By Joseph W. Gex, II

Item Correspondent

LONG BEACH — The Picayune Maroon Tide won the boys Region 4-4A track and field team title with 117 points followed by Moss Point with 99, D’Iberville 72, Long Beach 69.50, St. Martin 54, St. Stanislaus 51, Vancleave 44, Gautier 37, Poplarville 28.50, East Central 22, Bay High 21, Forrest County AHS 15 and Stone County with 8 points.

The girls team title was claimed by Long Beach with 146 points followed by Poplarville with 107, Picayune 93, Moss Point 72, D’Iberville 63.50, St. Martin 47, Vancleave 27, Gautier 18.50, Forrest County AHS 18, Bay High 17, Stone County 16, Pearl River Central 11 and East Central with 9 points.

The top four finishers in each event qualified for the Class 4A South State meet which will be held in Hattiesburg on Saturday, May 2nd.

Picayune was led by double qualifier Reggie Bailey who won the boys long jump with a leap of 21′ 4 1/4″ and placed third in the triple jump with a distance of 41′ 4 1/2″.

Teammates Jeremiah Peters and Cedric Brown qualified in the long jump and triple jump, respectively, with two fourth place (20′ 5 1/2″ and 40′ 2 1/2″) finishes.

Micah Bergeron won the pole vault with a height of 12′ 6″.

Jonathan Moore was a double qualifier in both hurdle races. Moore won the 300m intermediate hurdles with a time of 41.20 seconds and placed third in the 110m high hurdles in 15.40 seconds.

Justin Quinn placed second in the 100m dash with a time of 10.89 seconds while Derionne Stewart took runner-up honors in the 400m dash with a time of 52.17 seconds.

Iry Robertson rounded out the individual qualifiers for the Tide with a second place finish in the 200m dash with a time of 22.49 seconds.

Picayune won all three relay events. The 4x100m relay team of Brown, Peters, Quinn and Wayne MacMooain crossed the tape first with a time of 43.42 seconds while the 4x200m relay team of Peters, MacMooain, Roberston and Jarod Jones took first in 1:29.17.

The 4x400m relay team of Peters, MacMooain, Moore and Terrance McCann won with a time of 3:34.02.

Akeem Henry qualified for Poplarville in the discus with a third place throw of 126′ 2 while LeTerrio Henry placed second in the shotput with a throw of 45′ 6″.

The 4x400m relay team of Irvine Brown, Necko Lockhart, Phillip Travis and Travis Dexter placed third for Poplarville with a time of 3:43.33.

In the girls division, Picayune was led by triple-winner Hannah Nunez. She won the high jump (5′ 4″), 100m dash (12.47 seconds) and the 200m dash (25.98 seconds).

Desherra Jackson was a double qualifier as she placed second in the long jump with a distance of 16′ 1/2″ and fourth in the triple jump with a leap of 32′ 1″.

Regina Huderson placed second in the 100m low hurdles with a time of 17.93 seconds and Taneequa Myers won the 300m low hurdles in 49.99 seconds. Danielle Camp claimed second place in the 800m run with a time of 2:33.99.

The Lady Maroon Tide qualified in two relay events – the 4x100m and 4x200m relays. The 4x100m relay team of Selma Griffith, Desherra Jackson, Kymetria Jackson and Myers placed second in the event with a time of 51.31 seconds. The 4x200m relay team of Camp, Kymetria Jackson, Griffith and Keanna Magee placed third with a time of 1:51.82.

The Poplarville Lady Hornets were led by two double-winners and triple qualifiers in Bretta Hart and Stacy Hagenson. Hart won the long jump (17′ 1/2″), the triple jump (33′ 1″) and placed second in the high jump (5′). Hagenson won the 3200m run (12:24.97), the 1600m run (5:50.13) and placed third in the 800m run (2:37.71). Tkeyia Hart was a double qualifier with third place finishes in the pole vault (7′) and 100m low hurdles (17.95 seconds).

Raven Purnell placed third in the discus with a throw of 89′ 4 1/2″ while Jessica Harry placed second in the shotput with a throw of 31′ 6″.

Raven Henry placed second in the 300m low hurdles with a time of 50.98 seconds.

The Poplarville girls 4x400m relay team of Hagenson, Landon Smith, Sheena Travis and Bretta Hart placed fourth with a time of 4:36.30.

Pearl River Central had two girls qualify for the South State meet. Jessica Guillot placed fourth in the 300m low hurdles with a time of 53.02 seconds and Kyla Reagan placed third in the 1600m run with a time of 6:11.65.

The top four finishers at the South State 4A meet in Hattiesburg next Saturday will qualify for the state championship track and field meet the following week.