FAYETTEVILLE'S FRANKLIN TAKES NEW SHOT PUT STYLE TO WINNING DISTANCES

Jasmine Franklin not only picked up where she left off, but she surpassed what she had already done in the girls shot put this season. The Fayetteville senior and defending two-time defending Class 7A state champion put a new throwing style on display, and she used it to win the event Friday afternoon during the fourth annual Border Clash at the Tiger Athletic Complex. Franklin was a winning toss of 41 feet, 4 inches, more than a foot farther than her previous-best performance this season. "My coach has been teaching me a different form," Franklin said. "It's helping me and getting me to throw farther. It's relieving, but I'm not satisfied. I want to PR, throw farther and beat the state record. "The new style is hard because I do this shuffle, then it's like a donkey kick. It's hard to adjust, but I think I will eventually like it." Franklin also won the discus during the meet, and her throw of 136-5 was more than 5 feet farther than what she did earlier this month at the Joe Roberts Invitational in Springdale. That throw came with limited practice time because she had just come from basketball. Despite the success in the discus, it's the shot that has Franklin's attention right now. "I've been working at track during all the weekdays now," she said. "I really don't practice much on the discus because my coach wants me to focus on the shot. He wants me to beat that state record, and I do too. I practice every day from about 2:30 to 4:00 now." Franklin wasn't the only athlete that picked up where she left off during Friday's meet. Rogers' team of Emily Efurd, Olivia Breazeale, Anna Jeffcoat and Ali Nachtigal broke a school record and took over the state's best time in the 4x800-meter relay, turning in a time of 9 minutes, 34.63 seconds. Meanwhile, Bentonville's team of Jadyn Loudermilk, Colby Reid, Patrick Bell and Devin Dougherty won the boys 4x100 relay in 42.80, eclipsing its state-best time of 42.91. Dougherty then came back and won the 400 -- a race he wasn't originally scheduled to run -- in 49.39, beating his previous state-best time of 49.93. "Devin had a great performance in the 4x100, then came back in the 400," Bentonville coach Mike Power said. "We had a late scratch from one of our other kids, so it was a last-minute thing to put Devin there. Devin is the kind of kid that can adjust on the fly pretty well." Bentonville came away with both the team titles in impressive fashion as its boys compiled 195 points to 122.5 for second-place Springdale Har-Ber. In the girls division, Bentonville had a closer margin as the Lady Tigers totalled 166 while Edmond (Okla.) Memorial took second at 142. The meet also allowed athletes to compete for their state or region, as well as their school. Team Arkansas took the boys title by a convincing 476.5 points to 215.5 for Team Missouri/Oklahoma, while Arkansas' girls defeated the Missouri/Oklahoma combo team by a 407-299 margin. "It was a perfect night and some great competition," Power said. "When you get those athletes under the lights and against good competition, they will produce good times."

FAYETTEVILLE'S FRANKLIN TAKES NEW SHOT PUT STYLE TO WINNING DISTANCES

Photo Credit: Fayetteville High School Athletics

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