Kosciusko's boys and girls track teams both were third in their opening meet of the season at Winona High School.
The boys finished with 129.5 points, trailing Winona 143 and Grenada 142. Defending 1A state champion French Camp won the girls meet with 145 points, followed by Grenada 116 and Kosciusko 110.
Both coaches – Derrick Huffman for the boys and Eleazarus Greenleaf for the girls – were pleased with the performances considering a lack of preparation.
“The team is coming along,” Huffman said. “There are still few things we need to work on, but for the most part everything is coming together.”
Rain limited practice time leading up to the meet. “You can't really run because the track is wet, the pits are wet.” Greenleaf said. “I think they did well considering the circumstances.”
Led by senior Vinterrious Hunt, Kosciusko boys won eight of the 18 events, including three relays. Hunt won the 100 in 11.40 and the 200 in 22.95 and anchored winning 400 and 800 relay teams.
“He’s going to be a vital part of the success of the team,” Huffman said.
Other individual winners were Keonte Williams in the 400 (56.44), Jorge Orduna in the 1600 (5:27) and Jerrell Erving in the discus (121-8).
Kosciusko was especially strong in the relays with victories in the 400, 800 and 1600 and second in the 3200. Hunt was joined in the 400 and 800 by Davion Roby, Jaquavous Pace and De'marion Triplett.
Demond Reed, Perry Lewis, Williams and Orduna ran the 1600. The 3200 runners were Kam Dotson, Lem Whitcomb, Demond Reed and Braylon Truss.
With mostly new runners in the relays Huffman sees room for improvement. “If we can get the times down a couple of seconds, we’ll be able to compete at the state meet.”
Kosciusko girls won two events, Raven Pernell in the long jump (15-10.25) and Presley Fulgham in the pole vault with a leap of nine feet.
Fulgham had a best of 9-6 last year, and she won 4A at the state by clearing 9-0. Greenleaf expects improvement after she attended vaulting camps over the summer. “We're going to try to get her up to 10 or 11 this year.”
Pernell also finished second in the 200 and anchored relay teams that took second in the 400 and 800. “She's just a natural competitor,” Greenleaf said.
Pernell was joined in the 400 relay by Jakayla Seawood, Victoria Anderson, and Reid Hucthinson and in the 800 Haley Olive, Anasha Teauge and Hutchinson
Kosciusko also finished second in the 3200 relay with Makiye Dotson, Teauge, Kimona Winters and Hutchinson.
Olive had a strong meet with second in the 300 hurdles, third in the 200 and third in the pole vault. Anderson was third in the 100 hurdles.
Kosciusko will compete in the Falcon Relays at Columbus High School Thursday and the Woody Barnett Invitational April 1 at Pearl High School. Winona will be the site of Kosciusko's region meet April 9 and Pearl for the 4A state meet April 29.
“By the time the region and state meets come, they will have a feel for the tracks,” Greenleaf said.
