Just three days removed from the basketball court, Etowah’s Leah Hixon returned to the sandpits and made a statement – setting personal bests on her way to capturing first in the long jump and second in the triple jump at the Cobb EMC Wolverine Invitational, Saturday at Woodstock.
“I’m really kind of shocked,” the Lady Eagles senior standout said of her performance, while catching her breathe after nearly bringing Etowah back to a sixth-place finish in the 4x400 relay. “I guess basketball kept me in better shape (for track) than I originally thought.
“My goal for the triple jump this year was to get into the 36’s, and I did that in my first meet. So now I’m hoping to get that number even higher by the end of the year.”
Starting off with the triple jump, Hixon cleared 36-feet 3-inches, finishing behind only Lassiter’s Julienne McKee, who went 39-01.50.
Hixon then went over to the long jump an leaped 17-10, 8 inches better than second-place Indiah Bell of Parkview.
Hixon’s long jump showing was one of a handful of title wins for county performers, as Etowah’s Alex Merrall won both the boys’ 1,600 meter (4 minutes, 33.33 seconds) and 3,200 (9:50.78), and the Creekview boys 4x800 Relay team of Landry Bennett, Justin Whitaker, Chris Avery and Travis Hyde captured their event title with an 8:26.63 performance.
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Brandon Michea | Ledger-News
The Etowah boys 4x400 relay team makes an exchange during the Cobb EMC Wolverine Invitational, Saturday afternoon at Woodstock High School.
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Turning in the county’s top team finish in the girls’ meet, the Lady Eagles placed fifth out of 18 teams with 41 points. Creekview (17.5 points) was 13th, and Woodstock (15) was 15th.
With 11 top-six showings, Woodstock (45) placed sixth in the boys meet, followed by Etowah (27) in eighth and Creekview (25.5) in ninth.
Parkview swept the team titles, with the Lady Panthers posting 132.5 points, well out in front of second-place Roswell’s 69.50, and the Parkview boys charting 128 points. Like the Lady Hornets, the Roswell boys placed second with 84 points.
Complimenting the performances of Hixon and Merrall, Etowah’s Emily McNutt placed third in both the girls’ 1,600 (5:30.71) and 3,200 (11:41.50), while Bree Calvert took fourth in the girls’ 100 meter with a time of 12.97 seconds, and Josh Boudreau was fourth in the boys’ 800 meter with a 2:03.28.
Leading the way for Woodstock, James Reed and David Brown placed in a pair of events.
Reed was fourth in the boys’ high jump, clearing 5-08, and fifth in triple jump, leaping 41-05.5, and Brown took third in the discus with a 128-08 performance and sixth in the shot with a put of 42-06.
Others placing for the Wolverines were Aaron Palomeres (boys’ shot, fourth, 42-07), Maya Ramsey (girls’ 100m hurdles, fourth, 16.89), Trey Harris (boys’ 110m hurdles, fifth, 16.39), J.C. Cornett (boys’ 3,200m, fifth, 10:19.77), Shawna Floyd (girls’ discus, fifth, 92-04), Michael Owenby (boys’ pole vault, sixth, 10-06), Alex Broome (boys’ 1,600m, sixth, 4:53.40), Seth Duncan (800m, sixth, 2:05.30), the Lady Wolverines’ 4x800 relay team (third) of Ashley Wallace, Makensie Block, Clara Young and Liz Hamilton and the boys’ 4x800 relay team (fifth) of Seth Duncan, Brett Carter, Broome and Jared Richmond.
Topping the rest of Creekview’s showings, Bennett finished as the runner-up in the 3,200, running a 10:06.78, Eric Cloy jumped 20-05 for third in the boys’ long jump, Anna Dunn finished sixth in the girls’ 110 hurdles with a 17.48, and the Lady Grizzlies’ 4x800 Relay team of Lindsey Taylor, Erin Vaughn, Cori Dulmage and Rachel Dorris placed second.
