By Justin Jarrett
LowcoSports.com
Stalking the infield in apparel more typically suited for duck hunting than a track meet, Beaufort High boys track coach Reggie Jones lamented the cancellation of the morning field events at Saturday’s Marwin Kline Invitational due to overnight rain that could have led to unsafe conditions.
“That’s the only way they ever beat Beaufort,” Jones quipped, only half-jokingly. “If you don’t have any field events, they have a shot.”
The coach was prophetic, because with the jumpers and throwers out of the picture, the Whale Branch girls and Hilton Head Island High boys blazed to the team titles on a brisk, windy afternoon on the track in Seabrook.
Natalia Aburto won the 100- and 200-meter dashes and Whale Branch claimed the 4×100 and 4×400 relays to finish atop the girls standings with 83 points, just edging May River (79.5) and Beaufort (73.5). Larmore Pryor, Alani Crawford, and Talaijah Bartley all added second-place finishes for the Warriors.
While Anaiya Houseal claimed Beaufort’s only title on the girls side, winning the 100-meter hurdles, the Eagles won three boys titles, but their 82 points fell just short of the Seahawks’ 93. Isaiah Price won the 100, Xzavier Lacefield took the 800, and Gavin Moore captured the 3,200-meter title for the Eagles, while Whale Branch’s Keith Chisholm won the 110-meter hurdles.
MARWIN KLINE INVITATIONAL AT WHALE BRANCH
Girls
1. Whale Branch 83; 2. May River 79.5; 3. Beaufort 73.5; 4. HHIHS 68; 5. Ridgeland 29; T6. Battery Creek 20; T9. John Paul II 4
1st: Natalia Aburto, WB (100m, 13.62; 200m, 27.96); Avonlea Hale, MR (400m, 1:04.07); Cynthia Gudaitis, HHIHS (800m, 2:25.91); Anya Arroyo, MR (1,600m, 5:14.03); Reagan Gilman, HHIHS (3,200m, 12:55.32); Anaiya Houseal, BFT (100H, 16.64); AnnaDora Hale, MR (400H, 1:12.02); Whale Branch 4×100 (49.80); Whale Branch 4×400 (4:33.63); May River 4×800 (10:22.63)
2nd: Letecia Whittingham, BFT (100m, 13.94); Larmore Pryor (200m, 28.46); Julia McKenna, HHIHS (400m, 1:07.34); Reagan Gilman, HHIHS (800m, 2:29.37); Cynthia Gudaitis, HHIHS (1,600m, 5:18.14); Alani Crawford, WB (3,200m, 14:18.27); Talaijah Bartley, WB (100H, 16.65); Ridgeland 4×100 (53.12); May River 4×400 (4:36.24); HHIHS 4×800 (11:10.65)
3rd: Shakayla Fennell, RIDG (100m, 13.99); Jaden Exley, RIDG (200m, 28.71); Stephanie Martin, HHIHS (800m, 2:38.90); Abbee Bolin, MR (1,600m, 5:56.77); Eleanor McLeod, BFT (3,200m, 15:28.57); AnnaDora Hale, MR (100H, 17.70); Grace Bing, WB (400H, 1:19.27); Beaufort 4×100 (53.33); Beaufort 4×400 (4:45.46); Beaufort 4×800 (11:11.41)
Boys
1. HHIHS 93; 2. Beaufort 82; 3. May River 59; 5. Whale Branch 40; 7. Battery Creek 27; 8. Ridgeland 16; 9. HHCA 14; 11. John Paul II 6
1st: Isaiah Price, BFT (100m, 11.69); Janile Roberson, HHIHS (200m, 22.97); Spencer Buick, MR (400m, 51.84); Xzavier Lacefield, BFT (800m, 2:07.90); Caden Thune, HHIHS (1,600m, 4:39.64); Gavin Moore, BFT (3,200m, 10:09.23); Keith Chisholm, WB (110H, 16.32); Darrion Perry, MR (400H, 59.84); HHIHS 4×100 (44.28); May River 4×400 (3:35.38); HHIHS 4×800 (8:52.67)
2nd: Darrion Perry, MR (200m, 23.29); Wesley Jones, RIDG (400m, 52.00); Bryce Broome, HHIHS (800m, 2:10.35); Miles Brown, HHIHS (1,600m, 4:43.24); Coen Smith, HHIHS (3,200m, 10:17.35); Kendall McMillan, BCHS (110H, 16.65); Robert Taylor, MR (400H, 1:04.75); Beaufort 4×100 (44.76); HHIHS 4×400 (3:39.08); Beaufort 4×800 (9:00.69)
3rd: Isaiah Price, BFT (200m, 23.47); Christopher Gordon, BFT (400m, 53.49); Miles Brown, HHIHS (800m, 2:10.59); Gavin Moore, BFT (1,600m, 4:44.82); Jesse Richardson, WB (3,200m, 10:20.57); Kendall McMillan, BCHS (400H, 1:04.84); Beaufort 4×400 (3:40.32); WB 4×800 (9:06.80)
Justin Jarrett is the sports editor of The Island News and the founder of LowcoSports.com. He was the sports editor of the Island Packet and the Beaufort Gazette for 6½ years. He has a passion for sports and community journalism and a questionable sense of humor.
