By By BRUCE HIXON Sports Editor
If Thursday was indeed Alan Baker's final home sporting event at Brewton Municipal Stadium, his T.R. Miller Tigers track team gave him the best farewell present possible.
The Tigers used their depth to roll to a 73-point margin of victory and a Class 3A Sectional championship.
"Winning the sectional certainly is nice, but the biggest thing you want to do at the sectional is qualify as many athletes as you can for the state meet. It's the state meet where you will ultimately be remembered for what you accomplish," said Baker, who is slated to retire from his coaching and teaching duties at the end of the school year.
Although the Tigers easily outdistanced Sumter County 187-114 for the top spot, T.R. Miller was limited to a respectable but hardly dominant five first place finishes. W.S. Neal had four first place marks and a solid third place score of 100 points.
The Tigers got individual victories from Laine Lucas in the javelin at 136-2, Damien Jackson in the high jump at 6-0 and Gerald Banton in the 300 meter intermediate hurdles at 42.92.
T.R. Miller's 400 meter relay team of Terrelle Brooks, Rodney Lane, Travis Holland and Banton prevailed in a time of 45.04, while its 1600 meter relay quartet of Lane, Hildreth, David Mathieu and Marcus Jones also took first with a time of 3:42.11.
"Laine really stepped up to win the javelin and Gerald was a pleasant surprise in the 300 hurdles. He hadn't run that event since last year's sectional. I was also pleased at how strong Antonio Gomez was in the 110 high hurdles (second place at 15.89," Baker said.
Two individuals accounted for all four of W.S. Neal's wins. Joe Bailey took the shot put with a throw of 43-11 1/2 and the discus at 136-2. Ray Dunn was a double winner on the track with winning times of 5:03.1 in the 1600 meters and 10:35 in the 3200 meters.
The top three places as well as wild cards, which will be announced early this week by the Alabama High School Athletic Association, will compete in the Class 3A state meet Friday and Saturday at Paul Bryant High School in Tuscaloosa.
Team scores
1. T.R. Miller 187; 2. Sumter County 114; 3. W.S. Neal 100; 4. Montgomery Academy 73; 5. LAMP 59; 6. (tie) Pike County, Montgomery Catholic 16; 8. Alabama Christian 14
State qualifiers, TRM and WSN results
Shot put: (1st) Joe Bailey (WSN) 43-11 1/2; (2nd) Julius Harris (TRM) 42-9; (3rd) Reed (SC) 41-3; (4th) Fred Samuel (TRM) 40-2; (7th) Justin Gomez (TRM) 38-2 1/4
Discus: (1st) Joe Bailey (WSN) 136-1 1/4; (2nd) Harris (TRM) 122-11 1/4; (3rd) Reed (SC) 121- 7 1/2; (6th) J. Gomez (TRM) 108-2 1/2
High jump: (1st) Damien Jackson (TRM) 6-0; (2nd) Williams (SC) 5-10; (3rd) A. Gomez (TRM) 5-10
Long jump: (1st) Terrell (SC) 21-8 3/4; (2nd) Jonathan Alexander (WSN) 21-2 1/2; (3rd) Foster (SC) 19-6 1/2; (4th) Jackson (TRM) 19-3 1/2; (6th)
See BOYS Page 4B
Cecil Thomas (WSN) 18-5
Triple jump: (1st) Watkins (SC) 43-5; (2nd) Alexander(WSN) 42-3 1/2; (3rd) Jackson (TRM) 42-2 1/2; (4th) Gerald Banton 40-6; (5th) Thomas 39-2
Pole vault: (1st) Buchanan (MA) 9-0; (2nd) Chris Byrd (TRM) 8-6
Javelin: (1st) Laine Lucas (TRM) 136-2; (2nd) Dorand (MA) 133-2 1/2; (3rd) Tye Walker (TRM) 131-11; (5th) Jackson (TRM) 123-10
100: (1st) Terrell (SC) 10.7; (2nd) Mario Daniel (WSN) 10.98; (3rd) Alexander (WSN) 11.07; (6th) Travis Holland (TRM) 11.54
200: (1st) Terrell (SC) 21.91; (2nd) Rodney Lane (TRM) 22.06; (3rd) Foster (SC) 22.19
400: (1st) Terrell (SC) 50.88; (2nd) Lane (TRM) 51.32; (2nd) James Hildreth (TRM) 52.35; (5th) Briddell Jones (TRM) 52.59; (7th) Keith Weaver (WSN) 56.52
800: (1st) Gibbs (AC) 2:02.85; (2nd) Wright (L) 2:03.37; (3rd) Ray Dunn (WSN) 2:10.41; (6th) Byrd (TRM) 2:16.45
1600: (1st) R. Dunn (WSN) 5:03.1; (2nd) Mardre (MA) 5:11.27; (3rd) Hupp (L) 5:12.21; (4th) Michael Hunt (TRM) 5:15.83; (6th) Kelly Stallworth (TRM) 5:30.4
3200: (1st) R. Dunn (WSN) 10:35; (2nd) Mardre (MA) 10:56; (3rd) Jacobs (MA) 11:21; (4th) Hunt (TRM) 11:21;
110 high hurdles: (1st) Mullis (MC) 15.87; (2nd) A. Gomez (TRM) 15.89; (2nd) Jones (TRM) 16.02; (4th) Jason McCreary (TRM) 16:22
300 intermediate hurdles: (1st) Banton (TRM) 42.91; (2nd) Jones (TRM) 43.95; (3rd) A. Gomez (TRM) 44.67; (5th) Thomas (WSN) 47.38
400 relay: (1st) T.R. Miller (Terrelle Brooks, Lane, Holland, Banton) 45.04; (2nd) W.S. Neal 45.42; (3rd) LAMP 45.92
1600 relay: (1st) T.R. Miller (Lane, Hildreth, David Mathieu, Marcus Jones) 3:42.11; (2nd) Sumter County 3:46.32; (3rd) LAMP 3:48.01
3200 relay: (1st) LAMP 8:49; Montgomery Academy 8:55; (3rd) T.R. Miller (Byrd, Mathieu, James McCracken, Stallworth) 9:14; (4th) W.S. Neal 9:56