Selma track team sets 14 personal bests

Published 10:44 pm Monday, April 3, 2017

The Selma High School track and field team is showing progress and the proof is in the numbers.

Fourteen Saints’ athletes set a personal best on Saturday at the Falcon Invite at Central High School on Saturday.

“That’s big. It does make me proud,” said Selma coach Katasha Turner of her team’s improvement.

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Selma’s Keashia Collins, an eighth grader, ran a time of 26.58 seconds to finish fifth in the 200-meter dash and she also came home seventh in the 400-meter dash.

Tanika Smiley finished 13th in the 100-meter dash. Both Smiley and Brittany Johnson set a new personal best with their times.

The Saints finished fifth in the 4×400 girls’ relay, finishing just a few seconds behind fourth place Tuscaloosa County.

In boys track and field, Selma’s Trederin Phillips came home 10th in the 100-meter dash with a time of 11.42 seconds. Brandon Hope wasn’t far behind with a time of 11.59 seconds.

Hope showed his speed in the 200 meter dash, running a 23.51 seconds, to come home seventh overall. Jonathan Pressley finished in 24.01 seconds, good for 13th.

Selma’s Jondarius Evans finished twelfth in the 1600-meter run.

Other Saints that recorded a personal best included Kiyani Day (300-meter hurdles), Keloni Rudoph and Lakira Fails (shot put), Jakira Simmons (1600-meter run) and Dewayne Harris (400 meter run). The 4×400 relay girls and boys relay teams also both improved their times.

In the overall standings, the Selma girls finished 11th with 14 total points. The boys finished 15th.

“For them to see progress, that makes them want to continue to work harder,” Turner said.  “Like I tell them, everything we are doing is working toward April 27-28. If I can see times go down or measurements go up, that’s a good thing.”

Selma’s track team will compete Wednesday in Greensboro and will compete at Montgomery Academy Saturday. Selma will host a middle school and high school track meet at Memorial Stadium on April 14.