Bearcats win District 8-5A track meet; Ladycats finish second

Paced by five first-place finishes in individual events, the Aledo Bearcats track team piled up 137 points to win the boys' District 8-5A Track and Field Meet Thursday night at Owl Stadium in Joshua.

The Bearcats won the meet by 14 points over Burleson, with Everman (108 Points) finishing third. Cleburne finished fourth followed by Crowley, Burleson Centennial, Joshua and Granbury.

The Ladycats scored 121 points but fell 18 points shy of girls' district-champion Crowley(139 points). Burleson Centennial finished third with 91 points, followed by Joshua, Everman, Cleburne, Burleson and Granbury.

Four of the Bearcats' five gold medals were won by two athletes, thrower Wes Harris and hurdler Preston Jefferis. Harris placed first in shot put (58-9) and discus (136-5), while Jefferis won the 110-hurdles (14.9) and the 300-meter hurdles (40.78)

Harrison Tillman also earned gold when he won the 3,200-meter run with a time of 10:06.36.

The Ladycats were led by a pair of gold medals from the versatile Sierra White, who won pole vault (11-6) and the 300-meter hurdles (46.5).

Ladycats sprinter Kia Jordan not only took home gold but can also claim to be the fastest girl in 8-5A as she won the 100-meter dash with a time of 12.05.

Aledo High School qualified several other girls and boys for next week's area meet as the top four finishers from each event advance to the meet which will be next Wednesday and Thursday at Clark Stadium in Fort Worth.

At the junior varsity meet Thursday at Joshua, the Bearcats recorded 133.5 points to win the district championship. Burleson Centennial finished in second place with 112 points.

The Ladycats JV scored 59 points and finished fifth. Burleson Centennial (194 points) won the girls' JV meet.

Although he is in second place as he attacks the next-to-last hurdle, Aledo's Preston Jefferis won the 300-meter hurdles Thursday night at the District 8-5A track meet at Joshua. Jefferis also won the 110-metter hurdles to help the Bearcats to the district championship.

Earning the title of 'fastest girl in District 8-5A' is Kia Jordan, shown crossing the finish line in first place in the girls' 100-meter dash. Jordan helped the Ladycats to a second-place finish at the meet.