The Charleston High School girls’ track team finished as the runner-up at the Mississippi High School Activities Association’s North State 3A Track Meet Saturday at Oxford High School.
Independence won the meet on the girls’ side, compiling 142 team points. Charleston was second with 96, Ruleville third with 66, Kossuth fourth with 58 and M.S. Palmer fifth with 55. Twelve other teams scored points.
By virtue of a top-four finish in their event, a host of CHS athletes earned the right to advance to this week’s MHSAA State Track and Field Championships.
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Senior Ukari Pimpton is a state qualifier in both the 100- and 200-meter dash events. She won the 200-meter dash with a time of 25.84 and finished second in the 100-meter dash at 12.36.
Junior Tasharya Truly also qualified for state in two events after a first-place finish in the pole vault with a height of 7 feet, 6 inches, and a fourth-place finish in the long jump with a distance of 16 feet, 4 1/2 inches.
Freshman Moneshia Stokes advances to to state after placing third in the 100-meter hurdles with a time of 17.67.
In the 400-meter dash, junior Larrinesha Richard took first place with a time of 1:02.93.
Senior Keasia Pittman finished in first place in the 300-meter hurdles with a time of 48.24.
Freshman Aaliyah Bowens punched her ticket to state with a third-place finish in the shot put, hurling the ball 33 feet, 3 3/4 inches.
Freshman Jamaya Batteast claimed third place in the discus throw with a final distance of 88 feet, 6 inches.
The CHS 4x100 meter relay team of Christina Rodgers, Asaya Nunley, Tasharya Truly and Ukari Pimpton took first place at north with a time of 50.68 to qualify for the state competition.
The CHS 4x200 meter relay team of Keasia Pittman, Larrinesha Richard, Christina Rogers and Ukari Pimpton won first place in the north with a time of 1:48.27 and moves on to state.
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On the boys’ side, Charleston’s guys finished in sixth place at North State.
Among the male division, Velma Jackson won with 113 points, Yazoo County placed second with 82, East Side third with 65, Mooreville fourth with 55 and Independence fifth with 53.50. Eleven other schools also were in the points at the meet.
Senior Tylen Herron was the only Charleston male to qualify for the state track and field championships, but he did so in two separate events: as a fourth-place finisher in both the long jump (20 feet, 8 1/4 inches) and the triple jump (42 feet, 2 1/2 inches).
