ROCKINGHAM — Competing for the first time this spring, the Richmond Senior High School boys’ track and field team placed second in Tuesday’s home meet.
A delayed start to the season caused by rain finally saw the Raiders hit the track against Sandhills Athletic Conference opponents Hoke County and Southern Lee high schools.
Richmond earned 59 points across the nearly 20 events it competed in, with Hoke County winning the meet with 82 points. Southern Lee’s score of 23 points was third.
The difference maker for Hoke County was the distance events, which it outscored Richmond and Southern Lee 31-2 in point totals.
Across the board, the Raiders earned six first-place finishes, had seven second-place marks and took third in five other events.
Cason Douglas impressed in the 100-meter dash, taking first with a time of 10.53 seconds, over a half a second faster than the rest of the field. He also took second place in the open 200-meter, clocking in at 22.65 seconds.
Cason Douglas (left) and Taye Spencer near the finish line in the 100-meter dash. (Kyle Pillar/The Richmond Observer)
The 4×100-meter relay team placed first, making the lap around the track and passing the baton successfully in 43.13 seconds, nearly three seconds faster than Hoke County (45.97 seconds).
Other first-place finishers were Trey Thomas in the 110-meter hurdles (17.20 seconds), Javares Stanback in the high jump (5 feet, 8 inches) and Thomas also took first in the triple jump (40 feet, 4 inches).
Stanback, according to head coach Reggie Miller, also won the long jump, but the official stats had not been updated with the distance.
Javares Stanback attempts the long jump during Tuesday’s track and field meet. (Kyle Pillar/The Richmond Observer)
Taking second place in several events were Travion Smith (400-meter, 54.69 seconds), the 4×200 relay team (1:33.20), the 4×800 relay team (10:06), Chris Ellerbe (high jump, 5 feet, 6 inches), Kelay Lindsey (discus, 102 feet, 4 inches) and Urijah McDonald (shot put, 35 feet, 0 inches).
Rounding out the Raiders’ top-three finishers were Jaylen McDonald in the 100-meter dash (11.19 seconds), Linden Garcia in the open 400-meter (54.78 seconds), James Coicou in the 1600-meter race (5:33), the 4×400 relay team (3:54) and Urijah McDonald in the discus (90 feet, 9 inches).
Richmond will now prepare for the Union Pines Relays meet on Saturday, which will begin at 9 a.m.
