Though it might only shave fractions of time off the clock, well-executed baton passes during a relay race could be how a region championship is won.
Coach Pam Canup explained as much during a track-and-field practice held inside Commerce High School’s auxiliary gym on Monday. The first order of business: practicing mock passes up and down the basketball court. When the hollow cylinder hit the ground, her voice exclaimed: “Ooooohhh, that’s a bad sound!”
The soggy weather this week did not dampen spirits for the team of nearly 50 athletes, who opened the season on March 3 at East Jackson and added another two meets last week against Jefferson and Rabun County.
Individual and team results helped Canup and coach Kendall Love assess just how the athletes could best be placed in events. Their simple goal is to earn points, any points, for the Tigers.
“We’re a lot better on who’s doing what,” Canup said. “We are seeing them progress.”
With the relay races in particular, the coaches have zeroed in on form and swapped positions in some cases to better times. On the girls’ side, for instance, a starter and a curve runner were switched. The change led the Lady Tigers to a significant time improvement, the coach said.
Execution on the four-by-400 relay is as critical to the team’s overall success, she told the team, before having runners model exactly how they are to move the baton one teammate to the next. A number of the track athletes participate in the longer relay event, even those who are field event specialists.
The races help athletes stay in shape, the coach said, adding that they give alternates a chance to stay in good form should they be tested on the top teams.
The race is not an easy for anybody, however.
Nor should it be.
“It’s a gut check,” Canup said. “It’s one of the toughest races out there. If you run the four-by-400 right you should feel like you are light headed and all that.”
While the girls last week were led by consistent efforts notched by multi-event athletes such as Cameron Hawkins, the boys stand to benefit from a few additions in the coming weeks.
Jamal Browner who is recovering from his knee injury suffered during football season took part in Commerce’s top 4-by-100 relay team at Jefferson. The group, consisting of Browner, Quay Little, Jamir Walton and D Ramsey finished second (45.84).
Additionally, the strong roster of jumpers stands to improve as Thomas McMillan joined the team. He likely will vie for a slot in the high jump event, Canup said.
Top Commerce boys’ results at Jefferson on March 8
100-yard dash, Quay Little, 11.49 (third), Tyreke Wiggins, 12.66 (ninth); 200, Quay Little, 25.28 (third), Tyreke Wiggins, 28.38 (ninth); 400, Justin Langston,1:00.8 (eighth); Jamir Walton, 1:01.59 (tenth); 800, Nahum Mendoza, 2:28 (sixth), Cole Sweeney, 2:46 (tenth); 1600, Nahum Mendoza, 5:20.19 (fifth), Chance McClure, 5:31.31 (sixth); Nick Henderson, 6:41.69 (tenth); 110-hurdles, Thomas Sweeney, 17.50 (second), Orlando Gonzalez, 20.31 (seventh); 300-hurdles, Thomas Sweeney, 46.53 (second), Orlando Gonzalez, 49.9 (seventh); 4-by-100, Quay Little, Jamir Walton, D Ramsey, Jamal Browner, 45.84 (second); Thomas Sweeney, Tyreke Wiggins, Chance McClure, Barron Mather, 49.93 (fifth), KJ Jones, Orlando Gonzalez, Justin Langston and Jose Rodriguez, 51.62 (seventh); 4-by-400, D Ramsey, Jamir Walton, Barron Mather, Quay Little, 4:08.32 (fourth); Justin Langston, Chance McClure, Thomas Sweeney, Tyreke Wiggins, 4:42.47 (sixth); high jump, Quay Little, 5 feet-6 inches (third), Jose Rodriguez, 5-04, (fourth); long jump, D Ramsey, 20-05.75 (first), Jamir Walton, 19-07 (second), Tyreke Wiggins, 15-06.25 (seventh), Orlando Gonzalez, 15-05 (eighth); triple jump, Jamir Walton, 39.10.5 (first), D Ramsey, 39-07 (second); shot put, Micah Eason, 44-11.5 (first), Tony Patman, 33-11 (eighth), Derek Benoit, 33-08.5 (ninth), Jerquavis Colbert, 33-08 (tenth); discus throw, Micah Eason, 108-02 (third), Jerquavis Colbert, 88-01.75 (sixth), Tony Patman, 77-07.75 (tenth).
Top Commerce girls’ results at Jefferson on March 8
100-yard dash, results unavailable; 200, Cameron Hawkins, 30.77 (fourth); 400, JP Parkerson, 1:14.28 (third), Jamie O’Hara, 1:15.28 (fourth), Nikki Herbert, 1:46 (sixth); 800, Kourtney Southerland, 3:14.12 (fourth), Bridgett Carroll, 3:23 (fifth); 100-hurdles, Zoey Forrester, 18.15 (first), Lily Mather, 19.68 (fourth), Chelsea Southerland, 22.63 (sixth); 300-hurdles, Lily Mather, 55.45 (first), Chelsea Southerland, 1:11.38, (seventh); 4x100, Jamie O’Hara, Jessica Parkerson, Zoey Forrester, Cameron Hawkins, 56.43 (second); 4x400, Lily Mather, Cameron Hawkins, Jessica Parkerson, Chelsea Southerland, 5:31.08 (third), Tramelia Sims, Hannah Crumley, Zoey Forrester, Jamie O’Hara, 5:34. 58 (fourth); high jump, Lily Mather, 5-0 (first); long jump, Cameron Hawkins, 13-07.5 (second), Tramelia Sims, 12-03.75 (fourth), Hannah Crumley, 12-02 (fifth), Chelsey Southerland, 11-08.25 (seventh); triple jump, Cameron Hawkins, 29-06.5 (second), Tramelia Sims, 26-10.5 (fourth), Hannah Crumley, 25-10.75 (fifth), Jamie O’Hara, 24-03.25 (sixth); shot put, Michaela Rucker, 26-07.25 (first), Jessica Ayres, 25-02 (fifth), Rachel Floyd, 24-01.5 (seventh), Teriny Moon, 23-10.75 (eighth), Anna Flint, 22-07 (ninth), Emily Gonzalez, 21-06 (tenth); discus, Rachel Floyd, 81-09 (second), Anna Flint, 78-0 (fourth), Teriny Moon, 65-02.5 (seventh), Courtney Swindle, 57-0.5 (eighth), Emily Gonzalez, 51-02 (tenth).
Top Commerce boys’ results at Rabun County on March 8
100-yard dash, Quay Little, 11.88 (fourth), Tyreke Wiggins, 12.46 (fifth); 200, Quay Little, 24.61 (third); 400, D Ramsey, 57.76 (second); 800, Nahum Mendoza, 2:25 (fourth); 1600, Nahum Mendoza (third), Chance MClure (fifth); 110-hurdles, Thomas Sweeney, 17.53 (first), Orlando Gonzalez, 20.51 (fourth); 300-hurdles, Thomas Sweeney, 46.31 (first); 4-by-100, Commerce A, 45.15, (third); 4-by-400, Commerce A, 4:15 (third); high jump, Quay Little, 5 feet-6 inches (fourth), Jose Rodriguez, 5-04, (fifth); long jump, D Ramsey, 19-11 (first), Jamir Walton, 19-02 (third), Tyreke Wiggins, 16-07 (fifth); triple jump, Jamir Walton, 42-2 (first), D Ramsey, 40-9 (second); shot put, Micah Eason, 44-11 (first), Tony Patman, 36-5 (fourth); discus throw, Micah Eason, 114-7 (second), Jerquavis Colbert, 94-4 (fourth), Tony Patman, 87-11 (sixth).
Top Commerce girls’ results at Rabun County on March 8
100-yard dash, Hannah Crumley 14.47 (fifth); 200, JP Parkerson, 29.66 (fifth), Cameron Hawkins, 30.07 (sixth); 400, Nikki Herbert, 1.14.92 (fifth); 800, Bridgett Carroll (seventh); 100-hurdles, Zoey Forrester, 17.86 (second), Lily Mather, 19.12 (fourth), Chelsea Southerland, 22.24 (sixth); 300-hurdles, Lily Mather, 56.39 (third), Chelsea Southerland, 1:06.35, (sixth); 4x100, Commerce A, 55.98 (third), Commerce B, 56.78 (second); 4x400, Commerce, 5:07 (third), Commerce B, 5.24 (fourth); high jump, Lily Mather, 4-10 (second); long jump, Cameron Hawkins, 13-07.5 (second), Tramelia Sims, 13-05 (fourth); triple jump, Cameron Hawkins, 29-10 (second), Hannah Crumley, 26-0 (fifth); shot put, Michaela Rucker, 28-05 (second), Jessica Ayres, 26-04 (fifth); discus, Rachel Floyd, 74-06 (second), Teriny Moon, 62-04 (fourth), Anna Flint, 56-5 (fifth).
