By BRET H. MCCORMICK
A’Shyria Burns added four more medals to her impressive collection at state competitions this spring.
The only person faster than her on the track this season was Jakyra Edwards.
Edwards, the Alexandria Senior High senior sprinter, clocked the top times in the parish in both the 100 and 200 meters this spring.
Burns, Menard’s junior superstar, had the top marks in the parish in both the long jump and the triple jump (as well as the 100 hurdles).
For their efforts, Edwards and Burns have been named the Runner of the Year and Outstanding Female Field Athlete on the Rapides Parish Journal’s inaugural All-Parish Girls Track and Field Team.
The complete team rosters for girls and boys will be unveiled in Thursday’s RPJ edition. Today, the top competitors are recognized.
Edwards was the only female sprinter to break the 12-second barrier in the 100, clocking in at 11.97 seconds to place fifth at the Class 5A state meet. Edwards also had the top time in the parish in the 200 (25.24) and ran legs on the Lady Trojans’ state runner-up finishes in the 400- and 800-meter relays.
Burns won the 100 meters and 100-meter hurdles at the Class 2A meets while finishing second in the long jump and triple jump. She added those four medals to the three gold medals she won at the state indoor meet and the three golds and one silver she won last year during the outdoor season to bring her impressive total to eight individual state titles and three runner-up finishes.
Burns made the All-Parish team for her top marks in the long jump (18 feet, 7 inches) and triple jump (38-2). She led the Lady Eagles to the Class 2A outdoor team championship.
On the boys side, Edwards and Burns are joined by Tioga senior hurdler Maximus Kadrmas and ASH senior thrower Hunter Rivet. Kadrmas had the top times in the parish in both the 110 and 300 hurdles, while Rivet had the state’s top mark in the discus and the parish’s No. 2 throw in the shot put.
Rivet has been named the Outstanding Male Field Athlete, while Kadrmas is the Male Runner of the Year.
Kadrmas, who dueled with senior teammate Wyatt Smith all season, brought home two medals from the Class 4A state meet, winning silver in the 300 hurdles and bronze in the 110 hurdles, to help lead the Indians to the team championship.
His times in Baton Rouge – 15.12 in the 110 hurdles and 38.37 in the 300 hurdles – were fast enough to distance himself from Smith and claim the top times in the parish in both events.
Rivet broke the ASH school record on multiple occasions this season and unleashed the state’s longest throw on his final attempt at the Class 5A state meet to claim the gold medal with a throw of 179 feet. He also broke the 50-foot barrier in the shot put during the regular season but had a 47-11 qualifying throw in the postseason, good for second behind teammate Jeremiah Jeffers-Wright.
TOMORROW: The full All-Parish Team roster.