Rutherford County had another standout performance with several athletes punching a ticket to the state meet held June 25. The top two finishers of each event advanced to that meet which will also be at Riverdale.

“I think they are looking pretty strong,” Thomas Laird said. “I was really impressed with the amount of Murfreesboro Track and Field athletes that qualified for state.”

Two of those runners, Samari Hill and Marcus Washington proved in the heat that they are maybe the fastest youth runners in the state.

Washington took the 100 and 200 meter dashes in the boys 11/12 year-old division in faster times then he had in the same two events during the local meet a couple of weeks ago.

“It makes me feel like I’m famous,” Washington said about making it to the state meet. He also said he felt like he ran fine, and he is going to keep practicing.

His teammate, Samari Hill might be one to look out for in the 9/10 boys division, as he won the 50 and 100-meter dashes.

“I’m very excited to go to state,” Hill said after his double sweep of the races. “I think I did good. I think I could have ran faster in the 100.”

Both of his times also improved from the local meet.

Hill added he had been practicing with his dad between the two meets.

The girls division also had some great performances, including Molly McGreevy and Kaelyn Morris. Both of them were trying to qualify for state in three different events in the 13/14 girls division. That is the maximum amount of events an athlete can compete in during a Hershey’s meet. They can also run a relay event that does not count within in the three.

Morris won the 100m and finished second in the 200 and the standing long jump. She will compete in all three events at the state.

“I’m just going to keep practicing a getting ready for state,” Morris said. She added she likes the running events more than the field events, because she feels she is a better runner.

As for her teammate and close friend, McGreevy won the 800, finished second in the softball throw, but barely missed out qualifying for state in the 200 by finishing fourth.

When asked about making the state, McGreevy is glad to move another step to making the North American Final in August at the Hershey’s headquarters in Pennsylvania.

“I think I did pretty well in all of my events,” McGreevy said. She uses a lot of practice techniques since she competes in both running and field events. For the softball throw, she does a lot of push-ups and softball conditioning, while she also likes to run around the neighborhood to get prepared for the running events.

In the first two meets, all an athlete had to do to qualify for the next meet was finish first or second in their event regardless of the time. However, the state meet on June 25, they not only have to win their event but do it in the fastest time possible since they are competing with the rest of the nation in terms of getting a berth to the North American Final. Only the best times will count, but each state will get to send a minimum of five kids to Pennsylvania.

“We want them all to compete and do their best,” Laird said. “We want them to finish and continue to push through regardless of the event.”

Here are the rest of the Rutherford County qualifiers for the June 25 state meet:

(9/10)

Girls Standing Long Jump: 1. Megan Scott
Boys Standing Long Jump: 1. Eli Delk
Boys Softball Throw: 2. Evan Smart
Boys’ 400-meter dash: 1. Eli Delk
Girls’ 400-meter dash: 2. Emily Wilson
Girl’s 200-meter dash: 1. Hailey Williams
Boy’s 100-meter dash: 1. Samari Hill
Girl’s 100-meter dash: 1. Hailey Williams 2. Autumn Jones
Boy’s 50-meter dash: 1. Samari Hill
Girl’s 50-meter dash: 2. Autumn Jones

(11/12)

Boys 4x100 meter relay: 2. Tre Carter, Gavin Clements, Joe Carr and Stephen Laird
Boys Standing Long Jump: 2. Joe Carr
Girls Standing Long Jump: 2. Niya Marley
Boys Softball Throw: 1. Stephen Laird
Girls Softball Throw: 2. Shatoriah Simmons
Girls 400 meter: 1. Jermani Ezell 2. Allie Dozier
Boys 400 meter: 1. Garrett Coleman 2. Joe Carr
Boys 100 meter: 1. Marcus Washington
Boys 200 meter: 1. Marcus Washington
Boys 800 meter: 1. Garrett Coleman 2. Joe Carr
Girls 800 meter: 1. Allie Dozier

(13/14)

Girls Standing Long Jump: 1. Jasmine Easley 2. Kaelyn Morris
Boys Standing Long Jump: 1. Montavious Holiday 2. Jeremiah Wade
Girls Softball Throw: 2. Molly McGreevy
Boys Softball Throw: 1. Montavious Holiday 2. Donovan Harkins
Boys 1600-meter run: 1. Donovan Harkins 2. Nathan Delk
Girls 200 meter: 2. Kaelyn Morris
Girls 100 meter: 1. Kaelyn Morris
Boys 100 meter: 2. Jeremiah Wade
Boys 800 meter: 1. Donovan Harkins
Girls 800 meter: 1. Molly McGreevy