SPORTS
STORM CENTER COLUMN: Give it a fair start
The University Interscholastic League state track and field meet is one week away, and the anticipating is building.
Forestburg’s Skyler Sandusky will be Montague County’s first athlete to compete – on Thursday at 5 p.m. in the high jump.
Sandusky will compete again on Friday in the long jump and the 400-meter dash finals.
Bowie’s entrants are Addy Cook and Kamryn Cantwell, and those Lady Rabbits will hit the stage at Mike A. Myers Stadium on Saturday in the triple jump and 400 dash respectively.
There’s more than meets the eye what happens at a track and field meet, and there are many interlocking parts in this well-oiled machine.
And perhaps the most important role belongs to the starter.
“The starter has two roles,” said Jacksboro head track and field coach Joel Hood, who served in the same capacity at Bowie for the entire course of the 1990s.
“They can dictate that pace of a meet,” Hood said. “If they are active and on the ball, they’ll make sure the runners are ready to go.”
Hood said the other role is to make sure rules are adhered to.
“Athletes can feed off the attitude of the starter,” he said.
Starters must command a presence, and they need to speak from an authoritative position.
For the past few years, Hood has employed Fairfield-based Thomas Baxter as the starter. Baxter filled the role at Jacksboro’s regular-season meet as well as the District 3A-8 and Area 3A-7/8 meets.
Baxter brings along with himself his own public address system, which helps add clout to his official capacity.
“His experience as a starter makes him an invaluable part of the meet,” Hood said. “Another reason why I use him is he doesn’t have any local ties.”
That means the starter will have an unbiased, qualified, professional interpretation of the rules. Read more from this column in the May 6 edition.
Editor’s Note: The Storm Center column is the expressed written views of sports editor Eric Viccaro and not The Bowie News.
Thomas Baxter has worked as a starter at the Jacksboro Invitational, District 3A-8 and Area 3A-7/8 meets this year in Jacksboro. Baxter is certified through U.S.A. Track and Field. (News photo by Eric Viccaro)
In its first match since last year’s state semifinal appearance, Saint Jo hosted Bryson Aug. 11 and took a 25-13, 25-12, 25-21 win over the Cowgirls.
The Lady Panthers lost some talent to graduation but have five seniors ready to have a successful season. Savannah Hil, one of the five, got Saint Jo rolling offensively with a four-point serving string, including a pair of aces. Abby Carter’s kill and Kamron Skidmore’s block helped put the Lady Panthers up 5-2 in game one.
Hadleigh Moore added a four-point string of her own to extend the lead to 10-3. Tatum Morman’s pair, helped by a Hill kill, gave Saint Jo a 14-5 lead. Bryson got within five before a Hill 3-pointer, with help by a Carter kill, put the lead back at 18-10.
After an Olivia Johnson kill broke serve, Jordyn O’Neal served up the final five points, with Johnson providing a kill to move things along.
For further details, pick up a copy of Thursday’s Bowie News.
Despite being the smallest school in the Brock varsity classic volleyball tournament, the Lady Indians finished 4th out of the eight teams there.
After losing to the host team in its first pool play match Aug. 14 18-25, 14-25 and also to Class 3A Wall 12-25, 8-25, Nocona rebounded to close out pool play with a 20-25, 25-23, 25-20 win over Christoval. Sy Parker had 16 kills and 7 blocks in the three matches. Raylea Bowles had 12 kills, 17 digs and served up three aces. Maddyn Bowles had seven kills and 14 digs while Paige Davis had seven kills and 15 digs. Baylee Thomas added 11 digs.
From the setter spot, Kasi Castro had 20 assists, served up five aces and contributed 14 digs. Leah Meekins added 18 assists and six digs during the three matches.
To open Saturday’s bracket play, the Lady Indians posted a 25-18, 18-25, 26-24, 25-19 win over Fort Worth Christian. Castro staked Nocona to a 2-0 lead in game one. Kills by Parker set up pairs of points from Raylea Bowles and Leah Meekins helped Nocona negate an early deficit and take a 10-9 lead.
For further details, pick up a copy of Thursday’s Bowie News.
County football teams had their first scrimmage of the season Aug. 14 with mixed results.
Forestburg hosted Azle Christian and Victory Christian. Under a new system with new head coach Cori Hayes, the Longhorns looked pretty good in the coach’s eye.
“The first team looked good,” Hayes explained. “Overall we need to work on our pace and blocking assignments and blocking assignments. Overall we looked good for the new regime.”
Forestburg hits the road to scrimmage Newcastle Aug. 21.
For further details, pick up a copy of Thursday’s Bowie News.
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