The competitive track season for McIntosh began last Thursday and Friday, April 16 and 17, at the Region 4-5A track meet at Starr’s Mill. Ten other teams were present: Charles Drew, Creekside, Forest Park, Mount Zion, Mundy’s Mill, Northgate, Ola, Starrs Mill, Union Grove and Whitewater. The MHS boys team placed second with 99 points behind Mount Zion, and the girls team placed fourth with 61 points behind Forest Park/Starrs Mill (tied for first) and Northgate.

The top two performers in each event for each school competed in the preliminary competition on Thursday. For field events, the top nine competitors competed in finals which took place on the same day. The top four moved on to Sectionals. For running events, the top eight runners or relay teams competed in finals on Friday. From the finals, the top four finishers moved on to Sectionals.

In field events for MHS, senior Connor Nash placed second in high jump, clearing  6-02 feet, and senior Travis Bertke placed second in shot put with a throw of 48-01.

In sprinting events on the boys side, senior Sebastian James placed fourth in the 100m dash in 11.25 seconds. Junior Khadim Jones set a school record in the 400m dash with a time of 50.38, placing third.

For boys relays, the 4x100m team of junior Nasir Mills, senior Victor Nguyen, junior Khadim Jones and senior Sebastian James placed third in 43.03. The 4x400m team of junior Khadim Jones and seniors Johnathan Hall, Michael Daprano and Taylor Huntley came within less than a second of the school record, with a time of 3:24.27 in second place.

In the middle distance and distance events, senior Taylor Huntley won the 800m in 1:58.83 and placed fourth in the mile in 4:33. Senior Joshua Mattingly finished second in the two mile in 9:54.

Both boys hurdlers made it to Sectionals: senior Michael Daprano placed fourth in the 110m in 16.24, and junior Ethan Watson placed fourth in the 300m in 42.43.

On the girls side for sprint events, senior Joy Cummings finished fourth in the 400m in 59.44. The girls 4x400m team of junior Morgan Frederick, freshman Lauren Shelfo, junior Tarna Zander-Velloso and senior Joy Cummings also finished within less than a second of the school record, with a time of 4:05.91 in fourth place.

The girls placed well in the middle distance and distance events. In the 800m, sophomore Alyssa LeClaire was the runner-up in 2:20, and junior Tarna Zander-Velloso was third in 2:25. Alyssa won the mile in 5:22, followed by sophomore Nicole Zaubi in fourth in 5:32. In the two mile, Nicole finished second in 12:06, followed by freshman Rachel Ward in 12:29 in fourth.

Sectionals take place today at Starrs Mill. Girls who finish in the top eight in their event will participate in the State Meet in Albany next weekend; boys who finish in the top eight will participate in the State Meet in Jefferson in two weeks.