By Mike Hutchens, UC Schools Communications Director
Union City, Tenn.–There was Union City and then everyone else in Thursday’s 10-school track meet at War Memorial Stadium.
The Tornado teams were easily the class of the field, running away with first place in an event that was completed despite challenging weather conditions.
UC’s boys recorded 14 first-place finishes while piling up a whopping 237 points. South Gibson County was a distant second with 55 points.
The Lady Tornadoes more than doubled (154-72) their closest competitor, Dresden.
Union City’s teams combined to set four new program records.
Kameron Shade established a new mark in winning the 100 meters, clocked at 10.86 to shatter a mark he’d set himself. The UT Martin signee also won the 200 meters.
Freshman Woodrow McKinnis (4:47.02) set a new record in the 1600 meters and added a win in the 3200-meter run. The 4X200 relay team, which consisted of Shade, Rodney Jenkins, Kenny Moss, and Tayehari Jones, was timed at 1:33.57 to enter the program record book.
D.J. Evans won the 110- and 300-meter hurdles, Keaten Brown led the field in the shot put and discus, and Adrian Crawford continued his dominance with first-place showings in the high jump and long jump. Tayshun Gentry won the triple jump, and Malaki Brooks took honors in the 400-meter run.
The 4X100 relay team (Moss, Jones, Jenkins, and Andre Small), along with the 4X800 quartet of Owen Wagoner, Andrew Beard, Trent Craddock, and Zak Summers added to the list of first-place efforts.
Union City’s girls posted seven first-place showings.
Blair McKinnis was clocked at 2:40.89 in the 400-meter run to establish a new program record. Jayla Turner won the 800, and Bailey Wagoner took honors in the 3200-meter run.
Debrionna Jones won the shot put and the discus.
The Lady Tornadoes won three relay races. Nakyah Yarbrough, Chloe Hubbard, Anjani Moss, and Indeya Hogsett combined to take the 4X100. Aujani Moss, Sh’Nyla Moss, Hubbard, and Yarbrough teamed to claim the 4X200, and McKinnis, Wagoner, Turner, and Ada Rogers crossed the finish line first in the 4X800.
Union City will next compete at McCracken County on Tuesday.
HIGH SCHOOL TENNIS
UC 7, Greenfield 0 (Girls)
The Lady Tornadoes literally just missed a clean sweep, winning six of their seven matches with Greenfield by 8-0 scores.
Union City (11-3) was dominant in four of five singles competitions and both doubles matches.
Both the girls’ and boys’ teams will be back on the court on Tuesday at home against Huntingdon.
Singles
Shelby Bondurant vs. Ginny Archie 8-0
Molly Kizer vs. Cardine Bodkins 8-0
Dani Frankum vs. Caroline Warren 8-4
Davey Frankum vs. Addison Cooper 8-0
Emma Mobbs vs. Annalyia Shepherd 8-0
Bertie Jenkins vs. Annalyia Shepherd 6-0
Doubles
Bondurant/Kizer vs. Archie/Bodkins 8-0
Frankum/Frankum vs. Warren/Cooper 8-0
MIDDLE SCHOOL SOCCER
McKenzie 3, UC 2
The Tornadoes finished their season with their best effort, narrowly falling on the road to McKenzie.
Jose Pastor scored both Union City goals in the second half.
Michael Vallee recorded five saves in goal for the Twisters.
MIDDLE SCHOOL BASEBALL
South Gibson Co. 16-12, UC 1-2
Union City closed its regular season with a 10-7 mark and will now prep for next week’s conference tournament.
In Thursday’s opener, the Hornets scored 12 times in the second inning and limited the Tornadoes to just one hit – a Japeth Caldwell single in the first. Caldwell came around to score, driven in by Caden LeCornu.
UC led 2-1 after the first inning of the nightcap but saw GC erupt for 11 runs in its next two at-bats.
LeCornu drove in both Tornado runs with a double. Brayden Marshall and Preston Creswell scored. Creswell, Caldwell, and Will Kail had singles for Union City.
Caldwell was the losing hurler in Game 1, and Kail took the loss in the second game.