BY CLIFF SMELLEY
Amia Bethea won one event for the Union County High School girls track and field team and was part of a fourth-place finish in one of the relays at the Feb. 25 Santa Fe Raiders Mini Meet.
The girls team had three top-five finishes in all, while the boys team had two.
Bethea took first in the 200m with a time of 25.47 seconds. She also teamed up with Holly Halfacre, Jaden Johnson and Faith Sirmones in the 4x100m, with the Tigers running a fourth-place time of 53.06.
Halfacre earned a fifth-place finish in the long jump with a distance of 15 feet, 4.75 inches.
The boys team got a third-place finish from Bo Thomas, who had a third-place distance of 20-2.25 in the long jump.
Thomas teamed up with Jesse Chakin, Gavin Jenkins and Drew Simmons in the 4x100m, with the Tigers placing fifth with a time of 45.68.
Union got a ninth-place finish in the 200m, with Thomas running a time of 24.48.
The Tigers also had the following boys results: 200m — Chakin 24.54, Simmons 24.83, Jason Buie 26.11, Jabari Young 26.20, Natwan Richardson 27.25; 400m — Gavin Smith 57.0, Joseph Harris 58.92; 800m — Harris 2:28, Gaultney Cole 2:50; long jump — Landon Cason 16-7.75; and shot put — C.J. Ivey 32-11.25, Edward Durant 31-10.75.
Other girls team results were: 200m — Halfacre 28.76, Brianna Taylor 30.73, Hayden Robinson 31.99, Elauna Roberts 35.58, Gloryanth Reyes 40.26; 400m — Sommer McKenzie 1:35; 800m —
Rachel Harris 3:08, Kaitlyn Pafford 3:33; long jump — Sirmones 12-8, Taylor 11-2.25; and shot put — Melinda Mabrey 23-0.5, Allayah Blocker 23-0.5.
Prior to the start of the Florida High School Athletic Association season, Bethea and Halfacre participated in the Jan. 25-26 RADD Sunshine Showcase in Gainesville, with each earning two top-10 finishes.
Bethea placed third in the 60m with a time of 7.7 and also was 10th in the 200m with a time of 25.25.
Halfacre was seventh in the long jump with a distance of 4.7 meters and eighth in the triple jump with a distance of 9.34. She also ran in the 200m, crossing the line in 29.42.
