The Cartersville Purple Hurricane Invitational drew 13 track and field teams last Saturday.
Gilmer High School athletes were in attendance, and the Lady Cats tallied 35 points for sixth place while the Bobcats finished 10th on the boys side with 19.
Most events required a top-eight placement to score team points, and the Lady Cats did so nine times.
Junior Naomi Coombs was Gilmer’s top finisher. She was a runner-up in the 1,600-meter run by a tenth of a second at 5:38.48. She took third in the 800-meter run with a time of 2:33.54. The day capped a busy four-day span for Coombs, which included two track meets and two soccer matches.
Lady Cat Taylor McCormick also secured valuable team points with a third place leap of 4’ 8” in the high jump. Teammate Jasmine Wright cleared 4’ 4” for eighth and also finished fifth in the triple jump at 28’ 5 1/2”.
Karla Orduna claimed fifth in the long jump (14’ 6 1/2”). Teammate Jalynn Ledford tossed the discus 82’ 8” for sixth and just missed scoring points in the shot put (30’ 2 1/2”). Marlee Chadwick finished seventh in the triple jump at 27’.
The Bobcats secured four top-eight placements across three events. Leading the charge was Landon Pike with a runner-up finish in the triple jump at 37’ 5 1/2”. Braden Jenkins took seventh at 36’ 5”.
Carson Purvis was the Bobcats’ lone placer in running events, and he turned in a time of 2:10.08 for fourth in the 800 meters. Will Kiker cleared 10’ in the pole vault for fifth.
The top three boys teams included Allatoona (110 points), Hiram (96) and Cartersville (96). Carrollton (135) won the girls competition ahead of Woodland (110) and North Springs (92).
GHS began the season at home two days earlier. The Lady Cats (66 points) outpaced Union County (49) and Southeast Whitfield (42). Union took first over the Bobcats, 103-51, while Southeast was third (13).
The Lady Cats’ first-place finishers included: Orduna in the 100 meters (14.07) and long jump (14’ 11”), Maddie Rosas-Wright (400 meters, 1:08.19), Coombs (800, 2:41.11) and Hancock 300 hurdles (1:00.04) and pole vault (7’).
The 4x400 relay team of Orduna, Rachel Bennett, Rosas-Wright and Reagan Boling were first with a time of 4:45.70.
Kiker placed first in the pole vault (10’ 6”) for the Bobcats’ only top finish.
Runners-up included Purvis in the 400 (57.09) and 800 (2:08.02), Byrd in the 1,600 (5:18.65) and 3,200 (10:46.72), Pike in the 110 hurdles (19.38), 300 hurdles (47.62) and triple jump (39’ 1 1/2”) and Ayden Fountain (high jump, 5’ 2”).
The 4x400 team of Austin Long, Cole Ellis, Pike and Purvis were second at 3:54.99.