LaFayette boys 4x100 team places at Valley meet
By DANIEL SCHMIDT
THE LAFAYETTE SUN
CHAMBERS COUNTY — Against schools as far away as Mississippi, LaFayette High School’s track athletes showcased their speed at the Valley Invitational 2 Speed Meet on April 16 at Ram Stadium in Valley.
Runners from across the area gathered for an evening of competitive sprints, relays and distance events hosted by Valley High School.
Very little stopped the Bulldogs’ boys 4x100 meter relay team, which took home second place in a highly competitive field. LHS ran the event in 44.04 seconds, behind only Troup County High School (Georgia), which finished in 42.21 seconds.
According to the MileSplit Alabama website, the Bulldogs’ time in the 4x100 nearly met the MileSplit U.S. Second Team standard, which represents elite, high-level high school track and cross country performances across the country.
As a team, LHS also placed fourth in the boys 4x400 meter relay.
Individually, Zarien Beatty finished fourth in the boys 800 meter run with a 2:16.60 pace, Zaquarious Jackson turned in top-10 finishes in both the boys 100 meter and 200 meter dashes, and Ashten Finley finished 10th in the boys 400 meter dash.
On the girls’ side of the meet, the Lady Bulldogs finished in fifth place in both the 4x100 meter relay and the 4x400 meter relay.
There were also several impressive performances from track athletes representing Chambers County’s other participating schools.
From Valley High School, Kason Varner finished third in the boys 100 meter dash and second in the boys 200 meter dash, and Keilan Dent finished third in the boys 400 meter dash. As a team, the Rams finished second in the boys 4x400 meter relay.
Rylee Pace and Talia Waller finished in second place in the girls 200 meter and 400 meter dashes, respectively, and the Lady Rams finished second in both the girls 4x100 meter and 4x400 meter relays.
From Lanett High School, Riontae Ziegler finished second in the boys 800 meter run, and Tristan Jackson finished third in the boys 1,600 meter run.
Mar’Kayla Bailey placed third in the girls 400 meter dash, and the Lady Panthers finished third in the girls 4x100 meter relay.
