Following Monday's preliminary round at the AAAAA-East Conference Track meet at Mountain Home, only a handful of Forrest City athletes remained for Friday's final round.
The conference meet, originally scheduled for Thursday at Cabot, was moved to Mountain Home when a scheduling problem arose at Cabot.
East teams spent Monday in the hills trying to qualify for the return trip on Friday.
To qualify for Friday's final round, athletes and relay teams had to finish in the top eight of each event.
Both the Forrest City Mustangs and Lady Mustangs struggled but both teams managed to qualify a few to make the return trip.
Daniel Echols finished second in the 100-meter run Monday while Kelton Hamlin ran fourth in the 400. Augustus Haggins finished fourth in the 300-meter hurdles.
The Mustangs were shut out in the field events and in the relay events.
Melissa Humphrey and Jessica Perkins were the only two Lady Mustangs to qualify for the finals on Friday.
Humphrey finished fourth in the 100-meter hurdles while Perkins won the 200-meter run and was third in the 100-meter sprint.
With the finals of the running events coming up on Friday, both Mountain Home track teams are sitting on the edge of making the trip to the Class AAAAA State Meet.
The host school Mountain Home Bombers and Lady Bombers are both sitting in fourth place after seven events.
In the boys team race, Cabot leads with 74 1/4 points while West Memphis is second and Jonesboro third. The Mustangs are holding down sixth place in the team scoring.
On the girls side, Jonesboro -- led by the "Russian Rocket" Katya Kostetskaya -- has 82 points and leads over Cabot by 15 points.
West Memphis is third with 301/2 points and Mountain Home fourth with 15. The Lady Mustangs are in seventh place.
Jane Ann Hanson, with a third place finish in the triple jump and a sixth in the long jump, scored seven points as the Mountain Home 3,200-meter relay team finished second.
In the prelim events, Lady Bomber Christiane Carlisle set a school record 12.98 in the 100-meter dash as she won her heat, and had the second best time on the day behind Kostetskaya.
The conference finals will begin at 3:30 p.m. Friday.
Boys Finals
LONG JUMP -- 1. Ryan Williams, Jonesboro 21-41/2; 2. Avery Taylor, Jonesboro 20-101/4; 3. Stokes Braxton, West Memphis 20-10; 4. Evan VanDolah, Mountain Home 20-73/4; 5. Yuriy Morozov, Jonesboro 20-7; 6. Jimmy Cross, Jacksonville 20-13/4
HIGH JUMP -- 1. Chucky Jones, Jonesboro 6-0; 2. Jimmy Cross, Jacksonville 5-10; 3. Marcus Dale, West Memphis 5-8; 3. Brian Cobson, West Memphis 5-8; 3. Anthony Hightower, Cabot 5-8; 3. Enoch Fleming, West Memphis 5-8
DISCUS -- 1. Jessie Williams, Cabot 162-5; 2. Josh Stokes, West Memphis 124-1; 3. Reece Childers, Cabot 122-0; 4. Thomas Valdez, Cabot 120-21/2; 5. Donald VanPelt, Jonesboro 119-81/2; 6. Josh Wright, Searcy 119-5
SHOT PUT -- 1. Jessie Williams, Cabot 50-5; 2. Casey Wyatt, Cabot 50-0; 3. Brandon Gates, West Memphis 48-8; 4. Drew Cheatham, Cabot 48-6; 5. Thomas Valdez, Cabot 47-2; 6. Bryant Millner, West Memphis 46-7
POLE VAULT -- 1. Brian Prackett, West Memphis 13-6; 2. Matt White, Cabot 11-6; 3. Marshall Fuller, Cabot 11-6; 4. Travis Dear, West Memphis 11-0; 5. Brandon Wade, Cabot 11-0; 6. James Fortner, Cabot 11-0
TRIPLE JUMP -- 1. Stokes Braxton, West Memphis 42-63/4; 2. Ken Byrd, West Memphis, 42-31/2; 3. Evan VanDolah, Mountain Home 41-63/4; 4. Yuriy Morozov, Jonesboro 39-103/4; 5. Milton Sullivan, Jonesboro 39-61/4; 6. Marcus Dale, West Memphis 38-53/4
4x800 RELAY -- 1. Jonesboro 8:17.84; 2. Cabot 8:22.15; 3. Mountain Home 8:34.77; 4. West Memphis 8:57.76; 5. Forrest City 9:14.43; 6. Jacksonville 9:34.23
TEAM POINTS (through 7 events) -- 1. Cabot 741/4; 2. West Memphis 673/4; 3. Jonesboro 48; 4. Mountain Home 16; 5. Jacksonville 10; 6. Forrest City 2; 7. Searcy 1
Boys Prelims
(Top 8 in each event will return Friday for finals)
110 HURDLES -- 1. Evan VanDolah, Mountain Home; 2. Matt White, Cabot; 3. Kejuan Newman, Jacksonville; 4. Juan Walton, Jonesboro; 5. Jeremy Corley; 6. Brian Cobson, West Memphis; 7. Reginald Fulton, West Memphis; 8. Erick Guzman, Jonesboro
100 DASH -- 1. Stokes Brandon, West Memphis; 2. Daniel Echols, Forrest City; 3. Ken Byrd, West Memphis; 4. T.J. Lewis, Jacksonville; 5. Jeremy Cullins, Blytheville; 6. Brett Miles, Jacksonville; 7. Ryan Williams, Jonesboro; 8. Sanford Cunningham, Blytheville
400 DASH -- Jake Robertson, Cabot; 2. Enoch Fleming, West Memphis; 3. Zach Darr, Mountain Home; 4. Chucky Jones, Jonesboro; 5. Kelton Hmlin, Forrest City; 6. Daniel Echols, Forrest City; 7. Kerry Parkas, Forrest City; 8. John Fullington, Jonesboro
300 HURDLES -- 1. Matt White, Cabot; 2. Evan VanDolah, Mountain Home; 3. Bo Litty, Mountain Home; 4. Augustus Haggins, Forrest City; 5. Juan Walton, Jonesboro; 6. Kejuan Newman, Jacksonville; 7. Heath Bayles, Cabot; 8. Jeremy Corley, Cabot
200 DASH -- 1. Enoch Fleming, West Memphis; 2. Stokes Braxton, West Memphis; 3. John Fullington, Jonesboro; 4. Jeremy Cullins, Blytheville; 5. Milton Sullivan, Jonesboro; 6. T.J. Lewis, Jacksonville; 7. Sanford Cunnigham, Blytheville; 8. Richard Anderson, Blytheville
Girls Finals
POLE VAULT -- 1. Bethany Reinbolt, Searcy 9-6; 2. Brandi Smith, Cabot 8-6; 3. Ellen Duke, Jonesboro 8-6; 4. Jill Kiddy, Cabot 8-0; 4. Chloe Traub, Cabot 8-0; 6. Ali Parker Jonesboro 7-6
HIGH JUMP -- 1. Emily Fulmer, Cabot 5-3; 2. Katie Stripling, Jonesboro; 3. Jocelyn Love, West Memphis 5-1; 4. Tara Sterrenberg, Cabot 4-8; 5. Sharon Bishop, Cabot 4-4; 5. Carmeon Burgess, West Memphis 4-4
DISCUS -- 1. Allison Taylor, Jonesboro 102-021/2 2. Brandy Casey, Jacksonville 97-7; 3. Tiffany Barker, Jonesboro 95-11/2; 4. Halley Davis, Cabot 88-31/2; 5. Jasmine Webb, Jonesboro 84-4; 6. Katlyn Marshall, Cabot 83-4
LONG JUMP -- 1. Katya Kostetskaya, Jonesboro 17-91/4; 2. Jilly Kiddy, Cabot 14-101/2; 3. Candice Robinson, West Memphis 14-83/4; 4. Polina Korobova, Jonesboro 14-71/4; 5. Jessica Perkins, Forrest City 14-7; 6. Jane Ann Hanson, Mountain Home 14-61/4
SHOT PUT -- 1. Allison Taylor, Jonesboro 36-0; 2. Krystal Karkley, Cabot 34-0; 3. Karess Winston, Jonesboro 33-5; 4. Halley Davis, Cabot 30-1; 5. Jasmine Webb, Jonesboro 28-4; 6.Tiffany Barker, Jonesboro 28-0
TRIPLE JUMP -- 1. Jocelyn Love, West Memphis 34-33/4; 2. Polina Korobova, Jonesboro 32-2; 3. Jane Ann Hanson, Mountain Home 30-81/2; 4. Kara Taylor, Jonesboro 29-111/2; 5. Sharon Bishop, Cabot 29-53/4; 6. Ashley Winrush, West Memphis 29-4
4x800 RELAY -- 1. Cabot 10:38.89; 2. Mountain Home 11:42.42; 3. West Memphis 12:10.51; 4. Jonesboro 12:35.40
TEAM POINTS (through 7 events) -- 1. Jonesboro 82; 2. Cabot 661/2; 3. West Memphis 301/2; 4. Mountain Home 15; 5. Searcy 10; 6. Jacksonville 8; 7. Forrest City 2
Girls Prelims
(Top 8 in each event will return Friday for finals)
100 HURDLES -- 1. Katya Kostetskaya, Jonesboro; 2. Jocelyn Love, West Memphis; 3. Shantel Fentress, West Memphis; 4. Melissa Humphrey, Forrest City; 5. Brandi Smith, Cabot; 6. Alissa Stanback Jonesboro; 7. Chloe Traub, Cabot; 8. Ashley Garcia, Jonesboro
100 DASH -- 1. Katya Kostetskaya, Jonesboro; 2. Christiane Carlisle, Mountain Home; 3. Jessica Perkins, Forrest City; 4. Whitney Jones, Blytheville; 5. Lashanta Jame, West Memphis; 6. Ashley Winrush, West Memphis; 7. Raven Mills, West Memphis; 8. Serena Chew, Blytheville
400 DASH -- 1. Jill Kiddy, Cabot; 2. Jane Ann Hanson, Mountain Home; 3. Carmeon Burgess, West Memphis; 4. Lauren Norris, Mountain Home; 5. Tara Sterrenberg, Cabot; 6. Jackie Gilbert, Jonesboro; 7. Brooke Hayes, Searcy; 8. Kara Taylor, Jonesboro
200 DASH -- 1. Jessica Perkins, Forrest City; 2. Whitney Jones, Blytheville; 3. Jill Kiddy, Cabot; 4. Christiane Carlisle, Mountain Home; 5. Emily Fulmer, Cabot; 6. LaShanta Jame, West Memphis; 7. Valencia Anderson, Jacksonville; 8. Alissa Stanback, Jonesboro
By FRED CONLEY
T-H Sports Editor
WALNUT RIDGE --Palestine-Wheatley senior pitcher Libby Martin saved her best stuff for the final two innings.
Martin retired the final eight Hazen batters she faced to help lift the Lady Patriots to a 5-4 win over the Lady Hornets in the semifinals of the Class AA Region 4 fast-pitch softball Tournament at Walnut Ridge.
The win puts the Lady Patriots into the Class AA Fast-Pitch State Tournament, which begins Saturday at Brockwell, hosted by Izard County Consolidated.
Palestine-Wheatley will face Gillett, a 7-2 winner over Bay in Monday's other semifinal game, in today's championship game at 5 p.m., Stewart Park at Walnut Ridge.
Monday's game between P-W and Hazen was the second one in less than a week, the two teams have met in a semifinal game.
P-W defeated Hazen 15-14 last Tuesday at the district tournament played at Des Arc.
Today's game against Gillett is a rematch of last week's district tournament final. Gillett won that game 12-3.
Like Palestine-Wheatley, Gillett also advances to the state tournament.
Tonight's winner gets the No. 1 seed into Saturday's first round games and will play at 6:45 p.m., against either Sloan-Hendrix or Newark.
Today's runner-up will play as the No. 2 seed in the state tournament at 1:30 p.m. Saturday against Arkansas Baptist or Benton Harmony Grove.
Martin gave up the four Hazen runs (three earned) on just five hits while walking two and striking out four. The Palestine-Wheatley defense supported Martin's effort making only two errors in the game.
Hazen pitcher Brandi Hamilton gave up the five P-W runs on 11 hits and three walks while striking out three. Hazen committed four errors.
Following a walk to Hazen's Ashton Isbell in the bottom of the fifth to load the bases, Martin set down the next eight Hazen hitters, getting the final two outs of in the fifth and putting the Lady Hornets down in order in the bottom of the sixth and the seventh innings.
Martin helped offensively with two singles and driving in a run.
It was senior catcher Beth Varvil who did the bulk of the damage against Hazen, driving in two runs in the top of the first inning and scoring a run in the top of the fifth on three hits.
Besides Varvil, Jenny Loewer, Andrea Cooper, Kara Siler and Fallon Parker each scored single runs for the Lady Patriots.
P-W grabbed a 3-0 lead in the top of the first when Siler, Loewer and Cooper each plated runs. Hazen cut it to 3-1 in the bottom of the inning scoring with the help of a P-W error.
The Lady Patriots made it 4-1 in the top of the fourth when Parker doubled to center field and scored on Martin's RBI single.
Hazen closed the gap to 4-3 in the bottom of the inning by plating two runs using two singles, a passed ball and a walk.
Varvil made it 5-3 in the top of the fifth when she singled, stole second and scored on Brittany Gordon's RBI infield hit.
Hazen crept back within one in the bottom of the fifth when Randa Skarda reached base using P-W's second error and scored when Hamilton grounded out.
Martin did the rest, having a hand in three of the final six outs, catching two flyballs and making a routine out to first on a grounder back to the mound.
Ariel Feltz lined out to Cooper to end the game.
Gillett 7, Bay 2
Jona Howell held bay to just two hits and allowed just two unearned runs Monday as Gillett defeated Bay 7-2 in semifinal action at the Class AA Region 4 Tournament at Walnut Ridge.
Howell had a no-hitter going against the Lady Yellowjackets through 3 1/3 innings before Bay got their first base runner.
Howell walked only two and struck out 11 in the complete game victory.
Gillett faces palestine-Wheatley today at 5 p.m., in the regional championship game.
Today's title game is a rematch of last week's district tournament final in which Gillett defeated Palestine-Wheatley 12-3.
Both Gillett and P-W advance to the Class AA state tournament, beginning Saturday at Brockwell.
Freshman shortstop Laken Clark was 3-for-3 at the plate and scored three runs and reached base in all four at-bats.
First baseman Jill Briggs was 2-for-4 and scored a run.
Gillett led 3-0 after two innings, 6-0 after four innings and 7-1 after five innings.
Bay used a passed ball in the bottom of the seventh to score their second run of the game.
The Hughes Lady Blue Devils will open the 2003 State Slow-Pitch Softball Tournament Saturday at Sherwood.
Hughes, given a bye into the second round, will face the FS Christian/McCrory winner at 2 p.m.
Ten of the 21 slow-pitch softball teams remaining stste wide, will compete for the final slow-pitch title. Beginning next season, all schools will be required to switch to fast pitch or institute another girls' sport.
The field also includes Rison, Delta, Augusta, Hermatige, Cross County, Winslow and St. Paul.
Physical exams will be given Saturday, May 3, for all Forrest City girls who will be participating in athletics or cheerleading during the upcoming 2003-04 school year.
The physicals will be given at the office of Susan Patton, APN, 901 Holiday Drive, from 8:30 a.m. until 4 p.m.
Cost per student is $10 and forms may be obtained from Forrest City Coach Sue Jayroe or any of the Forrest City coaches.
Those female students unable to have the physicals on Saturday, the exams will be given again on Tuesday, May 6, from 4 until 8 p.m.