One of Panther track’s most competitive meets of the year is in the books.
On Saturday, March 30, the team traveled to Starr’s Mill High School south of Atlanta for its annual Friday Night Lights. Versus 21 of Georgia’s most elite teams, Franklin ranked among the very best in several events.
“With it being such a competitive meet, you kind of had to be on your A-game, and it brought the best out in us,” said head coach Matt Harlfinger. “As a team our girls got second place out of 20-plus schools. ... We were the smallest school that traveled a full team by about 500 students, but we were able to hold our own. The strength of our girls’ team is that we can score in just about every single event.”
As metro Atlanta has traditionally been a hotbed of track and field talent, the Panthers more than punched above their weight class at Saturday’s meet, taking on schools with as many as 4,000 students. Despite their numerical disadvanage, Franklin’s women matched their opponents blow-for-blow.
“This was more competitive than our state meet is gonna be, and I was really excited to see just how they answered the bell,” said Harlfinger. “Boston Stringer won the pole vault and cleared 11’6”, which is a big-time PR [personal record] for her. It ties her for second place all-time in school history, so that was great. Laura Covarrubias won the girls long jump at 17’10.5” and broke the school record. ... Morgan Cress in the girls two-mile broke the school record by about 15 seconds, so we walked out of there with two school records, a couple first-place finishes on the girls side, and a lot of personal bests.”
As three of the Panther women’s best all season, Stringer, Covarrubias and Cress held their own with some of the best talent in the Southeast, continuing their multi-year rewrite of Franklin’s school record book. With these and other strong days around the track, the team proved why they’re a legitimate 3A state title contender.
“Charley Seagle PR’ed in the shot put and took second place overall, and Claire Ballard PR’ed in the discus and took second place overall,” said Harlfinger. “Amy Mendoza Lopez and Morgan Cress didn’t score in the mile, but they ran the third- and fourth-fastest times in school history. Both of them had a personal record in the mile by almost 15 seconds. ... Amy also ran a PR in the 800 after she ran the mile.”
In just their freshman and sophomore years respectively, Cress and Mendoza Lopez should help make Franklin a distance-running force for years to come, while Seagle and Ballard have quietly been two of WNC’s best throwers. Even those who didn’t make it to the podium showed off the Panther women’s remarkable depth and talent.
“Abigail Pope ran really well in the 800, and I’m pretty sure that was a PR for her,” said Harlfinger. “Hope Smith ran solid in the [100-meter] and the [200-meter]. I think she finished fourth overall in the 100 and then fifth in the 200, so she was able to score points at a really competitive track meet. Talley Kinsland PR’ed again in all three of her events – the long jump, the 100 hurdles and the 300 hurdles.”
Pressed into service for two extra events when teammates couldn’t attend, Kinsland happily undertook some of the toughest events on the track, and continues to improve in just her first competitive season. Thanks to these and other strong performances around the track, Franklin entered the final event with one of the meet’s top overall scores.
“We run down the gauntlet of events and it comes down to the 4x400, and we were in second place going into the last event,” said Harlfinger. “We were like three or four points out of fifth place, so if our girls tanked it and didn’t score there was a good chance we could have finished fifth, and the top two teams got a trophy. ... They responded really well. We ran a 4:32 and got sixth place [with] Rylee Cassada, Abigail Pope, Mindi Holbrooks and Amy Mendoza Lopez.”
With a sixth-place finish in the final event, Franklin’s 4x400 team maintained their place, securing a second-place overall finish in team scoring. While the Panther men did not earn a trophy for their efforts, several athletes ranked among the top finishers in their events.
“Logan Russo won the 1,600 and set a personal record to do so, and Elijah Cochran finished third in the 110 hurdles and the 300 hurdles,” said Harlfinger. “He also finished seventh in the 100 and scored points there. Braylen Dezarn has really done a great job – I think I’ve said this maybe three or four weeks in a row, but every time he runs he gets a little bit faster. He did a great job in the 110 hurdles and the 300 hurdles, and then Justin Rodriguez continues to develop in the 400. He ran a 50.60, which is another PR for him, and he’s doing really well.”
Thanks in part to Russo, Cochran, Dezarn and Rodriguez, the Panther men placed 10th out of 19 teams in attendance, a finish that was much more reflective of Franklin’s numerical disadvantage. After returning home from Starr’s Mill, the team set their sights on another highly competitive meet this weekend.
“We got invited to that one over the summer, and when we got invited to it I just got really excited,” said Harlfinger of the Golden Corner Invitational at Seneca High School in South Carolina April 6. “[They’re] bringing in 10 schools, and all 10 schools have won a state championship in the last two years, so it’s gonna be really competitive. Our boys team were coming off a state championship, and they’re an hour away and bringing in all this talent, and without even thinking I said, ‘Yes, we will be there.’ Come to find out it’s right on spring break, so half of our kids are gonna be out of town. It’s a big track meet and it’s gonna be highly competitive, and we’re gonna travel half of our team, so we’re gonna do it a little bit differently.”