J’ville runner, LH vaulters excel in state decathlon

CABOT — After nine events in two days, Jessieville junior Noah Eskew still had a spring in his step in the Arkansas high school decathlon here Thursday.

A three-time Class 3A state cross country champion, Eskew ran the meet-ending 1,500 meters in 4:16.13, earning 838 points for the event and finishing with 4,567.

Parker Ables, of Heber Springs, running in a later heat, followed in 4:17.47 and Ethan Carney, of Springdale Har-Ber, in 4:25.74.

Lake Hamilton sophomores Haze Farmer and Michael Harris finished second and third in the pole vault, each clearing 15 feet and collecting 781 points. Class 7A champion Zach McWhorter, of Springdale Har-Ber, had a first-place vault of 15 feet, 5.75 inches for 825 points. Bentonville’s Ethan Sandusky set the decathlon record of 16 feet, 3 inches in 2010.

McWhorter won the Meet of Champs title clearing 16 feet, 10 inches Saturday in Russellville. Harris cleared 16 feet for the Class

6A crown May 4 while Farmer had three 16foot vaults this spring.

Caddo Hills junior Christian Duggan had a winning discus throw of 133 feet, 7 inches after finishing third in the shot put on Wednesday. Jessieville’s Jacob Bearden finished eighth in the discus (99-4).

In the first of five events Thursday, Fayetteville’s Austin Compton won the 110-meter hurdles in 15.42 seconds for 799 points.

With first-day leader Marquel McKinney (Gosnell), McWhorter and Duggan among those yet to finish, Crossett’s Marcus Bornslater led by 284 points over Clinton’s Bradley Amos with Harris eighth and Farmer 10th.

* After finishing fifth in 2015 and third last year, Clinton senior Allie Hensley won the Arkansas high school heptathlon Thursday by a comfortable margin.

Though winning none of the seven events, Hensley totaled 4,393 points for a 485-point advantage over runner-up Sydney Lane, of Rivercrest, with Springdale’s Reaghan Smithpeters (3,898) edging Russellville’s Tamera Rhode by two points for third place.

Lake Hamilton’s Jenny Peake finished

22nd with 3,193 points, Jessieville’s Riley Taylor 41st with 2,806 points, Jessieville’s Jaidyn Fortenberry 48th with

2,652 and Lake Hamilton’s Edie Murray 50th with 2,571.

Lane won the high jump

(5 feet, 7 inches), Gentry’s Chastery Fuamutu the shot put (37 feet, 4 inches) and Cabot’s Lauren Turner the 800-meter run (2:15.98).

Arkansas Democrat-Gazette/Stephen B. Thornton HENSLEY’S HEAVE: Overall winner Allie Hensley, of Clinton, competes in the shot put during the Arkansas high school heptathlon second round Thursday at Cabot High School.