Union City Track Teams Turn in Standout Efforts at USJ Invitational

Competing among their largest fields of the season, and against some of West Tennessee’s best teams and individuals, Union City’s track teams continued to shine.

The Union City boys bested 22 other squads to win the USJ Invitational on Tuesday, while the Lady Tornadoes were second among 18 schools in the Jackson event.

Union City accumulated 76 ½ team points in the boys’ competition, with Adamsville coming in second. The girls team totaled 92 ½ points, runner-up to the host school.

Kameron Shade set a new school record and became the first UCHS sprinter ever to break 11 seconds in the 100 meters, winning the event with a time of 10.998. Shade took honors in the 200 meters, too.

Kolby Craig also etched his name in the program annals, winning the triple jump with a leap of 41’ 7 ½”.

The 4×400 relay team, made up of Shade, Malaki Brooks, Andre Smalls, and Adrian Crawford, came in second, while Crawford placed third in the high jump. Keaten Brown was third in the discus.

Union City’s girls also had several standout efforts to rank just behind first place USJ.

The Lady Tornadoes were especially strong in the relay races, winning the 4×100 (Nakyah Yarbrough, Aujani Moss, Indeya Hogsett, Katana Bonds) and finishing second in the 4×400 (Yarbrough, Ada Rogers, Jayla Turner, Alexis Smith). The 4×200 unit (Yarbrough, Hogsett, Turner, Smith) was third.

Bonds continued her dominance in the long jump, winning that event while placing third in the triple jump. Debrionna Jones took honors in the discus and was third in the shot put, and Allysia Davis posted a third-place finish in the high jump.

“It was a really good meet to measure ourselves,” Union City head coach Wade Maddox said. “We had a lot of Top 8 finishes among several heats, and a number of our kids posted personal bests (times or distances).”