Welborn, Jones sparkle at Airedale junior relays

By Kevin Taylor

Alma Schools 

The Alma junior high track team competed at the Junior Airedale Relays on Tuesday at the Tom McMurray Track Complex. 

Bryna Parker won the girls' high jump with a leap of 4-6. She was sixth and Emmerson Adams seventh in the 400. 

Olivia Whipple finished second ( 28.79) and third (13.38) in the 200 and 100 meters. Collins Driscoll placed fourth in the 200.

Ryleigh Floyd finished third in the 100 (17.51) and 300 hurdles (55.95). Josie Welborn was fourth in the 100. 

Adams and Abrielle Morris placed fourth and fifth in the high jump. Welborn (14-9) and Whipple (14-8 ½) finished first and second in the long jump. Welborn was second (32-3) in the triple jump, while Whipple and Hallie Morris finished fifth and sixth. 

Morris was third (85-2), and Makylie Lewis finished third and sixth in the discus. Braelyn Holmes and Morris were second (36-3 ½) and fourth in the shot put. 

Alma’s Ben Jones won the shot put with a toss of 46-6. William Hamilton and Caleb Schlegel placed fifth and seventh in the discus. 

Nate Risley was second (18-0) in the long jump and third ( 37-9) in the triple jump. Mason Mahar finished fifth in the triple jump. 

David Atherton was second (5-6) and Risley sixth in the high jump. Billy Burden was fourth and eighth in the 300 and 110 hurdles. 

Baseball 

Senior right-hander Piercen Howell scattered seven hits and allowed just one earned run over seven innings as the Airedales’ baseball team completed the season sweep of Van Buren Tuesday, 7-3. 

Camden Curd, whose two-out, two-run single capped a 7-6 Airedales win Monday night, doubled home two runs in the fourth. His tie-breaking RBI grounder gave the Airedales a 3-2 lead in the sixth. 

Michael Taylor followed with a run-scoring single, extending the lead to 4-2.

Howell, who struck out two and didn’t walk anybody, and needed just four pitches in the seventh inning to complete his victory, added a two-out, two-run double in the seventh to account for the final runs. 

Curd finished the series with four hits and five RBIs. Logan English earned the win in relief Monday.

Alma, which hadn’t beaten the Pointers at the Field of Dreams since March 21, 2016, is currently 8-7 overall and 2-2 in the 5A-West. 

Soccer 

The Alma Lady Airedales grinded out a 2-2 tie with Van Buren Tuesday in 5A-West play. 

Alma (2-2-3, 1-2-2) spotted the Pointers a 2-0 lead before coming from behind to tie the match. Willow Goodnoh scored the first goal in the second half, and Alyssa Adams tied the game with a penalty kick. 

The Lady Airedales had five shots on goal, including two on target. Keeper Lauren Burdick had three saves on goal. 

The Alma boys' squad dropped a 3-1 decision to Van Buren. Seth Canales accounted for Alma’s goal in the 57th minute. Keeper Lukas Todd had 15 saves. 

Alma (2-3-2, 1-3-1)  had six shots total, with four on goal. 

Softball 

The Alma Lady Airedales dropped a 9-3 decision to Van Buren Tuesday. 

Alma (7-5, 1-3) returns to action Thursday against Charleston. 

Alma is scheduled to play Mountain Home Friday in 5A-West play.