Samantha Edwards’ pursuit of a fully undefeated season ended in one event, but continued in force in two others.

The St. Aloysius senior finished second in the girls’ 800 meters for the first time this season, but easily won the 1,600 and 3,200 meters at the MAIS Class 5A South State track and field meet on Saturday.

Edwards qualified for the Class 5A state meet in all three events. Running events will he next Saturday, May 3, at Jackson Prep and field events are May 2 at Jackson Academy.

Edwards clocked a time of 5:28.23 in the 1,600 meters to beat Copiah Academy’s Emma McCardle by 14 seconds. She had a time of 12:13.93 in the 3,200 to win by 51 seconds over Columbia Academy’s Kortlyn Bracey.

In the 800 meters, Columbia Academy’s Briley Speights had a time of 2:23.55 to edge Edwards (2:27.03) by about 3 1/2 seconds. It’s the only time in 20 starts in the three distance races this season that Edwards has not finished first.

St. Al was not a factor in the team championship race — it had 35 points and meet host Silliman won with 85 — but did have several athletes besides Edwards finish in the top four of their events and advance to the state meet.

Megan Theriot moved on with a second-place finish in the 400 meters and a fourth in the 100. She had times of 1:03.71 and 13.53 seconds, respectively. Last year, the sophomore finished second in the 400 meters and fourth in the 100 at the state meet.

Another sophomore, Annslee Averett, finished fourth in the 100 meter hurdles to advance to the state meet. She also finished fifth in the 300 hurdles and was eliminated in that event.

St. Al’s 4×200 meter relay team of Kelci Bingham. Madelyn Kavanaugh, Theriot and Averett also advanced with a third-place finish, and Julia Moberley qualified by finishing fourth in the discus during the field events earlier in the week.

St. Al’s boys’ team only had a handful of athletes in the South State meet, and the only ones to advance were the 4×100 and 4×200 meter relay teams of Sam Ashley, Ace Oglesby, Beau Brogdon and Carson Gleese. They finished fourth in both the 4×100 and third in the 4×200 with times of 47.57 seconds and 1:38.98, respectively.

PCA has rough day at 3A South State
Porter’s Chapel Academy had a great day in the field, but not on the track, at the MAIS Class 3A South State meet.

Marley Bufkin was the only one among three girls’ runners to advance to next week’s state meet, and Henry Slayton was the only member of PCA’s boys’ team to finish in the top four and move on.

Bufkin finished second in the 100 meters with a time of 13.88 seconds, and fourth in the 200 with a time of 29.72 seconds to move on to the state meet.

Bufkin also won the long jump during Wednesday’s field events and will join Mia Abdo as PCA’s entries at the girls’ state meet May 2 at Canton Academy. Field events will be contested there, and running events on May 3 at Jackson Prep.

Abdo won the triple jump and finished second in the high jump.

Slayton had a fourth-place finish in the 800 meters, with a time of 2:17.63, but 10 other individual entries did not advance to the state meet.

PCA did qualify with third-place efforts in the 4×100 and 4×200 meter relays, and a fourth-place finish in the 4×400 relay. Bell, Jung, Pecanty and Auston Moore are on the 4×100 and 4×200 teams. Jung, Pecanty, Bell and Lane Carraway make up the 4×400 team.

The Eagles also had a good showing in the boys’ field events earlier in the week. Schaffer Bell won the high jump and also qualified in the triple jump and long jump; Jase Jung qualified in the high jump; and Lakelan Pecanty moved on in the long jump.