Alma’s 800 relay squad takes first at Leonard Daniel Relay 

By Kevin Taylor

Alma Schools 

Kenadie Farris, Ah Leah Henson, Nevaeh Kangas, and Vivian Beneux helped lead Alma’s 800 relay team to a first-place finish (1:54.43) at the Leonard Daniel Relays Thursday at the Tom McMurray track complex at the Alma Intermediate School. 

Beneux also finished second (28.41) in the 200 and third (13.39) in the 100 meters. 

Kangas was fourth in the 800 meters, and Farris and Henson were third and fifth in the high jump. 

The Lady Airedales placed seventh overall. 

Alma junior John Crump qualified for the state meet with a second-place finish in the 110 high hurdles (15.17). 

The boys were fourth overall with 90 points. 

Sam Schlegel was second (41.03) in the 300 hurdles. Crump was fifth in the 300. 

Crump, who was sixth in the high jump, helped lead the school’s 800 and 1,600 relay teams to second-place finishes. The 800 relay squad, which includes Schlegel, Crump, Owen McCoy, and Ayden Parker, finished with a time of 1:33.57. 

The same foursome was second (3:41.97) in the 1,600 relay. 

Parker was second (54.42) in the 400 meters and eighth in the 200. 

Alma senior Jackson Mitchell won the shot put (44-6) and was named the Dave Hale Memorial Outstanding Thrower. Mitchell was second (124-4) in the discus. 

Demetrius Humphrey placed fourth in the discus. Weston McCall was fourth in the shot put and fifth in the discus.  

Baseball 

The Alma Airedales baseball team overcame a costly two-out error Thursday. And that was just the beginning. 

Camden Curd drove in a career-high five runs and Michael Taylor hit his second homer of the spring to cap a wild 14-13 win over the Huntsville Eagles. 

Curd’s two-out, bases-clearing double helped the Airedales tend their lead to 6-0 in the third inning. Curd and Piercen Howell both had three hits. Taylor, Logan English, and Easton Daily had two hits each to highlight a 15-hit attack. 

But a two-out miscue opened the door for Huntsville to score 13 unearned runs against four pitchers-Braden Green, Aiden Keith, Carson Hamilton, and English.

Suddenly trailing 13-6 after three innings, Alma scored seven times in the fourth and once in the fifth to complete the comeback. Taylor’s eighth-career Alma homer capped a seven-run fourth.  

English and Curd held the Eagles scoreless in the final four innings, with English picking up the victory. 

Alma will host the Wood Bat Tournament over Spring Break. The Airedales open on March 27 against Clarksville. 

Softball 

Alma cashed in Harrison pitcher Eliana Warner’s first-inning wildness Thursday for a key 13-2 5A-West victory. 

Peyton Morris drew two first-inning bases-loaded walks to highlight an eight-run first for the visitors. Laramie Carr and Camryn Waters also drew bases-loaded walks, and Brooklyn Neighbors was hit by a pitch to force home another run. 

Winning pitcher Harper Jernigan went 2-for-4 at the plate and allowed one and five hits over five innings on the mound. The freshman standout struck out six and walked one. 

Warner went the distance for Harrison (1-6, 0-4), allowing four hits, all 13 runs (12 earned), and walking 18. 

Alma (4-4, 1-2) travels to Hope today to compete in a tournament. 

Soccer 

The Alma Airedales battled Harrison to a 1-1 tie in boys soccer. 

Seth Canales accounted for Alma’s lone goal in the 32nd minute. Keeper Lukas Todd had four saves. 

Alma (2-2-2, 1-2-1)  finished the week 1-0-1, including their 5-3 win over Greenwood. 

Unbeaten Harrison handed the Lady Airedales a 7-0 loss on Thursday. 

Alma dropped to 3-3 overall and 1-3 in the 5A-West. Harrison is now 8-0 and 4-0.