Russellville girl, boy runners steal show on home track at Meet of Champions

By Jeff Halpern | Photos by Ted McClenning 

RUSSELLVILLE — Going into Wednesday’s Meet of Champs at Cyclone Stadium, Russellville’s River Hardman wanted one thing: to break John Feltner’s 1970 school record of 1:51.83 in the 800 run. 

Hardman did that and then some. He set a new state overall and Meet of Champs record at 1:51.52, breaking the overall mark of 1:51.94 and the meet record of 1:52.44 set in 1985 by Robert Bradley of Crossett.

“I really can’t believe it,” said Hardman, who was mobbed by his teammates after the winning time was posted on the scoreboard. “I hit the wall with 200 meters left and my legs tightened. This feels amazing. All year, I’ve gone to races to run against fast competition and to do it here on my own track is so amazing. All of the hard work paid off.”

Hardman credited Marion’s Julian Carter II, who finished second at 1:51.53 for pushing him down the stretch.

“I never thought I would see it,” Russellville head coach Ben Goodman said. “River is a junior, and he’s a hard worker. This was the 10th school record from grades seventh through 12th we’ve broken this year and it was neat to see all of his teammates root him on and see all of the hard work pay off.”

Hardman’s record was not the only highlight of the meet for the host Cyclones, who won the Class 6A boys title a week ago. Brooklyn Nicholson set a school record by winning the girls 800 in 2:19.31.

“I didn’t know I had the record until I came across the line and I could hear my dad yelling, ‘Yes!’” said Nicholson. “This means so much to me to have my family and friends out here to see it.”

Russellville almost had a third school record when Kercher Herring, who won the pole vault, missed on three attempts to clear 16 feet. Instead, he settled for 15-6, topping Bentonville West’s Cade DeWitt and Mountain Home’s Zach Daugherty, who cleared 15-0.

Goodman said the past two weeks have been as good as it gets for the Cyclones with the state championship, a new overall and Meet of Champs and Overall record and a new school record being set.

Ozark’s Anna Woolsey, nicknamed “Miss 50” for the number of times she won five events (100, 200, 400, 100 hurdles and pole vault) during meets this spring, won three events. She won the 100 (12.39), 200 (25.22) and 400 (56.26).

“I’m excited, and I’ll take winning three events,” said Woolsey. “This was an exciting way to close out my senior year.

“This has been a crazy meet with the weather and delays. It seemed like every meet I ran in had some type of crazy weather. I didn’t know what I was going to do in the 400, but I’ll take it.”

Other multiple event winners included:

• DeAndra Burns, Jr. of El Dorado who won the long jump (23-3) and ran the anchor leg on the winning of 4x200-meter relay (1:30.13). He finished fourth in the 100 (11.30) and ran the anchor leg on the 4x100 relay team that finished second (43.07 seconds), falling by .04 seconds to Sheridan.

“My jumps could have been better,” said Burns, who scratched on two of his six attempts. “I was trying to get ready for the 100, 4x100 and 4x200,” said Burns after the long jump.

After the 4x200 relay, he said, “The times could have been better, but I’m not complaining. This is my last race in high school and I want to have fun with it.”

• Fayetteville’s Solara Koser won the 100 hurdles (14.96) and 300 hurdles (45.46).

• Nettleton’s Donna Douglas, who set a 5A state record in the shot put with a throw of 45 feet, 3 inches, won the shot put (44-1/2) and discus (147-11).

• Rocco Patrick of Prescott won the shot put (56-11 1/2) and discus (166-6).

In other performances of note,

• Bentonville’s Madison Galindo won the 1,600 (5:00.57). Galindo, who set a meet 6A-state record in the 3,200 (10:59.60) a week ago, focused on the one-mile event. Galindo said she was hoping to to break 5:00 and said she was a little disappointed she didn’t break it. However, her 1,600 mark was .12 of a second better than her winning mark a week ago (5:00.87).
• Joseph Bariola of Hot Springs Lakeside, who set a 4A record in the 1,600 (9:11.28) a week ago, focused on the 3,200, winning in 9:12.85, just missing the 1989 mark of 9:10.04 set by Batesville’s Brian Baker.

“I missed the record, but tonight was about fighting and running for everything I believe in and thanking everyone who supported me,” said Bariola. “

Action was suspended at 2:07 p.m. because of a lightning delay. At that time, competition had been completed in three events: the boys 4x800 relay, girls 4x800 relay and boys high jump.

Competition resumed at 3:15 p.m., but the meet was delayed 20 minutes later before resuming 20 minutes later because of rain. Rain also came in at the end of the boys long jump and girls triple jump. Running events, which were to start at 5:30 p.m., were pushed back to 6:15 p.m. Both boys and girls pole vaults had lengthy delays.

Bryant won the girls 4x800 relay in 9:58.79. Bentonville, which set a 6A state record (9:24.11) in the Class 6A state meet, did not start its normal time of Allison Fernstrom, Hannah Hanson, Devyn O’Daniel and Galindo as it elected to have its runners focus on individual events. The Lady Tigers finished second in 10:00.73.

Bentonville won the boys 4x800 in 7:50.05, topping the 6A meet record of 7:52.26 the previous week, but missing the Meet of Champs record of 7:46.36 set by Mountain Home a year ago. Bentonville replaced Luke Bingham with Eli Seavey on the second leg as Bingham elected not to run this week.

“It was a consistent run and our team had a good effort,” said Bentonville boys head coach Mike Power.

Before the delay, Fayetteville’s Cooper Williams and Trey Haworth both topped 6-6, but Williams won on the basis of fewer misses. Both missed on all three attempts to clear 6-8. Haworth, who cleared 6-8 at the Class 2A state meet, and topped 6-9 at a meet at Genoa Central, said nerves got the best of him. On one attempts, he started toward the bar and backed off. He said that was the first time all year he did that.

Williams was pleased with the victory, but disappointed he didn’t clear 6-8 and struggled to find consistency. He said he hopes to clear 6-10 at the decathlon next week.

For complete results, go to http://www.macdonaldtiming.com/aaa1/.