Iron Horse track stars enjoy golden day at Lower State

Just how dominating was the Philip Simmons High School girls’ track and field team during the Class AA Lower State meet? 

The Iron Horse distance runners ruled the meet, which was contested May 9 at Woodland High School. 

The Iron Horses scored a combined 72 points in the 800-, 1,600-, and 3,200-meter runs and the 4x800-meter relay. That was more than enough to win over Hampton County and Woodland, teams that scored 57 and 56 points, respectively, to finish second and third. 

But track and field is a 17-event meet, and the four distance events were a snapshot of the team’s domination. The Iron Horses finished the day with a remarkable 10 gold medals and 179 points. 

Laura Perry had a big day with wins in the 1,600 (5 minutes and 12.33 seconds) and the 3,200 (11:38.25). Flynn Taylor won the 800 run in 2:18.68 and was second in the 1,600. The 3,200 relay team captured gold with a time of 10:28.16. 

Ashlyn Johnson dominated the sprints with victories in the 100- and 200-meter dashes, while Ashley Roush won the long jump and was second in the long and high jumps to score 26 points. 

Julia Reilly won the triple jump, while the 4x100-meter relay team won the other gold medal. 

The Iron Horse boys also were ultra-impressive with a 143.5-79 victory over Hampton County. Manning was third with 62 points. 

The Iron Horses boys earned four gold medals. 

Trent Manning won the 1,600 run in 4:29.28, while Montrell Mungin won the 400 hurdles in 58.74. 

The Iron Horses won a gold medal in the field events as Luke Robinson threw the javelin 51.08 meters. The team’s other first finish was in the 3,200 relay.