WINNSBORO – Fairfield Central track and field is picking up steam as it inches closer to the postseason.
The Griffin girls finished fourth out of 12 teams at the Pelion High School invitational on March 20.
Sharmelle Holmes pulled a first place finish in the 100m dash finals with a 13.27 time. Natalia Gray placed fourth at 13.51. Holmes also finished first in the 200m dash at 26.92 and second in the 400m dash (1:05.12). Gray placed second in long jump finals at 13-2 and fifth in 200m dash (28.95) finals.
Ericka Kelly placed first in shot put at 31-7.25 and second in discus at 86-4. Tamerra English placed fourth in 100m hurdles finals and sixth in the 200m dash finals with times of 18.48 and 29.07.
Kensley Green, SaKira Hayes and Jamie Downs all finished in the top 15 in the 800m and 1600m run finals. Green placed sixth in the 800m (2:51.49) and ninth in the 1600m (6:33.98). Hayes finished ninth in 800m (2:55.42) and 11th in 1600m (6:39.16). Downs placed 11th in the 800m (3:01.67) and 14th in 1600m (6:54.91)
The boys team tied for seventh of 11 teams at the Pelion Invitational. Highlights for the Griffins were first place finish from the 4×100 relay team and second place finishes by Tydarion Grier in the 100m dash (11.46) and Joshua Mosley in the 3200 meter run (10:37.43). Mosley also finished third in the 1600m run with a time of 4:54.08. Donovan Watkins placed third behind Grier in the 100m dash at 11.66 and Stephon Gadsden placed fifth at 11.75.
Grier finished fifth in the 200m dash finals at 23.90. In shotput, Gerald Roach placed fifth (35-7) and Joseph Tolbert (34-9) placed ninth. Stepheno Gadsden placed ninth in long jump at 14-4. Jai Boyd placed 13th in long jump at 16-8 and 12th in 400m dash finals with a time of 59.15.
On March 27, the Griffins headed to Hopkins for the Bob Jenkins Coaches Classic. The only first place finish in the 29-team competition for the Griffins came from Ericka Kelly in shot put (32-10). Kelly also placed ninth in discus (71-8).
Holmes finished fifth in 400m (1:03.17), seventh in 100m (12.86) and ninth in 200m (26.54). English placed seventh in the 100m hurdles finals with a 19.07 finish. Gray placed 13th in long jump (13.10.5) and 15th in 200m dash (28.20).
Mosley continued to lead the Griffin distance running with a 4th place finish in the 3200m run finals and a time of 10:37.34, and the 4x100m relay team had another big finish in fifth place at 44.86.
Other top-15 finishers were Boyd in ninth place in long jump (19-2), and 13th place in high jump (5-4); Roach placed 14th in shot put and Watkins placed 15th in the 200m dash finals at 23.89.
Fairfield was set to travel back to Hopkins for another meet at Lower Richland on Wednesday, but scores were not available at press time. They will compete in the Rams High School Invitational on April 17.
State track and field qualifiers are set to be held May 14 and 15 before finals May 18-22.
