WCMS track shows out at subsectionals

The WCMS relay teams had big days at the subsectionals last week (Painted Barn Media)

Four individuals and six relay teams from Warren County Middle School’s track teams are now one step away from the TMSAA state tournament. The Pioneers and Lady Pioneers had big days at Riverdale last week, competing in the subsectionals.

Dyson Elam, Lukas Bernhardt, Julia Wade and Samantha Saldana were the first to move on, standing out in field events Wednesday. The relay teams were right behind on Thursday, with the boys and girls teams in the 4x100, 4x200 and 4x400 all qualifying for sectionals.

Elam will probably be the busiest Pioneer this Wednesday in the sectionals, which will also be held at Riverdale. He qualified in the high jump and long jump, along with making the field as part of the team’s 4x100 relay team. Elam’s high jump of 5-foot-6 was good for second at subsectionals, while he finished eighth in the long jump with a leap of 15 feet, 8 inches.

Elam, Andrew Key, Isaiah Robledo and DeJames Lewis with fifth in the 4x100 with a time of 51.60 seconds. Key and Lewis were also three-time qualifiers, which both running a leg for each of the Pioneers’ relay teams.

Ariyanna Rippy also made it to sectionals in three events for the Lady Pioneers as a member of three separate relay teams.

Bernhardt, who has been right with Elam in many high jump competitions this season, cleared 5 feet at the subsectionals to finish fourth. Wade was fifth in the girls high jump after clearing 4 feet, while Saldana’s discus throw of 66’6.5” was good for seventh.

The highest finishes Warren County had in the subsectionals in relays was fourth, accomplished by both the girls 4x200 team and the boys 4x400 squad. Bernice Almaguer, Claire Hale, Rippy and Wade ran a time of 2:03.25 for the Lady Pioneers, especially impressive considering the team has just one eighth-grader (Wade) in the relay.

Finishing fourth the 4x400 boys race with a time of 4:16.68 was the Lewis, Key, Alex Smith and Brooks Dunlap. Robledo, Dunlap, Key and Lewis with fifth in the 4x200, blazing a time of 1:50.37.

Almaguer, Hale, Rippy and Lesley Mirafuentes finished seventh in the 4x100, completing the race in less than a minute (58.99 seconds). Rippy, Abigail Bundy, Dixie Hillis and Breanna Iverson were fifth in the 4x400 with a time of 5:05.25.

The sectionals are scheduled to be held at Riverdale this Wednesday, April 28. If any Warren County individuals or relay teams advance in the upcoming event, they will make it to the state competition currently slated to be held at Austin Peay University on Saturday, May 22.