On Tuesday, March 19, during Spring Break, the Breakthrough Charter School Junior High Track and Field Team competed at the Junior High 7th— 9th Grade Track and Field Championship held at Enterprise High School in Enterprise. Out of the fifteen school competing, Breakthrough’s boys team finished 5th overall, while the girls team placed 10th overall. Five boys teams failed to score and so did four girls teams.
Anthony Nelson, Jr., a ninth grader, medaled in the Boys Discus Throw and made Breakthrough history by becoming the first Track and Field athlete to win a first place medal in any event, on either the boys or girls team. Nelson, Jr., threw the discus 108 feet and 9 inches on his first attempt. Kaedyn Brown, a ninth grader, secured a third place victory in the Boys High Jump event. He also set a record for the school, being the first athlete to clear 5 feet in the high jump.
For the girls, both Jaliyah Jackson and Taraja Lee, both eighth graders, received second place medals for accomplishing a height of 3 feet and 10 inches in the Girls High Jump event. Personal best performances were made by Shamar Witherspoon, Jr., Micah Jackson, Kendarius Williams, Darrion Hamner, D’Andre Hamner, Kelsey Hamner, Bryant Richard, Katlynn Zanders, Conner Schmidt, Ashley McLeod, and Jaiden Brown. Unfortunately ninth grader Kaylen Smith will miss the remainder of the season after sustaining an injury.
Last year marked the first year for track and field at the charter school, which saw great success and many accolades.
On Saturday, March 23, the track team competed in the Junior Varsity division of the Northridge Jaguar Invitational. In the JV Girls Javelin Throw, A’lesia McWilliams set a record by becoming the first female athlete at the school to win 1st place in any event. Other athletes that performed well were: Ja’Nyla Lee, Anthony Nelson, Jr., Keadyn Brown, Wendel Crews, Jr., Kendarius Williams, Micah Jackson, Robert Graham, Sarai Brown, Elysia Lapsley, and Caleb Brooks. However, not all athletes performed due to the spring break holiday.
The track and field team’s most recent competition was Saturday, March 30, at the Montgomery Academy High School Invitational in Montgomery.
