New Kent boys stay strong, win Bay Rivers District home meet

New Kent's Michael Gatling (left) battles Lafayette's Noah Cane (right) in the fast heat of the boys' 110-meter hurdles. Gatling finished second in the event.

Robb Johnson photo

New Kent’s Michael Gatling emerged as a double event winner in the boys’ long and triple jump while teammate Will Tolley won the pole vault competition as the Trojans emerged as the winner of the May 9 Bay Rivers District 10-team home meet.

New Kent scored 125 points to finish in first place. Grafton (114) and Tabb (106.5) finished in second and third, respectively.

Gatling leaped 20’7” in the long jump, beating out teammate C.J. Reeders (20’0½”) to win the event. He followed that performance up with a leap of 41’0½” to capture the triple jump crown. Tolley had no problem winning pole vault with a clearance 12’6”. New Kent’s 4×400 meter relay team also ran to victory with a time of 3:28.96.

On the girls’ side, Raven Harris mirrored Gatling’s performance in the long and triple jump, winning those events to lift the Lady Trojans to a sixth-place finish.

The Lady Trojans scored 65 points at the meet. Grafton scored 121.5 to win, followed by Tabb’s 105.5 and Lafayette’s 95 to round out the top three.
Harris’ leaps weren’t challenged as she claimed her two wins. She jumped 16’5¾” in the long jump, winning by more than six inches. Harris followed that performance up by winning by nearly three feet in the triple jump with a mark of 37’1¾”.

Other Results (NK only)

Girls: 100- 6. Hinds 13.42. 3200- 3. Clardy-Josephs 12:07.79. 4×100 relay- 3. NK 53.84. 4×400 relay- 4. NK 4:37.60. High jump- 4. Matlock 4’8”, 7. Heidelberg 4’2”, 8. Sligh 4’2”. Long jump- 8. Frazier 14’1”. Triple jump- 7. Lawson 31’0”. Shot- 4. Peyton 27’8½”. Discus- 3. Peyton 85’8½”, 6. Burrell 77’6½”.

Boys: 100- 2. Branch 11.30, 8. Jacobs 11.70. 400- 2. Kalo 50.70. 800- 5. Frazier 2:02.53. 1600- 3. Johnson 4:38.07. 110 hurdles- 2. Gatling 15.95. 4×100 relay- 2. NK 43.57. 4×800 relay- 5. NK 9:32.78. High jump- 5. Curry 5’8”, 7. Reeders 5’4”. Pole vault- 3. Swartout 9’0”, 4. Curry 9’0”. Triple jump- 5. Curry 38’3”. Shot- 8. Elam 36’1”. Discus- 3. Hathaway 120’11”, 7. Coles 104’2”.