Arrow track teams have been dominating for years

By Guest Columnist Johnathan Perkins

Six years ago, when our girls were on the verge of winning their fifth consecutive track and field state championship, I told my coaching staff, “If we can pull off this fifth state title, then we will possibly win ten straight 6A track a field state championships.”

Fast forward to the present and, even through a major pandemic-ending season, our Lady Arrows Track and Field team has made history by being the first athletic team in Mississippi High School Activities Association (MHSAA) history to win ten consecutive State Championships in any sport. During this span of consecutive titles, we have had nine NCAA Division I, five NCAA Division II, one NCAA Division III, six National Junior College, and three NAIA college track signees. Some have signed NLI in other sports, became great college scholars, and/or joined some branch of the United States military.

The Lady Arrows clinched their tenth title in dominating fashion by a colossal margin of 87 points with a top score of 159 points to a far second place score of 72 points. I am very proud of our very strong senior leadership this season that accounted for 60 points in our individual events and helped us account for 34 points in our relay events.

Our underclassmen are eager and ready to take the torch and continue the legacy that their previous teammates started and have maintained over the past eleven years. My great coaching staff of Christopher Lockhart, James Harrison, Robert Pittman, Ben Prevost, Justice Sims and Thomas Tunberg have worked tirelessly throughout the years to keep our track program top tier, and they have done a tremendous job.

We are looking forward to moving up to the 7A classification next year and continuing our hard work with the next season’s team to attempt to maintain our winning traditions.

Senior Meagan Womack, Mississippi State University signee, set a new Mississippi Overall State Record and MHSAA State Meet shot put record with a toss of 45’4.5” and captured a gold medal in her discus event with a heave of 144’4.5”. Sophomore Kaitlyn Jones won four gold medals in the 100m hurdles (15.28), 300m hurdles (44.44), 4x200m relay, and 4x400m relay.

Our individual silver medalist in the 100m dash (12.07) was senior Zharia Bonner, William Carey University signee. Our individual bronze medalist winners are Zharia Bonner in the 200m dash (25.02), junior Jenesis Williams in the 100m hurdles (15.59), senior Ashanti Patton in the long jump (16’6.75”), junior Kennedi McCord in pole vault (11’0”), and senior Kaitlyn Walker, Mississippi State University signee, in shot put (37’5.25”). Our gold medal relay participants are senior Corshunna Hughes, junior Shay Lawson, junior Nakirsten Hughes and Zharia Bonner (4x100m relay – 46.38 “3rd fastest time in Mississippi high school history”); Kaitlyn Jones, Shay Lawson, Zharia Bonner and Kirsten Hughes (4x200m Relay – 1:39.96); and seventh grader Kamiah Mounger, Jenesis Williams, freshman Kyla Weathersby and Kaitlyn Jones (4x400m Relay – 4:02.37).

Our boys track and field team captured their seventh MHSAA State Championship runner-up finish by falling 1.5 points shy of capturing their 3rd state title, and it was a valiant effort on their part, due to the vast number of injuries that our boys’ time incurred during the season.

The coaching staff and I are very proud of what these young men accomplished this year, and we can’t wait to see how our senior boys flourish on the college level and our underclassman progress in the upcoming seasons.

Our individual silver medalists are senior Maxiumus Littleton, University of Southern Mississippi signee, in the long jump (23’11.25”) and triple jump (47’4.5”), senior Miguel Bankston, William Carey University signee, in the 800m run (1:57.30), junior Camran Parks in the 110m hurdles (15.60), and sophomore Howard Banks in the 400m dash (48.82). The individual bronze medalists are sophomore Omari Hampton in the 100m dash (11.00), senior Tyler Nichols, University of Southern Mississippi signee, in the high jump (6’6”), and senior Ken Andrews in shot put (48’10.25”). Our boys’ relays captured two golds and one bronze medal, with seventh grader Jeremiah Barnett, freshman Aiden Knox, sophomore Kaleb Moore and Omari Hampton (4x100m relay – 42.12 “New School Record,” gold); Jeremiah Barnett, Howard Banks, Kaleb Moore and Omari Hampton (4x200m relay – 1:27.68, gold); and Howard Banks, Kaleb Moore, Jeremiah Barnett and Miguel Bankston (4x400m relay – 3:24.10 “New School Record,” bronze).

EDITOR’S NOTE: Jonathan Perkins serves as the head track and field coach for the Clinton Arrows. During his tenure, both the boys and girls teams have dominated the Mississippi High School Activities Association championships. Perkins, a former Arrow football standout in the mid 1990s, provided the 2023 season results and comments at the request of The Clinton Courier’s Danny C. Davis, who compiled the column for publishing.