Shannon Grover to compete in two individual races, two relay races

ByJOHNNY PEPPO

Sports Editor

BATON ROUGE – East St. John seniors Vincent Stewart and Ashlee Cooper are hoping to put their best foot forward when they compete in the high jump and shot-put respectively this weekend at the state track and field meet for Class 5A. And both have the chance to bring home a medal if they get started off on the right foot so to speak.

Stewart, the defending 5A champion in the high jump, has as good a shot as anyone with his consistent 6-6 clearance throughout this season. His competition in that class looks to be Nathan Burks of Ruston and Davide Brown of Brother Martin who are the only ones to have cleared 6-6 in the regional meet. Stewart won last year’s high jump with a leap of 6-7 to win the event by an inch over Jordan Pratt of Acadiana.

Cooper is also returning to the state meet for the second consecutive year. Last season she finished sixth in the shot put, just out of point range, with a throw of 33-0.75 and qualified in the discus. This season she stands to place in the discus with her seeding mark at 113-06, which is about eight feet short of Blair Turkin’s leading mark going into the meet. In the shot-put, Cooper’s mark was set at 36-1.75. That score would put her in with the middle of the pack in that event, but she’s capable of better than that and has the ability to put some points on the scoreboard for the Wildcats.

Another student who should bring home a medal in one of the four events that he is taking part in is Shannon Grover. With a seeding mark of 10.9 in the boy’s 100 meter dash, and a shot in the 200 after qualifying through the regional round last week, he can do it in individual events. As a part of the 4 X 200 meter team that stands to take a medal with a mark of 1:27.80. That squad consists of Grover, Johnny Owen, Terrell Jackson and James Furtick. On the 4 X 100, Grover, Owen and Jackson team with Stanley Jackson for another chance at a top place finish.

ESJ also has the opportunity to get some additional points in the relay events as they have qualified three girl’s teams in the baton races.

For the girls 4 X 200 meter relay, Shonna Grover, Dominique Dunn, Danasia Wallace and Darielle Sanders have put together a seeding mark of 1:43.70, about two seconds off of the Barbe team. For the 4 X 100, Grover, Dunn and Wallace are joined by Jacobi Wilson in the lead-off position. That team has a good shot at one of the top three places in that event as one second separates the top six teams. They also compose the 4 X 400 team that looks to be in a run-off with Hahnville and Lafayette for first place.

The results of the meet should be available Saturday night, barring a weather delay, as events are scheduled to begin at 8 a.m. at LSU today.