Fayetteville takes home two titles

CONWAY -- Fayetteville left Faulkner County with both Class 7A state track and field titles Thursday. The Bulldogs won the boys and girls' Class 7A state championships Thursday at John McConnell Stadium, leading from start to finish. Fayetteville's boys bested Springdale Har-Ber 132.5-115, with Cabot finishing third (87 points). It was the first boys title for Fayetteville since 2012 and third overall, also winning in 2004. Fayetteville's girls snapped Bentonville's four-year run as Class 7A state champions, defeating the Tigers 127-112. Conway, the meet host, was third with 86.5 points. Thursday's title marked Fayetteville's sixth girls crown. The Lady Bulldogs also won titles in 1976, 1999, 2000, 2010 and 2011. "The hard work our kids and our coaches have put in, it just showed today," said Fayetteville track Coach Drew Yoakum, who leads both the boys and girls. "They were determined to win. They came out and showed it. The kids came on top." Fayetteville was boosted early by its field entrants, taking a 33-point lead over Springdale Har-Ber, 54-21. Blake Young won in the shot put and the discus. Young had marks of 52 feet, 11 1/2 inches in the shot put and 161 feet in the discus. Caleb Cooper won the triple jump, leaping 45 feet, 7 1/2 inches. August Carlson earned a victory in the high jump, clearing 6-7. The Bulldogs went 1-2 in the 3,200 to seal their team title. Collin Pilkington won the event, clocking in at 9:44.10, while Camren Fischer finished in 9:50.08. "We knew we had to get out to a fast start and we knew we had the distance kids once we got there," Yoakum said. "That was really big for us to get on the starting block." Fayetteville also had key finishers in the top three in several events. Spencer Stone was second behind Young in the shot put and Tyson Morris was second in the long jump. Fischer and Trey Coulter each had third-place finishes for Fayetteville in the 1,600 and the 400, respectively. Lauren Holmes helped lead Fayetteville's girls, earning victories in the 100 hurdles (15.18) and the triple jump (36-8). Also for Fayetteville, Rebecca Boushelle won the 1,600 meters in 5:08.75 and Jasmin Franklin took the shot put title (42-11). The Lady Bulldogs had second-place finishes from Adriana Kitchen in the triple jump, Corrie Purcell in the 3,200 and Franklin in the discus.

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Fayetteville High School Athletics

FAYETTEVILLE TAKES HOME TWO TITLES

JEREMY MUCK

NWADG | 5/6/2016

PHOTO CREDIT: NWADG