00.25.