Gloucester High School track athletes had another successful outdoor season, according to head coach John Perrin. The boys placed fifth and the girls eighth in the Peninsula District Meet held May 4 and 5, sending several athletes on to the Eastern Region Meet.

At the district competition, junior Robert Freiermuth made the All-District first team by clearing 11’6” in the pole vault. Senior Ryan Purrington made the second team with a two-mile run time of 10:36.65 and junior Torie Thomas made third team with his pole vault of 10 feet.

Also at the district meet, sophomore Logan Pitchford was fourth in the mile run in 4:40.22, sophomore Kevin Speray was fifth in the mile in 4:40.06 and senior Ryan Purrington was eighth in 5:02.50. Jason Bennett, Shamar Marsh, Chris Hogge and Troy Thomas combined for fifth place in the 400 meter race and Torie Thomas, Kasean Lockley, Jason Bennett and Devin Berry were seventh in the 1600 relay in 3:43.43.

In addition, Mike Sage, DaRontae Carter, Eric Speray and Torie Thomas were fourth in the two-mile relay in 8:46.72. Sage, a senior, was eighth in the 800 in 2:06.90; sophomore Ryan Ransom was fifth in the discus with a throw of 115’6”, and senior Ray Spear was sixth with a throw of 112’9”. Sophomore Bryan Ransom was fifth in the shot put with a toss of 42’1.50” and junior Troy Thomas was fifth in the pole vault by clearing 9’6”.

On the girls’ side, junior Jazmine Banks made the All-District first team with a shot put toss of 36’5.50” and second team with a discus throw of 83’7”, freshman Evan Wagner made the second team with a high jump of five feet and junior Caroline Parker made the third team with a two-mile race time of 14:27.63. Also, Megan Hogge was sixth in the mile in 6:07.10 and Haley Lucas was seventh in the discus with a throw of 65’3” and eighth in the shot put with a toss of 24’8.75”.

At the Eastern Region Meet in Todd Stadium May 21-22, Banks was third in the shot put and earned All-Region honors with a throw of 36’3”. Purrington was eighth in the two mile in 10:21.40 and combined with Pitchford, Sage and Kevin Speray for eighth place in the two-mile relay in 8:31.57.

Banks represented Gloucester at the Group AAA State Track Meet on June 5, coming into the competition with a 16th ranking in a field of 27 girls in the shot put. She had her best performance of the year, heaving the put 38’7” for a new personal record, earning fourth place and All-State honors. Banks was also named a Milestat National Elite Athlete.

To view this article in its entirety, subscribe here. Already an online subscriber? Login Here