Three PCA athletes claim victory at district track meet
Published 9:57 am Thursday, April 21, 2022
Porter’s Chapel Academy brought home a few first-place ribbons and sent along a few athletes to the next level of the track and field postseason.
Marley Bufkin, Tiara Sims and Willie Rogers all won individual events, and PCA had a dozen athletes qualify for the North State meet at the MAIS District 3-3A meet Wednesday in Clarksdale.
Bufkin was the day’s star for PCA. She won the 100 meters and 200 meters, finished second in the long jump, and was also part of two relays that finished in the top four to advance to North State.
Bufkin won the 100 meters with a time of 14.08 seconds, and the 200 in 30.14 seconds. She long jumped 14 feet, 6 inches, which was four inches off the winning mark set by Deer Creek’s Josie Azlin.
Bufkin was also on the 4×100 and 4×400 meter relays that finished third and fourth, respectively.
Sims was also on the 4×400 relay, and qualified in two individual events. She won the 800 meters with a time of 3 minutes, 5.74 seconds, and was third in the 1,600 meters with a time of 7:22.42.
Other girls’ qualifiers for PCA were Audrey Carraway in the long jump and 4×100; Olivia Masterson in the discus; and Mia Abdo and Reagan Thornell in the two relays.
In the boys’ meet, Rogers cleared 5 feet, 4 inches in the high jump and then won almost by default. None of his five challengers successfully cleared the bar at any height, making him the only jumper from District 3-3A to advance to next week’s North State meet.
Daniel Llopis did not win an event, but qualified in three — the 300 meter hurdles, the 200 meter dash, and the 400 meters, with finishes of second, third and fourth place, respectively.
Isaac Martin finished fourth in the 110 meter hurdles to advance to the next round, and was also on the 4×800 meter relay with Hayden Beard, Nick Neihaus and Chris Taylor that finished fourth.