By FRED CONLEY
T-H Sports Editor
WYNNE--It wasn't the best of conditions for the Thursday's Yellowjacket Relays at Wynne, but it didn't seem to bother the host team Yellowjackets.
The Forrest City Mustangs, meanwhile, competing with less than a full roster of athletes, finished in fifth out of 11 participating teams and managed just 51 points.
Riding the strength of six first place finishes and four second-place finishes, the Yellowjackets rolled up 136 points to easily win the boys' title. Osceola, with 74 points, held on for second while Barton scored 58 points to take third. Blytheville nudged the Mustangs for fourth.
The Mustangs had just one first-place finish -- Evan Haggins in the long jump with an effort of 21 feet three inches.
Haggins ran fifth (10.58) in the 100-meter dash, won by Osceola's Chris Baker in 10.11. He was fifth in the 220-meter run, won by Wynne's DeAngelo Williams.
The Forrest City 440 relay team of Floyd Shivers, Daniel Echols, Jason Jones and Haggins finished second behind Wynne with a time of 43.79, just 5/10s behind the winning time of 43.74.
Ray Dixon finished third in the discus with a throw of 134 feet, three inches. Wynne's Justin Slaughter won the event with a toss of more than 153 feet. Dixon was second in the shot with a throw of 47 feet, 8 1/2 inches, once again behind Slaughter whose toss of 50 feet, 4 inches won the event. Howard Collins placed sixth in the shot for Forrest City.
Mark Hines ran third for the Mustangs in the 1-mile run in a time of 5:06.38. Barton's Dustin Patton won the event with a time of 4:49.03.
Patton tallied 28 points to win the boys' high point award.
The Mustangs finished fourth in the 880 relay using Joseph Wilson, Jones, Shivers and Haggins in a time of 1:36.12. Marianna took first in a time of 1:31.44 while Osceola ran second.
Wilson was fourth in the 440 dash behind Jonesboro and Blytheville.
In the girls' side, it was the Jonesboro Lady Hurricane literally blowing away the field to score 159 points to win their side of the meet.
The Lady Hurricane won eight events and finished second in four events. Jonesboro punctuated their winning effort with a 1,2-3 finish in the meet ending 2-mile relay.
Barton finished second with 129 points while Blytheville held on for third with 92 points. The Wynne girls finished fourth while Newport claimed fifth place.
Barton's Trinia Williams edged Blytheville's Camesha Burrows for the high point award, winning by one point, 34 1/2 to 33 1/2.
Williams won the 100-meter run, the high jump and the 440-meter run.
By FRED CONLEY
T-H Sports Editor
WEST HELENA--The Forrest City Lady Mustangs and the West Helena Lady Cougars played one inning Thursday before heavy rains suspended the conference game.
The Lady Mustangs, who were trying to clinch the outright conference title, will now have to wait until, at least, next week for that opportunity.
The game, officially ruled a suspended game, will reschedule at the earliest possible date, according to head coach Sue Jayroe.
The Lady Mustangs 4-5 overall and 4-1 in the conference, scored four times in the top of the first inning when Jessica Lewis, Tyeshia McDaniel, Kimberly Hoots and Jessica Long each got on base and scored.
West Helena took the lead in the bottom of the inning with five runs.
"It's a conference game so we have to get it in," Jayroe said. "There are some other student activities set for next week that could make it tough to reschedule, but we will have to work around it as best as we can."
Forrest City is scheduled to travel to Little Rock Central Monday for a non-conference matchup against the Lady Tigers.
The Lady Mustang pounded West Helena 30-1 in the first meeting back in early March.
The Lady Mustangs will be involved in regional tournament play beginning Saturday, April 28, at Regional Park in Pine Bluff.
By FRED CONLEY
T-H Sports Editor
Amanda Riffle drove in four runs with a pair of home runs Thursday to help lead the Palestine-Wheatley Patriots to a 15-0 win over Clarendon in three innings.
Riffle gave the Lady Patriots a 3-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning with a three-run home run after Nikki Bass singled to start the game and Libby Martin walked.
Andrea Cooper's RBI triple brought in Leslie Hoots and Cooper crossed the plate on a Clarendon throwing error to make it 5-0 heading into the top of the second inning.
P-W increased their cushion to 7-0 when Marla Gardner singled and scored on Tara Beck's RBI single to right field. Bass, who had three hits, followed with a double to left and Martin's sacrifice fly brought in Beck.
Riffle opened the bottom of the third with a solo home run to make it 8-0 before Ashley McGraw was tagged out at home trying to stretch a triple into a home run for the first out.
Hoots walked and Jenny Loewer singled sending Hoots to third on a Clarendon overthrow. Beth Varvil made it a 10-0 lead with a 2RBI single to score Hoots and Loewer.
Gardner doubled to center and Amanda Roberts' 2RBI single plated Varvil and Gardner for a 12-0 lead. Beck followed with her second hit of the game, a double to right field which brought in Roberts.Bass singled before Martin ended the game with her 2RBI single, scoring Beck and Bass.
Riffle, pitching for the Lady Patriots, no-hit the Lady Lions and gave up just one walk through three innings.
P-W banged out 15 hits.
Bass, Riffle, Hoots, Gardner and Beck each scored twice.
The win leaves Palestine-Wheatley at 8-1 for the year.
The Lady Patriots will host McCrory on Tuesday, April 17.
The Little Rock Mills Comets dealt a severe blow to the Forrest City Mustang playoff chances Thursday, taking a AAAAA-East doubleheader at Pulaski Field.
Both games went just three innings as the Comets run-ruled the Mustangs, using seven home runs.
The Mustangs fall to 2-6 in the conference while Mills improves to 4-3.
Forrest City's Adam Roberts hit his first home run as a Mustang in the second inning of the second game.
Forrest City hosts Blytheville on Tuesday in a single conference game.