By By BRIAN HAINES, Sports Writer
YEATESVILLE — Despite seven first-place finishes apiece, the Northside boys and girls track and field teams fell short in their meet with D.H. Conley on Monday.
Without standout runner Warren Hamilton, the Panthers’ boys struggled against the Vikings and fell 78-60. Northside’s girls’ squad also had trouble catching up to D.H. Conley as it lost 83-53.
Though he would have liked to see his team come away with a win, Northside coach Charlie Woolard said he was happy with the effort his Panthers gave on Monday.
Woolard said his team was short a few athletes on Monday, which forced him to make some changes to his roster.
T.J. Slade did his best to compensate for the loss of Hamilton, as he took first place in the high jump with a leap of six-feet, two inches, and in the triple jump with a distance of 37-8.
The Panthers boys’ team showed its balance as it added five other first-place finishes. Ben Hopkins shot put throw of 42-2 earned him first place, while Leary dashed to first in the 400-meter run.
Northside also took first in two relay events. Josh Jackson, Dontae Dixon, Eric O’Neal and Tony Lacy anchored the first place 4×200 relay team, while Rick Harris, Alex Cutler, Chad Davenport and Louis Paul took gold in the 4×400.
Northside’s Anthony Martin took home the Panthers’ seventh first-place finish with a long jump of 18-4.
After the meet, Woolard said he was proud of the way Slade and Hopkins stepped up.
With Hopkins, Woolard said he was equally as happy with his leadership as well as his performance on the field.
The Panthers got a strong performances from Lacy, who finished second in the long jump and in the triple jump.
Other Panthers to nab silver were Dontae Dixon (100-meter dash), Harris (110-meter hurdles and 300-meter hurdles) and Davenport (800-meter run).
In the girls meet, Lee and Raquel Wilson carried the load as they combined for five first-place finishes.
Wilson’s throw of 28-9 cemented a first place finish in the shot put, as did her throw of 81-0 in the discus.
Lee dashed to first in the 100-meter hurdles (13.60), the 300-meter hurdles (48.54) and soared to 4-10 to fly away with the high jump.
Northside also took home first in the 4×800-relay, which featured Brooke Leigh, Katie Bowen, Kayla Cerny and Casey Lewis, and the 4×400-meter relay which starred Ashley Clayton, Savannah Boyd, Cerny and Lewis.
Walking away with second-place finishes for the Panthers were Clayton (100-meter hurdles), Ashley Meeks (100-meter dash), Lewis (800-meter run), Bowen (3200-meter run), Alicia Brewer (discus), Charlotte Taylor (shot put) and Iva Marie Winstead (high jump).
Northside will jump back in action on Wednesday when it hosts a meet.