By Mike Hutchens, UC Schools Communications Director
Once again, Union City’s two track teams collected hardware from the Rotary Relays.
The Tornado boys repeated as champions of the 48th annual event at Dave Shatz Track on Friday, besting 16 other schools, including runner-up Munford.
UC’s girls were second to Munford, and, like the Twister boys, will carry considerable momentum into the postseason – set to begin on Tuesday with the West Subsectionals at UCHS.
“It was a good day for us, and the people we’re counting on in the postseason were solid,” UC head coach Wade Maddox – who led the boys to the Class 1A state championship and the girls to a third straight Top 10 finish last year – said.
The Union City boys recorded four individual first-place showings and had a pair of relay teams that also finished ahead of the field.
Aiden Reid won both the shot put and the discus, breaking his own school record with a throw of 57’-7 1/4” in the shot put. Adrian Crawford set a new school record in the 300 hurdles, winning the event with a time of 40.72. And Tayshun Gentry took honors in the triple jump.
Crawford, Rodney Jenkins, Kinydee Taylor, and Gentry teamed to win the 4X200, while Owen Waggoner, Taylor, Andrew Beard, and Gentry unified to claim honors in the 4X400.
The 4X800 quartet of Woodrow McKinnis, Beard, Waggoner, and Rushdon Howell came in second.
Jaxson Jones was runner-up in the discus, while Crawford had the same standing in the 100 meters.
Ca’Lae Ervin won first place in the high jump, and Madie Theobald beat everybody in the discus to pace the UC girls. Ervin also had a second-place showing in the triple jump.
Theobald, Ervin, Hayden Marshall, and Ainsley Beard combined to win the 4X400.
Tuesday’s subsectionals are set to begin with the field events at noon and the running events at 2 p.m.
HIGH SCHOOL BASEBALL
Milan 18, UC 3
Japheth Caldwell had a three-run double in the first inning, but it was all Milan after that as the Tornadoes concluded their regular season with a road loss.
UC (9-21) will begin postseason play in the District 14-2A Tournament on Tuesday, facing Ripley at 5 p.m. The double-elimination event will be played at Elam Stadium.
Brayden Marshall had two of the Twisters’ three hits against Milan on Friday. Marshall, Jack Theobald, and Ben Howell raced home on Caldwell’s bases-loaded two-bagger.
Jackson Vowell (3-3) was touched for eight earned runs in 1 1/3 innings and charged with the pitching loss. Marshall, Caldwell, and Sam Jones came on in relief.