Jim Bickford
Contributing Writer
trackmic@juno.com
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Accomplishing what it had never been able to reach ever before in its’ nearly 60-year school history, Chalmette High’s boys won its second straight District 9-5A Track and Field crown behind an inspiring triple field event winning performance by Andre Dorsey and solid duel hurdle champion Albert Brock and distance double winner Daniel Matherne last Tuesday at Bobby Nuss Stadium on the CHS campus.

Winning four of seven field events including Dorsey’s trio and scoring 84 points in the process, Chalmette began the running events with a solid lead over runner-up Bonnabel and third-place finisher John Ehret.

However, a faulty start in the first track event – the 4×200-meter relay in which the Owls were disqualified – didn’t give second-season head man, but veteran coach in the sport David Koontz any reason to panic. The Owls returned many of its athletes that had led to winning the title last season.

Scoring 150 points, the Owls won its’ first ever back-to-back district championship in school history as they surpassed Bonnabel with 126, John Ehret 114, Higgins 67, West Jefferson 56 and Grace King 28.

In the girls’ division John Ehret claimed the crown with 139 points and were followed by West Jefferson 128, Chalmette 107, Bonnabel 86, Higgins 67 and Grace King 12.

Jordan Hartney and Vershione Toney stood out for the Lady Owls. The senior thrower won the discus (97-8) while the senior runner captured the district 400-meter title (1:01.22 for a season best) for the second straight year.

Hartney added a second in the javelin (101-4) and a third in the shot put with her personal record heave of 33-8.50, just a half-inch from second.

Alexis Salazar won the pole vault (7-6) with senior Melanie Benit second at seven feet.
Senior Lady Owl Keondra Lafrance is quickly improving late in the season with a PR 34-8.25 leap in the triple jump for a runner-up finish. She added a third place in the long jump with a 16-5.50 mark.

Senior Shanice Williams added a second-place finish in the 100-meter hurdles (17.32, just off her own school record set earlier this year).

For the first time in Chalmette school history, one athlete had won three field events at the district meet. The senior Owl jumper won the high jump, erasing his own school record in the vertical jump he set this season as Dorsey soared six feet, 10 inches (the leading leap in the state for all classes) to rank nationally and eclipsing his 6-9.25 record set at the start of April in the Mobile elite meet.

More amazing, Dorsey cleared seven feet, but his heel barely clipped the bar and the strong windy day prevented him from becoming the only metro high school athlete to ever clear seven feet and just the fourth in state prep history.

Dorsey first won the javelin (166-10) even though he had to throw into a strong head wind which probably kept the spear from sailing a much longer distance.

He then added the triple jump – where he is the Class 5A state leader at 47-4.75 and a school record as well – to his district accomplishment as he continued to face a strong wind in the hop-step-jump event, having to settle for a 46 feet measurement as a gust of wind almost carried him out of the edge of the sand pit which could have led to a serious injury. Teammate Mason Rucker set his personal record, leaping 40-10.50 for second to Dorsey.

Despite a lingering knee issue which has led to twice weekly therapy sessions to reduce the inflammation and pain, Dorsey finished as the long jump runner-up as he leaped 21-2.50 – his PR in only his fourth time competing in the event this year.

Harley Straub won the pole vault at 10 feet as he too struggles with an injury. Sophomore Jermal Green finished as runner-up to his teammate at nine feet.

Aiding the strong field event cause, a trio of Owls finished third – Blake Boos in the javelin (133-3), Eric Alfonso in the discus (98-8) and Johnquel Jones in the shot put (41-9.50).
The top four finishers in each event qualified for the regional meet set for Thursday at Tad Gormley Stadium in City Park in New Orleans.

In earning the track MVP honor, the sophomore Owl hurdler won his first ever district events – taking the 110-meter barrier race in 15.11 seconds and nudging Ehret’s Jonathan Mack (15.31) and doing likewise in the 300-meter hurdles as Brock nipped Mack once again by running 40.10 seconds, barely off his PR. He added a leg on the Owls’ third-place 4×400-meter relay team (3:38.40).

Matherne won the two distance races – claiming the 1600-meter run (4:53.23) and the 3200-meter race (11.19.15) in his first season running the longer distances. Like several other Chalmette athletes, Matherne continues to work through lingering knee pain this spring.

Senior Donald Harris finished third in the 100 (11.21) and anchoring the fourth-place 4×100-meter foursome (44.64) with Michael Mercadel, James Banks and David Smith who advance to the regional. Mercadel goes to the regional with a fourth in the 200 (23.23).
Chalmette’s girls’ 4×200 relay quartet advances with a fourth in the event (1:50.50) as anchor Toney was joined by Lafrance, Williams and Cierra Thompson.

The Lady Owl 4×400-meter relay quarter (4:42.92) added a third in the event with a squad of anchor Toney, 300 hurdler Alexandria Schmaltz, 800-meter runner Melanie Fink and 400-meter sprinter Cierra Thompson.