By Mike Blackerby
MURFREESBORO — Alcoa and Austin-East turned in strong showings Wednesday at the Small Class state track and field championships at Middle Tennessee State University.
Alcoa compiled 79 points to finish second in the boys’ team race behind Pearl-Cohn’s 103. Austin-East (48.5) was third with Gatlinburg-Pittman (22) in 12th.
Two Tornadoes claimed state championships.
Hunter Marsh cleared 12 feet to win the pole vault and Bryan Brown took the long jump title with a mark of 22-10.5.
Other local winners included Loudon’s J.D. Thaxton (6-2) in the high jump, G-P’s Emmerson Fulton (2 minutes, 23 seconds) in the 800 and Austin-East’s 4×400 relay team in 3:25.29.
The Roadrunners posted three second-place efforts.
Kiyontae Warren, who came into the meet with the fastest time in the state in the 300 hurdles, was second in 39.69.
Tyquan Rodgers was second in the 400 in 49.07. AE’s 4×200 relay team was runner-up in 1:28.95.
A-E sophomore sprinter Blake Blakemore had a big day for the Lady Roadrunners.
Blakemore won the 200 in 24.74 and was third in the 100 in 12.26. AE’s 4×100 relay was second in 49.97.
Alcoa’s Jataya Wilson joined the winner’s circle in the shot put with a toss of 40-08.25.
Laura Bretscher of L&N Stem Academy was second in the 3200 (11:57.75).
East Nashville Magnet was girls team champion with 155 points.
Alcoa (36) was fifth, A-E (24) 10th and L&N Stem (20) 12th.