By Molly Seales

On Monday, April 17, the Riverdale JV track team, which is coached by Joni Riggs and Maressa Halbmaier, traveled to Madison High School in Tallulah for the district track meet. They did a fabulous job, and they brought home the 2^nd place trophy. In the boy’s division, Zane Givens placed 1^st in the 200-meter run, 3^rd in the 100-meter run, and 3^rd in the 400-meter run. Tyler Wilhite placed 2^nd in the 300-meter hurdles, 3^rd in the 800-meter run, and 5^th in the 200-meter run. Givens and Wilhite, who are both freshmen, are the only two young men on the boys’ team, and they did a fabulous job!

In the girl’s division, Riverdale showed that they may be few in number, but they are outstanding in their events. In field events, freshmen Makayla Pickett and Julia Grace Riggs both repeated as JV district champions-Pickett in discus and Riggs in shot put. In her first JV district meet, 7^th grader Emma Youngblood placed 4^th in shot put. Freshman Alaina Boyd placed 4^th in the long jump.

In running events, the ladies stepped up and made Riverdale proud. Freshman Gracie Stephens placed 3^rd in the 100- meter run, and 7^th grader Lexi Pearah placed 7^th. 8^th grader Allie Murphy placed 2^nd in the 100 -meter hurdles. Boyd placed 2^nd in the 300-meter hurdles, and 7^th grader Hannah Murray placed 3^nd in 300- meter hurdles. Murphy placed 4^thand Boyd placed 6^th in the 200-meter run. 8^th grader Abbie Jowers placed 2^nd in the 400-meter run, and 7^th grader Lily McCoy placed 3^rd in the 400-meter. 7^th grader Adyson Barrett placed 2^nd in the 800-meter run, while Jowers placed 3^rd in the mile run, and freshman Cardin Young placed 5^th. In the 4 x 100-meter relay, the team of Boyd, McCoy, Pearah, and Stephens placed 1^st, and in the 4 x 200-meter relay the team of McCoy, Murray, Murphy, and Stephens placed 1^st. In the 4 x 400-meter relay, Barrett, McCoy, Pearah, and Stephens placed 2^nd.

These students had a great day and did an excellent job representing Riverdale.

Photo credit Makayla Pickett

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