The Tornado boys’ track team won the program’s first-ever West Sectional championship on Thursday with a collection of strong showings, while the Union City girls were runners-up at Dave Shatz Track.
Six Union City individual performers and three relay teams qualified for Spring Fling 32 as a result of the stellar team performances.
That state meet is set for Tuesday, May 20th on the campus of Middle Tennessee State University in Murfreesboro.
The Tornado boys totaled 128 points to outdistance Memphis East (87) on their way to making program history.
Union City’s girls, who were two-time sectional champions in the past, were second (117) to East’s 154 points.
In all, 15 Twister athletes earned spots in the state meet with Top 2 finishes, with a handful of performers on the bubble for possible wildcard bids that will be determined this weekend.
Two-time state champion Adrian Crawford qualified for the Spring Fling field in three events after winning the high jump, triple jump, and placing second in the long jump.
Aiden Reid won the discus and the shot for the Tornadoes, while Kyle Price posted a runner-up showing in the discus.
Woodrow McKinnis, who also had a strong finish in the 3200, punched his state ticket with a second-place finish in the 1600-meter run.
The 4X200 relay team, made up of Shontorius Fuller, Tayshun Gentry, Rodney Jenkins, and Crawford, crossed the finish line first to join Union City’s state contingent.
Debrionna Jones led the group of Lady Tornadoes to qualify for the big stage by winning the discus with a school-record 117-foot throw. Jones also won the shot put.
The 4X800 relay unit of Ainsley Beard, Ainsley Sadler, Jayla Turner, and Madie Theobold put on a dazzling performance, with Sadler overtaking the competition at the wire to win and cap a program-record effort.
Katana Bonds was second in the long jump and triple jump for the Twisters to qualify for the state for the third straight year, while the 4X400 relay team made up of Beard, Turner, Chloe Hubbard, and Ca’Lae Ervin was second.
Beard set a UCHS record in the 800 and could earn a wildcard spot in that event, according to Tornado head coach Wade Maddox.
“We had a really good day, collectively,” Maddox said. “I was pleased with how we handled everything from the rain that fell and caused some delays, to competing at home where there are always some distractions. We set several seasonal bests, and that’s what you want to see, your people competing at the highest level when it’s time for the state meet.”
Ervin and Crawford will compete in next week’s state pentathlon and decathlon in Clarksville.
(photo: Mike Hutchens – School Communications Director)
