Berwick looks to finish strong at state meet

Barring a huge collapse, West Feliciana High School will repeat as Class 3A boys state track and field champi-ons this weekend.
The Saints have too many competitors and a chance to accumulate a ton of points.
However, that doesn’t mean the Berwick Panthers, which also will bring quite a few competitors, can’t finish their season strong and continue a record-breaking season with a potential state runner-up finish.
The Panthers will get that opportunity Saturday when they compete in the Allstate Sugar Bowl/Louisiana High School Athletic Association Outdoor Track and Field State Meet.
This season, Berwick has won all but won meet it has competed in, falling by the slightest of margins in the one meet the squad took second place. In that meet, the Panthers also were missing some boys’ competitors.
However, this season, the squad won its second district title in school history (the other was in 2002), and clinched the regional title last week. The regional title marked the first time in school history the Panthers had done so.
At state Saturday, the Panthers will bring competitors in six events on the boys’ side and one competitor on the girls’ side.
The Panthers’ contingent is led by standout Kenan Jones, who is entered in the long jump, triple jump and high jump. Jones is seeded third in the long jump with a leap of 22 feet, 11 inches, second in the triple jump with a 46-foot, 2-inch effort and first in the high jump at 6 feet, 8 inches along with teammate Josh Carver. Crowley’s Chris Lewis has the top jump with a leap of 46 feet, 9.5 inches. Northwest’s Kammryn Jones enters state with the top mark in the long jump with a leap of 23 feet, 4.75 inches, while
Berwick’s Ian Valdez and Josh Jones also will compete in two events apiece. Valdez will compete in the 800-meter run and the 3,200-meter run, while Jones will compete in the 100- and 200-meter dashes.
Valdez has the top time in the 3,200-meter run at 10:33.94, while he is No. 8 in the 800-meter run at 2:06.93.
Other Berwick competitors are Darbey Frickey in the 3,200-meter run and Berwick’s 4x400-meter relay, which consists of Alvin Jones, Keyon Singleton, Barrett Hover and Josh Jones.
Frickey is seeded No. 7 in the 3,200-meter run at 11:04.78.
Berwick’s 4x400-meter re-lay is seeded No. 4 at 3:29.86. Lusher has the top time in the 4x400 at 3:28.66.
On the girls’ side, Ber-wick’s Nicole Johnson will compete in the discus.