Bentonville teams sweep 6A state track meet

By George Mitchell 

FORT SMITH — Bentonville likes crushing meet and state records, and along the way, both the boys and girls won the Class 6A State track titles Thursday at Jim Rowland Stadium.

The Tigers set three new meet records and an overall state record, while Bentonville West and Rogers Heritage also set new records.

The temperature stayed between 59 and 63 degrees all day, with a steady wind and rain. So, it played into the hands of the distance runners.

The Bentonville girls’ began the day with the 3,200-meter relay team and set a new record for the overall state and the Class 6A meet.

The team completed the run in 9 minutes, 24.11 seconds, after falling behind Bentonville West during the first leg of the run.

Devyn O’Daniel and Madison Galindo were part of the squad that won the event in 2022 and set a meet record back then with a time of 9:43.9.

This season, they were joined by Allison Fernstrom and Hannah Hanson. The group had run under 9:29 in two previous events.

Galindo, a Bentonville senior, won the 1,600-meter run (5:00.87) and set a Class 6A meet record in the 3,200 (10:59.6). She was third in the 800 (2:21.45). The Tigers had four runners finish in the Top 8 for the 800 and collected 22 points. Bentonville also had five of the Top 6 spots in the 3,200.

“These girls like to compete,” said Bentonville girls coach Randy Ramaker. “Day in and day out, that’s what they do.”

Fernstrom took first in the 400-meter run (59.33).

O’Daniel was second in the 800 (2:21.20).

Hanson placed third in the high jump (5-2) and was fourth in the 800 (2:22.94).

The Tigers also won all the relay events. Bentonville clinched the girls’ 400-meter relay (48.34) with Sophie Burtis, Morgan Langley, Lola Sommer, and Emelia Thurston.

Thurston ran a leg of the 800-meter relay (1:43.2) with Burtis, Gressa Hoyord, and Morgan Langley.

Thurston, Burtis, and Langley ran with Lola Sommer to win the 400-meter relay (48.34).

Thurston, a Bentonville senior, also finished second in the long jump (18-2.75) and triple jump (36-5.25), third in the 100 (12.42), and seventh in the 200 (25.9).

The Bentonville girls dominated early and finished with 235 points. Fayetteville, who was last year’s state champ, had 109.5 points. O’Daniel, Galindo, Fernstrom, and Hanson combined to add 55 points to the team’s total. Thurston had 24.

TIGERS WIN STATE

Fayetteville and Bentonville battled for the top spot for most of the meet. The Tigers pulled away with the win after the 200-meter (the third to the last event). The Tigers finished with 165 points, and Fayetteville had 128.5.

The Bentonville boys set their new meet record in the 3,200-meter relay with a time of 7:52.26 as three teams finished in under 8 minutes. The Tigers were third after the first leg, but Luke Bingham got the squad in the lead after the second leg. Carter Harris, Jackson Price, and Harper Jones ran each leg in under 2 minutes.

Bentonville West set the Class 6A meet and overall state record in the 800-meter relay (1:29.70) with Mason Hawkins, Aidan Honeycutt, Jay Herndon, and Nick Bell. The record was previously set by Bentonville last year (1:30.04). This year’s Tiger squad beat that time (1:29.98) but finished second.

Bell also finished fourth in the 100-meter (10.98) and ran a leg of the 400-relay team that placed third (43.01).

Rain suspended the events after 2 p.m., but athletes began warming up again at 3 p.m. for the long jump and high jump, and soon after that, the meet resumed.

OTHER EVENTS

Boys - Running

Fayetteville junior Sloan Jones won the 110- (14.85) and 300-meter hurdles (39.66).

Fort Smith senior DaMari Smith took first in the 100-meter dash (10.64). He also ran a leg of the 400-meter relay team that finished second (42.95).

Fayetteville senior Hudson Betts won the 1,600 (4:16.64) and the 3,200 (9:21.34), where he set a Class 6A meet record.

Conway took first in the 400-meter relay (42.69) with Zach Kulbeth, Collin Goodman, Crissten O’Neal, and Trey Hammond.

Rogers senior Nicholas Quinn won the 400 (49.46) and less than 2 seconds separated first from eighth.

Dawson Welch, a Har-Ber senior, won the 800 (1:53.67).

Bentonville senior Carson Tucker won the 200 (22.38) and was third in the 100 (10.96). He also ran a leg of the 800-meter relay team that finished third.

Rogers ended the night by winning the 1,600-meter run (3:25.43) with Hayden Whitney, Andrew Porta, Rex Krout, and Quinn.

Girls - Running

Fayetteville sophomore Solara Koser won the 110- (14.9) and 300-meter hurdles (45.22).

Conway senior Raghan Allen captured first in the 100 (11.92).

Bentonville West freshman Malaya Johnson picked up first in the 800-meter run (2:18.44).

Boys - Field

Rogers Heritage senior JJ Lockett placed first in the triple jump (48-4.25) and set a new Class 6A meet record, besting Donavan Loren’s 47-11 attempt in 2006 for Little Rock Parkview. Lockett’s best in the triple jump was back at the State Indoor meeting when he finished with a jump of 45-7.25. Lockett was also third in the high jump (6-4) and ran a leg of the 800-meter relay team that finished fourth.

Northside took the one-two punch for the long jump, with sophomore Cam Massey winning the event (23-5.75) and senior TKavion King with a close second (23-1.25).

Fayetteville junior Cooper Williams won the high jump (6-5), was second in the 300-meter hurdles (40.59), and fourth in the triple jump (42-11).

Rogers junior Isaac Chapman took first in the shot put (51-10.75) and finished fifth in the discus (137-0).

Bryant junior Devyn Steingisser nabbed first in the discus (151-10) and was third in the shot put (50-6.25).

Bentonville West senior Cade DeWitt won the pole vault (15-2).

Girls - Field

Bentonville senior Bree Anglin won the discus (123-0) and was seventh in the shot put (33-11.5).

Kylee Branch, Bryant junior, finished second in the discus (116-4) and was eighth in the shot put (33-7.75).

Bentonville West had a one-two punch with the shot put as senior Olivia Nickson won (39-3), and teammate Ashley Rangel, a junior, was second in the shot put (36-10.5). Rangel was also third in the discus (114-1).

Bentonville junior Paisley Hight finished first in the high jump (5-5), second in the 300-meter hurdles (45.5), and third in the 100-meter hurdles (15.06).

Ava Goetz, a Fayetteville junior, was second in the high jump (5-4), third in the 300-meter hurdles (45.86), fourth in the long jump (18-0.5), and seventh in the 100 hurdles (15.44).

Cabot senior Samantha Taylor won the long jump (18-9.5).

Fayetteville senior Hannah Estes won the girls’ pole vault (12-0) and was fourth in the 100 hurdles (15.21).