Having the ability to compete in multiple events is always impressive. Being able to compete in all of these events over a two day period is something special. A test not of who is the best in one event but who is the over-all best athlete.
This year, we have 4 of these VERY special athletes.
While winning an individual event carries prestige and pride, the competitors receive points no mater what place they finish and these points are then added up. So an athlete who can turn in multiple top ten finishes can beat the athlete who finishes first in one event but last in another.
For the girls there is the Heptathlon.
Day one has them competing in the 200m, 100m Hurdles, High Jump, and Shot Put.
Day two has them in the 800m, the Long Jump, the Javelin.
Sparkman had two women up for this challenge.
Senior, Briannca Trammell and Sophomore, Kelsey Johnson.
Briannca turned in a solid performance, competing in several events for the first time and getting a NEW PR of 14′-8.5″ in the long jump. Over-all, she finished 46th with 2173 points.
Kelsey was also up to the challenge finishing all 7 events, getting a NEW PR of 4′-5.25″ in the High Jump and finishing 33rd with a NEW Sparkman Girl’s record – 2747 points. With two more years of High School competition to go, look for more records from this woman!
For the Decathlon, the boys get an extra 3 events.
Day one sees them battling it out in the 100m, 400m, High Jump, Long Jump and Shot Put.
Day two has them in the 110 Hurdles, Discus, Pole Vault, Javelin and THEN the 1500m.
Sparkman had two Men who accepted this challenge.
Senior, Ben Dailey and Sophomore, Rob Russell.
Rob finished well in several events (13th in the High Jump, 11th in the Pole Vault, 20th in the High Jump) and had NEW PRs in the 400m (1:02.09) and the Long Jump (17′-2.25″ , an improvement of over a foot!) and tied his PR in the Pole Vault (10’6″). Over-all he finished 38th with 3571 points. Another Sparkman athlete with a bright High School career still ahead!
Ben continued a remarkable season with his showing in the Decathlon.
His first day was highlighted by a 16th place finish in the Long Jump (NEW PR 17′-5″), 7th place finish in the High Jump and 5th in the Shot Put (NEW PR 36′-0.25″)!
Combined with solid finishes in the 100m (NEW PR of 12.56) and 400m (NEW PR of 57.34) he ended the day in 19th place!
… The he really turned it on.
Day two Ben took 5th in the 110m Hurdles, 7th in the Discus (NEW PR 93′-10.75″), 8th in the Pole Vault and 5th in the Javelin (NEW PR & SCHOOL RECORD 144′-4.25″ smashing his old record by nearly 10 FEET !)
His stellar performance scored him a NEW Sparkman School Record, 4906 points in the Decathlon and a
5th PLACE FINISH!!!
Sparkman can truly be proud of the way we were represented by these athletes.
