Telegraph Staff Writer
The Union County track and field teams each placed first in the team standings at a March 18 meet at Chiefland, with the boys team winning seven events and the girls team winning five.
Thomas Williams had three individual wins for the boys team, which earned 175 points to finish ahead of Williston (164.5), Chiefland (128.5) and Taylor County (30). Williams won the high jump (5-1), the 110m hurdles (19.08) and the 300m hurdles (55.63).
Williams also teamed up with Daylyn Diston, Malcolm Odum and Martin Odum to win the 4100m relay with a time of 44.68.
The Odum brothers each won an event as an individual while also running as part of the winning 4x400m relay team. Malcolm Odum ran a first-place time of 22.81 in the 200m, while Martin Odum had the top time in the 400m at 53.23. They joined Brycen Boney and Daquan Diston in the 4x400m relay, posting a winning time of 3:54.
The long jump saw Williams and Boney take second and third, respectively, while Robert Thomas was fifth. Three Tigers tied for seventh: Daquan Diston, Ibn Williams and Demarius Williams.
Boney and Joseph Harris placed second and third, respectively in the 800m with times of 2:40.18 and 2:40.87, while Thomas and Demarius Williams were second and third, respectively, in the high jump, clearing 4-11 and 4-10.
Daylyn Diston was runner-up in the 100m with a time of 12.01, while Williams (12.16) and Davien Pressley (12.30) were fourth and sixth, respectively.
In the triple jump, it was Demarius Williams taking third (29-3.75), while Ibn Williams (26-5.5) and Daquan Diston (26-3.75) were fifth and seventh, respectively.
Thomas placed third in the 400m with a time of 57.80, while Pressley was fifth (59.41). Pressley also earned a fourth-place finish in the 110m hurdles (20.17) and a fifth-place finish in the 200m (26.39).
Harris and Conner Atwater were third and eighth, respectively, in the 1600m with times of 5:52 and 7:28. Robert Smith placed sixth in the shot put (24-7.25).
Ny’asia Jones won two events for the girls team, which earned 134.5 points to finish ahead of Chiefland (125), Taylor County (67) and Williston (62.5). Jones ran a first-place time of 13.85 in the 100m and topped the 200m with a time of 28.79.
Kaitlyn Pafford won the 1600m with a time of 7:20 and teamed up with Emma Jeffers, Holly Halfacre and Mackenzie Ring to win the 4x800m with a time of 12:09.
Jailyn Simmons won the 400m with a time of 1:13, while Pafford was fourth (1:15).
Rachel Harris earned a pair of runner-up finishes in the 800m (3:25) and the 1600m (7:32).
Taleyah Smith, Aliyah Smith, Taliyah Harper and Mia Odum teamed up to place second in the 4x100m with a time of 56.38.
The Tigers were second, third and fourth in the shot put. Jaiiah Hatcher had a distance of 23-3.5, followed by Taleyah Smith (22-11.25) and Deashia Gainer (21-11).
Amia Bethea was runner-up in the 100m with a time of 14.06, while Jahlivah Woodall (14.94) and Ta’riah Hunter (14.96) were seventh and eighth.
Simmons and Halfacre were third and fourth, respectively, in the 100m hurdles with times of 24.23 and 28.0.
In the long jump, Simmons and Halfacre placed third and fourth, respectively, while Woodall and Celeste Thomas tied for sixth.
