BULLDOG RELAYS: Memorial not far from 2017 records at Nederland

Published 8:12 pm Friday, February 16, 2018

NEDERLAND — Port Arthur Memorial might set another 4×200-meter national record before getting to the UIL state meet in May.

The unit on Friday ran an unofficial 1 minute, 26.03 seconds, in the Nederland Bulldog Relays. That would be just 2.51 seconds slower than the national high school mark they set nine months ago in the 5A championships at the University of Texas.

Two meets into the season, Memorial is not far off.

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“The way the kids come in and train — and they’ve been working hard all year — they’ve seen the success we’ve had before, they’re just trying to make sure they leave their names before they leave.”

Memorial has three seniors running both the 4×100 and 4×200 in Elijah Hines, Xavier Hull and Greg Laday and sophomore Ireon Brown. The 4×200 order Friday was Hull, Michael Odoms, Laday and Brown.

“Anytime you come in the program and you start as a freshman, you’re going to develop throughout the year,” Titans coach Darrell Granger said. “It’s just Ireon’s time to get better and getting more confident in himself because he has to be one of the leaders, along with Xavier.”

De’Andre Angelle and Kary Vincent Jr., now football players at Texas Southern and LSU, respectively, graduated from last year’s relay squads. Memorial finished second overall to Manvel in 5A team standings at state.

Memorial ran 41.67 seconds in the 4×100, less than 2 seconds away from a 5A state record the Titans set last year. But that run almost didn’t hold up due to a near-disqualification, as judges determined the third and final baton exchange was within the allotted zone.

“He left early,” Granger said of Brown’s leg, “but he stopped and got it, though.”

Hull also won the long jump at 22 feet, 7 inches, beating the second-place finisher by nearly 2 feet. But ask him about the coined “PA Speed,” and nothing seems to surprise him about the Titans’ fast start to the season.

“We all stay together, pray as a team, work as a team, listen to what Coach has to say,” Hull said. “We grind together and we stay patient.”

Memorial junior Ny’Reonna Smith made a last-lap pass to win the 800-meter run.

“I was already feeling a little discouraged at the beginning,” the District 22-5A cross country runner-up said, “because I didn’t feel I was prepared mentally but physically I was, and I just took the determination. God always gives me that little push when I need it. He knows when I need it.”

Eli Peveto of Little Cypress-Mauriceville set a meet record in the 3,200 meters at 9:38.66, beating the old mark by 2.11 seconds. The second-place runner was 33.5 seconds behind Peveto.

Nederland’s distance medley relay team of Rachel Morrison, Macie Saleme, Rylee Bolser and Jordan Minaldi won their event in 14:39.58. The distance medley is comprised of legs of 1,200, 400, 800 and 1,600 meters in that order.

Kevon Latulas of Nederland won the boys pole vault at 14 feet flat, beating Austin Jones of Port Neches-Groves on fewer missed jumps. Nederland was second in the boys 4×100, Memorial came in third in the boys distance medley to Pollok Central, and Nikolas Foreman of PNG took third in the high jump and long jump.

A heat of the girls 100-meter dash had to be run again because the weather cover on the finish-line camera blocked the lens. Jacie Droddy of PNG won the heat on both tries.

More events were held later Friday, but complete results were unavailable before press time.

I.C. Murrell: 721-2435. Twitter: @ICMurrellPANews

About I.C. Murrell

I.C. Murrell was promoted to editor of The News, effective Oct. 14, 2019. He previously served as sports editor since August 2015 and has won or shared eight first-place awards from state newspaper associations and corporations. He was born in Memphis, Tennessee, grew up mostly in Pine Bluff, Arkansas, and graduated from the University of Arkansas at Monticello.

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