ROCKINGHAM — Representing its home turf well Thursday, the Richmond Senior High School girls track and field team notched its first meet victory of the season.
Competing in their second Sandhills Athletic Conference meet of the spring, the Lady Raiders cruised past Hoke County and Southern Lee high schools.
The first of two straight meets at home, the Lady Raiders earned 87 points. Richmond secured nine wins, eight second-place marks and seven third-place finishes.
In second place was Hoke County (51 points) and Southern Lee placed third (17 points).
The Lady Raiders had six individual event winners, including two wins from sophomore Ka’mora Watkins. Two relay teams also picked up wins in their respective races.
Watkins, fresh off a state championship appearance from the indoor track and field season, won the high jump and triple jump. Collecting 10 points between those wins, Watkins cleared the bar in the high jump at 5 feet and landed in the pit in the triple jump with a distance of 30 feet, 6 inches.
The other individual winners for the Lady Raiders, who each collected five points, were — Amariah Gibson in the 200-meter dash (27.50 seconds), Mariana Mendez in the 1600-meter run (6:02.00), Anayjah Dumas in the 110-meter hurdles (18.07 seconds), Shadea Harrison in the discus (81 feet, 3 inches) and Ella Parker in the shot put (29 feet).
Richmond’s other two wins came courtesy of its 4×100-meter and 4×800-meter relay teams. They led the field with times of 1:53.00 and 13:37.70, respectively.
All eight of the Lady Raiders’ second-place results were collected by eight different student-athletes. Each competitor tacked on three points apiece.
Watkins placed second in the 100-meter dash (13.03 seconds), Mendez ran a time of 2:54.52 in the 800-meter run and Dumas took runner-up in the triple jump (27 feet, 7 inches).
Other second-place finishers were Kymaria Wall (1:08.15, 400-meter dash), Samya Patterson (58.23 seconds, 300-meter hurdles), Sharonda Henderson (4 feet, 6 inches, high jump), Jasmine Jennings (74 feet, 1 inch, discus) and Anniston Griggs (27 feet, shot put).
Parker picked up another podium finish with a third-place throw in the discus (73 feet, 7 inches). As did Jennings, who took third in the shot put (26 feet, 7 inches).
Rounding out Richmond’s top-three finishers were Brooklyn Jemison (1:12.53, 400-meter), Emily Gonzalez (3:08.34, 800-meter), Dayana Francon (6:47.00, 1600-meter), Nevaeh Pierce (12 feet, 11.5 inches, long jump) and Jamaya Fuller (27 feet, 4 inches, triple jump).
All seven third-place competitors added two points each to the Lady Raiders’ overall score.
The Lady Raiders will host a home meet again this Thursday against Hoke County. Events will start at 5 p.m.
PHOTOS: Click here to view photos of Richmond’s home meet against Hoke County and Southern Lee.
