Jasper girls capture third in 'Spoon Memorial Meet
By GEORGIA PURDY Newsboy Correspondent

Newsboy photos/Georgia Purdy THE LLOYD WEATHERSPOON MEMORIAL MEET was held Saturday in Jasper as Jasper varsity girls placed third in the meet. Pictured above, Jasper top varsity boys finisher Zach Riggins and right, top varsity girls finisher Charlotte O'Brien placed second overall.

The Jasper Lady Bulldog cross-country team took third place in the Class 3A and under division at Jasper's Lloyd Weatherspoon Memorial Meet this weekend. Freshman runner Charlotte O'Brien placed second behind San Augustine senior Brittany Henson.

"We are pleased with what our girls did because they are so young," Coach Terry Young said. "The Bridge City team was first and we weren't far behind them. Based on that, we should be competitive in district."

Last week, this same group won the first girls cross-country team trophy in Jasper High School history.

It was deja vu for O'Brien who also placed second behind Henson last week at Pineland. O'Brien's time at the Jasper meet was 18:36 to Henson's 18:16. Henson said she competed at state last year.

Other members of the Jasper varsity team were Lauren Morgan, 16th; Hannah Vickers, 29th; Kelsey Walker, 31st; and Allison Collins, 32nd, out of a field of 56 runners.

Teams finished in the following order: Bridge City, Zavalla, Jasper, Big Sandy, West Sabine, and Brookeland.

The boys JV also took third place overall since the junior varsity events were not divided by school size. Matt Barrows was Jasper's top runner in ninth place with a time of 14:06, followed by Seth Bevil, 11th at 14;15; Dylan Riggins, 13th at 14:20; DJ Jackson, 18th at 14:40; and Kelton Dorsey, 31st.

Bridge City also won first place in that division, followed by Zavalla, Jasper, and Big Sandy.

Zach Riggins was Jasper's top runner in the boys' varsity 3A and under event, placing 23rd out of a field of 68.

The team placed fifth behind Bridge City, Zavalla, Big Sandy, and Woden. Bridge City indi- -viduals took second, fourth, sixth, eighth, and 11th places.

"We are disappointed with the way we ran," Young said. "We are going to have to work harder and do better to get back up to the standard we set for district."

They placed first a week earlier at the West Sabine meet, but team members said they just didn't run well Saturday.

"It just wasn't our day," one said. "It felt like everyone was tired and sluggish."

Varsity runners included Adam James, 27th; Robert Adams, 44th; Jack Sanderson, 48th; Jaren Bronson, 51st ; David Cleveland-Hadley, 53rd; and Traylon Oakes, 59th.

"We have kids doing multiple things and that may have contributed to their not doing as well as we expected," Young said. "Some compete in other sports and others work. Some of them do both. They were also out on the course all day Friday helping us set up the meet. It could all have a cumulative effect. But we know we are positive and we know we can run better."

Jasper's junior varsity girls' team did not finish in the top; however, Caroline Kipp finished in eighth place, Nataline Duffner was ninth; and Teneshia and Harlena Hadnot finished 17th and 24th,

Zavalla came in first, followed by San Augustine, Port Arthur Memorial, and Big Sandy. respectively.

The girls' varsity 4A-5A team leaders were Little Cypress- Mauriceville in first place and Port Arthur Memorial, second. Lumberton individual runners also competed. Lumberton topped the boys varsity 4A-5A division, followed by Beaumont Central. LCM brought runners but did not field a complete

team.

Jasper also fielded two junior high teams.

Chris Armstrong finished seventh in the boys division, followed by Carrion Grant, 15th; Crosby Jackson, 16th; Brandon Tukes, 28th; and Eric Thomas, 29th.

Latasha Beatty was third in the girls division, followed by Krishe' Anna Collins, 18th; Alexus Scott, 29th; Clanique Wallace, 3oth; and Amaya Johnson, 31st.

Young said that the inclusion of junior high teams is a plus for the Bulldogs. They have hopes of producing some good runners for the future.