Eagles run amuck at Doug Jordan Relays
BY LELAND ACKER STAFF WRITER

J.J. Session accepts the baton from Bobby McDuff as the Eagle 800-meter relay team races to victory with the Alto Yellowjackets in hot pursuit. Rusk finished 6th place in the 800- meter relay and 4th in the 400-meter relay. PHOTO: TARA CROSBY

Increased competition marked the annual Doug Jordan Relays Thursday, as eight teams ranging from Class 1A-4A competed for championship honors. When the day was done, the Palestine Wildcats took the first place trophy.

Henderson, Crockett, Carthage, Alto, Jacksonville, Rusk and Beckville also competed in the meet. Rusk finished in seventh place. That ranking can be deceptive, as the Eagle track team had several athletes place in track and field events.

Dustin Crosby took home the silver medal in pole vault with a height of 10'. Crosby actually tied with Alto's Colton Crisp, but Crisp won the tie breaker. Crosby also won third place in the 1,600-meter run.

Quinn Anthony took 3rd place in shot put with a put of 47'8". Anthony also took sixth in discus with a distance of 124'9".

Bobby McDuff won third place in the 100-meter dash with a time of 10.92.

Grace Castillo of Rusk wipes the pollen from her eyes as she comes in third in the 3,200 meter run.

The 400-meter relay team, consisting of John Michael Jackson, McDuff, J.J. Session and Horrace Lewis, placed fourth with a time of 43.49. That team also placed fifth in the 800-meter relay with a time of 1:33.05.

Session took fifth place in the long jump competition with a jump of 21' 8 1/2". The long jump competition was tight, with less than a foot separating Session from 1st place.

The 1,600-meter relay team, Lonnie Gipson, Jacob Hailey, Lance Smith and Dustin Crosby, took sixth place, 22.35 seconds behind the leaders.

Caleb Lenard won sixth in the 3200-meter run with a time of 12:49.00 while Jacob Hailey took 6th in the 300 meter-hurdles with a time of 45.03.

The Rusk Lady Eagle track team fared well in the competition winning 4th place. Three Lady Eagles struck gold, with one winning two medals to lift the team to a higher plane.

April Shedd won the 1,600- meter run with a time of 5:59.10 and the 800-meter run with a time of 2:34.32. Cambry Blakemore won first place in discus with a throw of 96' 4", while teammate Charnell Franklin took fifth with 84'11".

m Josh Glover of Rusk takes fifth place in pole vault competition. His vault measured 9'6" as he went over the bar.

Christie Sharpless won another gold in pole vault with a vault of 9'9". Georgia Thompson followed in sixth place with a vault of 6'6". Grace Castillo took third in the 3,200-meter run with a time of 14:24. Amanda Session won second in the 200- meter dash at 27.08, and 3rd in the 100-meter dash at 12.69.

The 800-meter relay, Calah Clark, Brittney Session, A. Session and Jelissa Session, team took fourth place with a time of 1:51.82.

The 1,600-meter relay team, B. Session, Rachel Simmons, Lainey Upshaw and Shedd, took fifth place with a time of 4:34.82.

The Eagle JV boys track team finished in 5th place, with Roger Beltran winning the only gold medal on the team. Beltran ran the 3,200-meter run with a time of 12:06 to win the victory. Beltran also took second in the 1,600-meter run with a time of 5:34.

Colton Campbell won second in discus with a distance of 109'8". Matthew Davis followed in third place at 108' 4 1/2".

Alto's Jared Dover hurls a discus during the Doug Jordan Relays at Rusk High School. Alto finished 5th in the relays on Thursday. PHOTOS: LELAND ACKER

Patrick Rogers took second in the 400-meter dash with a time of 57.51. Michael Katon won fourth in the triple jump competition with a jump of 37' 10 1/2'. Josh Glover won fifth in pole vault at 9'6". Zach Welch was sixth place in the 800-meter run at 2:36.86.

The Rusk boys and girls track teams travel to the Garrison track meet Thursday.

Matthew Davis of Rusk throws a discus to win 3rd place in the junior varsity division of the Doug Jordan Relays. Davis hurled the discus 108'4 1/2". Christie Sharpless of Rusk wins the pole vaulting cmpetition with a 9'9" vault while Alto coach Keith Gardner looks on. Sharpless was one of three Lady Eagles who won gold as Rusk finished in 4th place. John Trotter launches a shot put for the Rusk Eagle varsity track team during the Jordan Relays.