Pine’s Markel Cotton qualified for the Class 2A state meet with a victory in the long jump during Wednesday’s Region 3-2A Meet that took place at Tad Gormley Stadium in New Orleans.
Cotton long jumped 21 feet, 1.5 inches to win the event. Metairie Park Country Day’s Justin Douglas was second at 20-10.25.
Wednesday’s meet was the state qualifier. The top three finishers from each event made it to the state meet. The Class 2A state meet will take place Friday, May 4, at Bernie Moore Stadium, which is located on the campus of LSU.
Several others competed for Pine.
Cotton was 10th in the triple jump, with a distance of 38-10. Newman’s Dylon Hill was the winner at 44-11.75.
Joe Whaley competed in the shot put and javelin. He was ninth in the shot put, posting a 34-0.75, and he was 15th for the javelin with a throw of 97-0. South Plaquemines Trashaun Polius won the shot put at 41-0.75 and Newman’s Isaac Andry was the javelin winner after posting a 151-10.
Newman won the team competition with 139 points, as 15 teams put up points.
St. Thomas Aquinas and Riverside Academy tied for second with 97 points each, followed by Patrick Taylor Science and Technology’s 50.5 and St. Helena College and Career Academy’s 41.
Pine was 11th with 10 points.
In the girls’ competition, Pine’s Makia Clark was sixth in the discus and ninth in the shot put.
She threw the discus 86-0.5 and she posted a shot put distance of 26-7.25. Patrick Taylor Science and Technology’s Janee Kovacs won the discus at 96-11.5 and Pope John Paul II’s Madison Wilford was the shot put winner at 34-0.75.
St. Katherine Drexel Prep captured the team competition with 98 points in a close finish. Newman was just seven points behind for second, as 16 teams posted points.
Patrick Taylor Science and Technology was third at 83, followed by St. Thomas Aquinas’ 77, and Louise McGehee capped off the top five with 53 points.
Pine was 16th with one point.