FARMINGTON -- Wholesale changes in the coaching ranks haven't diminished Farmington's enthusiasm for track and field with both the boys and girls teams competing at the Blackhawk Relays on April 8.
Pea Ridge hosted the meet at Blackhawk Stadium with the Cardinals going up against the hosts along with 4A-1 foes Prairie Grove, Gravette, Gentry and Shiloh Christian plus West Fork and Decatur.
Farmington Coaching Changes
Since August three coaches have left the Cardinal track and field program beginning with the revelation of criminal charges filed against Si Hornbeck from southwest Arkansas and his resignation last summer.
In December boys assistant coach and former head coach Mike Adams, who was also head football coach, announced his retirement at the end of the semester in January; and most recently his son, boys track and field head coach Spencer Adams, resigned upon landing the head football coaching job and athletic director position at Barton.
Greg Pair, head volleyball coach, began the spring sports season as an assistant baseball coach and head varsity girls track and field coach, then shifted over to track and field to fill the void for the boys team. He is currently doing triple duty with the baseball team while serving as both head coach for the Farmington boys and girls varsity track and field team. Jarrod Mattingly is the junior high boys head track and field coach while Anna Johnson, head junior high volleyball coach, also serves as head junior high coach for the girls track and field team.
Farmington Boys
The Farmington boys team placed fifth with 74 points among the team standings trailing 1. Pea Ridge, 199; 2. West Fork, 89; 3. Shiloh Christian, 84; 4. Prairie Grove, 80; and ahead of 6. Gravette, 66; and 7. Gentry, 45.
Zach Akridge won the 400 meter in 53.60 while Devonte Donovan captured the high jump championship by clearing 5-8 to beat out teammate Josh Blakely, who finished second by going 5-6. Donovan's time of 23:74 placed him second in the 200 meter.
Mason Gansz set the pace in the 1600 meter with a time of 5:09.59 to win the event with teammate Micah Grusing placing fifth in 5:26.90.
Grusing ran third in the 3200 meter in 12:00.33 in front of teammate Taylor Michie, fourth in 12:05.45. Gansz placed third in the 800 meter run with a time of 2:18.96. Terrion Swift threw the shotput 36-9.5 to lock in fifth place.
Farmington Girls
The Farmington girls team finished in fourth place with 70.5 points behind host, 1. Pea Ridge, 220; 2. Shiloh Christian, 87; and 3. Gravette, 73; while placing ahead of 5. West Fork, 59; 5. Gentry, 59; 7. Prairie Grove, 52.5; 8. Elkins, 17; and 9. Decatur, 5.
All-around athlete Addison Fenton, a stalwart volleyball front-liner for Farmington, placed second in the 100 meter hurdles with a time of 17.29 and replicated the placing in the 300 meter hurdles in 50.65. She came in third in the long jump by leaping 15-2.5 and fifth in the shotput with a throw of 29-8.
Grace Mitchell placed third in pole vault by clearing 9-0 and ran fourth in the 100 meters with a time of 13.41. Lynley Bowen, who is also playing soccer this spring, placed second in the 400 meters in 1:05.50. Macy Reece placed fifth in the 1600 meter run with a time of 7:02.47. Jasmin Camero finished fifth in the 300 meter hurdles in 56.45.
Farmington's girls 4x800 relay team placed second with a 13:00.05 performance.