DOMINATING THE FIELD: Chargers run away with EAGLE Invitational championships

Published 6:04 am Sunday, April 3, 2016

It was all smiles for the Oxford High boys and girls track and field teams as the Chargers dominated the competition in the Oxford EAGLE Invitational held Friday at Bobby Holcomb Field on the Oxford Middle School campus.

The two teams swept first place in the event with the boys earning 200 points, 46.17 points better than second-place Senatobia (153.83). Amory took third with 83.83 points.

“It was a good day,” Oxford boys coach Chris Bush said. “Getting ready for districts, so we didn’t want to burn anybody down. Our A-listers, we didn’t put in a whole lot of events. Some other guys stepped up.”

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The Chargers had 11 first-place finishers in the individual events. Jaquan Webb won the 100-meter dash with a time of 10.62 seconds. Webb also claimed first in the 200-meter dash with a time of 21.50.

James Burnett won the 400 meters with a time of 48.44, and Jonathan Tyler won the 1,600 meters in 4 minutes, 40 seconds. Tyler went back-to-back with a win in the 3,200 meters, running 10:42.75 to win that one.

Football and basketball standout D.K. Metcalf earned the 110-meter hurdles title in a time of 15.59 while also winning the triple jump with an attempt of 44 feet, 11 inches. Ken Presley won the 300-meter hurdles with a time of 39.61, breaking his own school record in the event.

D.Q. Thomas won the discus with a toss of 118-11, besting the second-place finisher by more than three feet.

In the relays, Oxford claimed first in the 4×200 and the 4×800. The Chargers finished second in the 4×400 behind Senatobia.

“We got some young field events,” Bush said. “Our shot and discus throwers are developing, and we are pleased with that.”

Jacquez Neilson finished fifth in the shot put.

Lady Chargers roll

The results were the same on the girls’ side of things with the Lady Chargers earning 195.5 points, 67 points better than second-place Independence (128.5). Senatobia took third with 112 points.

“We did exceptionally well,” Oxford girls coach Chris Patton said. “Freshmen that stepped up, this is their third meet running for us and they’re learning as we go along what it takes to compete at the high school level. They competed exceptionally well.”

Oxford had 12 first-place finishes, including a sweep of all four relay events. The 4×400 time of 4:10.53 bested the Lady Chargers’ season-best by six seconds, placing them No. 1 in Class 5A.

In the 100-meter dash, Kadijah Ramsey claimed first with teammate Ashley Epps taking second. Epps won the 300-meter hurdles as well.

“First time running the hurdles, and (Epps) ran them under 50 seconds,” Patton said when asked which freshman impressed him. “The time that she ran actually placed her No. 2 in 5A right now. … The overall effort of the girls, their competitive spirit. Their will to win really drove them to this victory today.”

Tiara King won the 200-meter dash with McCall Mullins winning the 800 meters. Addie Thompson and Margaret Adams finished first and second, respectively, in the 1,600 meters. The duo duplicated those results in the 3,200 meters.

In the field events, Kathleen Patton claimed the high jump title with Kyla Johnson earning third place. Charlie Kendricks won the pole vault with Elizabeth Duperier finishing runner-up. Shamequa Vaughn earned second place in the shot put.