PCHS boys, girls track teams finish 3rd, 10th

cougar pawGLADE SPRING, VA – At the Judy Thomas Invitational, the Pulaski County boys team placed third with 51 points, while the girls team finished tenth with 16 points in a competitive field of 19 teams.

Starting out strong for the cougars, Braxton Merchant claimed first in high jump with a jump of 6’1″, punching his ticket to State. Also in the field events, Kingston McKinnon earned second in discus 129’2″. Anius Slaughter added a fifth place finish in discus, and Colin Wright contributed with a fifth place finish in shot put 43’4.5″. On the track, Jayden Aviles secured fifth in the 300 meter hurdles 45.44.

Tanner Linkous dominated the competition with a first place finish in the 800 meters finishing with a time of 1:56.98. Linkous got out, and maintained his lead through the entire race. Jackson Squires added a strong sprint performance, placing second in the 200 meters 22.93 and sixth in the 100 meters 11.38.

The relay teams also added key points, with the boys 4×100 relay placing fifth consisting of Jackson Squires, Bryant Nottingham, Milan Patel, and Braxton Merchant. The Swedish relay team (100m, 200m, 300m, 400m) Kingston McKinnon, Noah Allen, Jayden Aviles, and Jermaine Goulson finished third.

For the girls, top scorer Olivia King led the scoring effort with a standout all around performance. She placed third in the 300 meter hurdles 52.35, fourth in the high jump 4’8″ and fifth in the 100 meter hurdles 18.77, accounting for the majority of the lady cougars team’s points.

Additional points came from Nina Bucey-Card, who placed sixth in the 800 meters 2:47.22, and Saige Hutton, who added a sixth place finish in the shot put 29′ 4.5″. The girls 4×100 relay team of Zaza Foster, Olivia King, Jordan Smith, and Holli Griffin also contributed with a fifth place finish.

Overall, the cougars track and field team continues to show growth through hard work, and dedication. The next stop will be Wednesday, April 8th, at Salem High School starting at 4:30pm.

Submitted by Head Coach Britney Hodge