Bogalusa’s DeZyriah Rankins makes regionals in 3 events

Published 9:11 am Monday, April 27, 2015

Boglausa’s DeZyriah Rankins had a huge day at the District 8-3A track meet at Jewel Sumner Wednesday.

Rankins qualified for the regionals in three individual events and was part of a qualifying relay team.

Rankins captured the long jump at 17-4.5. She finished third in the 100 meters (13.36) and fourth in the 200 (27.92).

Rankins was also part of the Lady Jacks’ third-place 4×200 relay team (1:53).

The rest of the group featured De’Sha Rankins, De’Erica Myers and Miyana Roberts.

De’Sha Rankins also qualified in the 100 by finishing fourth (13.38).

Jewel Sumner’s Breashlee Jones captured the 100 and 200 in 12.86 and 26.57.

Amite won the 4×200 in 1:50.

De’Sha Rankins also advanced to regionals in the shot put (30-5) with a third-place finish. Jones won the shot put at 37-3.

Wednesday’s meet was a qualifying meet.

The top four finishers from each event advanced to the Region 3-3A meet. That takes place at West Jefferson High School Wednesday.

In the team competition, Bogalusa finished tied for second with Loranger at 67 points.

Jewel Sumner won the five-team meet with 118 points.

Albany (62) was fourth and Amite (43) took fifth.

Lulu Ball and Jameka Lucas made it to regionals in two individual events each.

Ball was victorious in the discus at 68-3 and finished third in the javelin (62-2). Loranger’s Stephanie Gurcia won the javelin with a distance of 77-11.

Lucas tallied a second and third place finish in hurdle events. She was runner up in the 100 hurdles (20.74) and 300 hurdles (54.50).

Loranger’s Courtney Bolton was victorious in the 100 hurdles at 20.63 and Jewel Sumner’s Kiara Williams won the 300 hurdles at 50.61.

Bogalusa had one other individual qualifier. Myers made it with a second place finish in the 400 (1:06). Loranger’s Shana Spears won the 400 in 1:04.

All three of the Lady Jacks’ relay teams qualified for regionals. Besides the 4×200, the 4×100 and 4×400 did as well.

The 4×400 captured its race in 4:40. The Bogalusa runners were Ball, Myers, Kimsha McGowan and Arielle Smith.

The 4×100 team was third (53.85), as Sumner was victorious in 51.09. The squad consisted of Roberts, Myers, Lucas and De’Sha Rankins.

Also for Bogalusa, O’Layzha Morris was seventh in the long jump (13-6.5).

Morris (4-0) and Smith (4-0) were fifth and sixth in the high jump while Albany’s Brooklyn Starkey (4-10) topped the event. The tiebreaker in the high jump is fewest misses.

Ball was sixth in the shot put (24-5.5) while teammate McGowan posted a fifth-place finish in the 100 hurdles (22.65).

Morris was fifth for the 300 hurdles (56.50) and Roberts got eighth in the 200 meters (30.76).

Loranger’s Lyric George is the field Most Valuable Player and Jewel Sumner’s Avelina Trout won the Track MVP.