West Harrison, Oxford share girls 5A Track Championship

A winning performance by the West Harrison girls 1,600 relay team gave the Hurricanes a share of the 5A state championship with Oxford at Pearl High School.

It’s the first state title for West Harrison.

“God is good,” West Harrison coach Carlton Cotten said. “We pulled it out. I’m so grateful.”

West Harrison and defending champion Oxford were tied going into the relay, the final event. West Harrison took first in 4:07.69 to finish with 103 points. Oxford finished third in the relay, but won another event to share the crown with West Harrison.

It was a wire-to-wire victory for the relay team. Leadoff runner Alaziah Turner gave the Hurricanes the lead and the next three runners, Jayla Pleasant, Talina Jones and Justa Lockhart, maintained it.

West Harrison was led by Turner, who also won the 400 and took second in the 200.

Harrison Central also had a gold medal performance from Deniyah Downs in the long jump.

Other Coast athletes to win gold at the 1A/3A/5A meet were Jarius Warren of Long Beach (5A boys shot put); Jailin Cherry of Pascagoula (5A girls high jump); Matthew Cropper of Long Beach (5A boys pole vault); Brooklyn Biancamano of Long Beach (girls 5A 1,600); Isabel Leatherman of St. Patrick (girls 3A 1,600); and Kendall Pierre of St. Patrick (3A girls pole vault).

Warren and Cherry are a couple of two-sport standouts. Warren was all area in football, which he will play at the Naval Academy, and Cherry was all-area in basketball, which she will play at LSU.

The 2A/4A/6A meet will be at 11 a.m. Saturday at the Pearl High School track.

This story was originally published May 5, 2017 at 8:40 PM with the headline "West Harrison, Oxford share girls 5A Track Championship."