Simply May Be Time To Write A Memoir E book After 40 Years Of Enjoyable & Laborious Work

By Thomas Grant, Jr.
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May 23, 2026

By Thomas Grant Jr. Special to the HSSR Columbia – Harry Parone Stadium has served as a becoming website for the S.C. High School League observe and area championships. The previous 4 years has seen most important resident Spring Valley and fellow Richland District Two faculties Blythewood and Ridge View come away with Class 5A girls and boys’ titles. On Thursday, the Lady Bengals made it a 4-peat enroute to dominating the ultimate Division I championship. Their 125 complete factors exceeded second place Dorman by 50 factors and produced gold medals by sisters Peyton Hightower (400 meters) and senior Hayley Hightower (800 meters). This marked their second repeat title workforce up on the faculty. Back in March, they helped Blythewood win its second straight women’ basketball title. “This journey has been really amazing,” stated youthful sister Peyton, who’s a junior. “I’m just blessed to share with my sister and run with the same track team. I really love her and I’m super proud we’re both state champions in our last year.” The Lady Bengals additionally gained each the 4×100 and 4×400 meter relays in constructing a big lead. Junior Alexis Jones positioned second and third, respectively, within the lengthy bounce and highschool and Brooks Bramlett (100-meter hurdles) and Romell Garway (triple bounce) added to the purpose complete with runner-up finishes. Head coach Aleshia Hawkins credited her workforce with sustaining their depth and overcoming the stress of a 4-peat. “Our girls are real committed,” Hawkins stated. “The goal is to just always give something to our young girls to look up to and so, with the older girls and mid-age girls, they just keep coming.” While Dorman completed a definite second place with 75 factors, it didn’t a record-setter. Senior hurdler Rebecca Okebe turned the primary feminine on the S.C. High School League observe and area championships to complete the 400-meter hurdles in underneath a minute. Her time of 56.70 seconds broke the earlier mark by Summerville’s Imagine Patterson by 4 seconds. “I like it because it’s what I’ve been working on for the past four years of high school,” stated Obebe, who additionally gained the 110-meter hurdles. “Especially the previous two years and the summer, we’ve been working really hard to perfect my race and kindly get me the right things to work on alternating and staying consistent in my hurdles. So, I get to see all the hard work pay off.” Other multi-medalists had been A’zedah Anderson (Summerville), Ella Nighbor (Clover) and Riley Vaughn (Spartanburg). The boys’ title fairly actually got here all the way down to the ultimate two area occasions. Wando had developed an early lead on defending champion Ridge View earlier than profitable by a small margin. The Blazers had been trying to make it 5 straight years a Richland Two faculty was boys’ champion. Spring Valley had gained champion from 2021-24. “It’s a battle to the end and we knew it was going to be that way coming into this meet,” head coach Jason Doorman stated. “And it was awesome to see. We had pretty step up in places we didn’t expect. We had people just bring their ‘A’ game throughout the entire meet and it was an awesome finish. “Taking out Ridge View is something because they’re a very good team and they’ve been beating the state over and over and over. So, to be able to defeat them, hey that’s an honor to take them down and be able to be in the ranks there on top of the state.” Junior Dylan Carey was the lone particular person champion for the Warriors within the 400 meters. Wando did have a number of medalists within the area occasions that helped in its factors complete. Multi-medalists within the boys’ division included Chanin Harris (J.F. Byrnes) and Luke Hurley (Boiling Springs). S.C. HIGH SCHOOL LEAGUE CLASS 5A TRACK & FIELD CHAMPIONSHIP RESULTS (Top 5 Finishers) GIRLS 100 METERS 1. A’zedah Anderson (Summerville), 2. Jordayn Ratliff (Dorman), 3. Trinity Jones (Summerville), 4. Oliver Taylor (Blythewood), 5. Ciara Williams (Lexington) 200 METERS 1. A’zedah Anderson (Summerville), 2. Ciara Williams (Lexington), 3. Kendell McFadden (Fort Dorchester), 4. Olivia Taylor (Blythewood), 5. Alexandra Francique (Blythewood) 400 METERS 1. Peyton Hightower (Blythewood), 2. Patience Grant (Stratford), 3. Olivia Taylor (Blythewood), 4. Akyra Webster (Spartanburg), 5. Zy’keyia Halley (Spring Valley) 800 METERS 1. Hayley Hightower (Blythewood), 2. Ana Laurient (Wando), 3. Rowyn Martens (Wando), 4. Gretchen Kale (Mauldin), 5. Marley Wall (Dutch Fork) 1600 METERS 1. Ella Nighbor (Clover), 2. Ava Jagielski (Clover), 3. Callie Rohm (Mauldin), 4. Kendra Miles (Lexington), 5. Taylor Blackwelder (Summerville) 3200 METERS 1. Ella Nighbor (Clover), 2. Taylor Blackwelder (Summerville), 3. Avery Griffith (Mauldin), 4. Anna Cavallon (Wando), 5. Anna Kelly (Blythewood) 110 METER HURDLES 1. Rebecca Okebe (Dorman), 2. Brooke Bramlett (Blythewood), 3. Gabrielle Cherry (Blythewood), 4. Romell Garway (Blythewood), 5. Sidra Berry (Ridge View) 400 METER HURDLES * 1. Rebecca Okebe (Dorman), 2. Katelyn McNeil (Spring Valley), 3. Arriana Dooley (Mauldin), 4. Tatiana Dooley (Mauldin), 5. Madison Ross (Blythewood) 4×100 METER RELAY 1. Blythewood, 2. Summerville, 3. Dorman, 4. Spartanburg, 5. Spring Valley 4×400 METER RELAY 1. Blythewood, 2. Spring Valley, 3. Dorman, 4. Ridge View, 5. Wando 4×800 METER RELAY 1. Wando, 2. Mauldin, 3. Blythewood, 4. Spartanburg, 5. Dorman HIGH JUMP 1. Miracle McLean (Carolina Forest), 2. Danabella Jackson (Sumter), 3. Alexis Jones (Blythewood), 4. Trinity Hall (Clover), 5. Oprah Tchuendem (River Bluff) LONG JUMP 1. Ciara Williams (Lexington), 2. Alexis Jones (Blythewood), 3. Alahna Valentine (Ridge View), 4. Simone Wells (Sumter), 5. Jordayn Ratliff (Dorman) TRIPLE JUMP 1. Jordayn Ratliff (Dorman), 2. Romell Garway (Blythewood), 3. Naadia Rampersant (James Island), 4. Miracle McLean (Carolina Forest), 5. Oprah Tchuendem (River Bluff) DISCUS THROW 1. Addilyn Elrod (Summerville), 2. Olivia Parker (Spartanburg), 3. Maddie Sanders (Mauldin), 4. Emmie Otto (Carolina Forest), 5. Darcy York (Rock Hill) POLE VAULT 1. Riley Vaughn (Spartanburg), 2. Skylar Singleton (James Island), 3. Emiya Victor (James Island), 4. Mattie Bandy (Dorman), 5. Harmoni Harris (Spartanburg) JAVELIN THROW 1. Elle Cocco (Wando), 2. Morgan Carter (Fort Dorchester), 3. Hailey Greatrex (Fort Dorchester), 4. Kyleigh Moore (Fort Dorchester), 5. Jaylyn Maley (Lexington) SHOT PUT 1. Riley Vaughn (Spartanburg), 2. Emiya Victor (James Island), 3. Harmoni Harris (Spartanburg), 4. Lainey Myers (Lexington) 5. Elle Cocco (Wando) TEAM SCORES (Top 10) 1. Blythewood (125), 2. Dorman (75), 3. Summerville (60), 4. Wando (59.50), 5. Spartanburg (53), 6. Lexington (45), 7. Mauldin (42), 8. Clover (36), 9. Spring Valley (33), 10 (tie). James Island and Fort Dorchester (30) * S.C. High School League document BOYS 100 METERS 1. Chanin Harris (J.F. Byrnes), 2. Grant Garrick (Lexington), 3. Jeremiah Calhoun (Boiling Springs), 4. Ke’Shon Tate (Spring Valley), 5. Thaddius Rush (Ridge View) 200 METERS 1. Chanin Harris (J.F. Byrnes), 2. Jeremiah Calhoun (Boiling Springs), 3. Grant Garrick (Lexington), 4. Devan Erby (Rock Hill), 5. Aidyn Wiggins (J.F. Byrnes) 400 METERS 1. Dylan Carey (Wando), 2. Larry Davis (Blythewood), 3. Jaderion Moore (Rock Hill), 4. Brody Johnson (Wando), 5. Jaden Davis (Wade Hampton) 800 METERS 1. Josh Voegele (Lexington), 2. Ari Laurient (Wando), 3. Wesley Heimbach (Lexington), 4. Joseph Robinson (Spring Valley), 5. Jack Butler (Wando) 1600 METERS 1. Luke Hurley (Boiling Springs), 2. Jacob Powers, 3. Joseph Robinson (Spring Valley), 4. Sammy Joudeh (J.L. Mann), 5. Evan DeMassi (Dutch Fork) 3200 METERS 1. Luke Hurley (Boiling Springs), 2. Jacob Powell (Blythewood), 3. Hudson Kennemore (J.L. Mann), 4. Ben Elliott (Mauldin), 5. Noah Taylor (Spring Valley) 110 METER HURDLES 1. Grayson Crowe (Boiling Springs), 2. Quency Grant (Ridge View), 3. Elijah White (Ridge View), 4. Justin Elliott (Mauldin) 400 METER HURDLES 1. Elijah White (Ridge View), 2. Quency White (Ridge View), 3. Justin Elliott (Mauldin), 4. Andy Metz (Spartanburg), 5. Grayson Crowe (Boiling Springs) 4×100 METER RELAY 1. J.F. Byrnes, 2. Spartanburg, 3. Ridge View, 4. Carolina Forest, 5. Ashley Ridge 4×400 METER RELAY 1. Ridge View, 2. Blythewood, 3. Wando, 4. Carolina Forest, 5. Spring Valley 4×800 METER RELAY 1. Lexington, 2. Wando, 3. Spring Valley, 4. Clover, 5. Summerville HIGH JUMP 1. Cameron Hughes (Spring Valley), 2. Evan McCullough-Bryant (Dorman), 3. Jamarius Brown (Dorman), 4. Jonathan Wilson (Carolina Forest), 5. Isiah Kennedy (Ridge View) LONG JUMP 1. Torrean Davis (Spartanburg), 2. Gage Stewart (Dutch Fork), 3. Jahmari Malone (Wando), 4. Jamier Gaston (Dorman), 5. Miles Williams (Carolina Forest) TRIPLE JUMP 1. Jamarius Brown (Dorman), 2. Jahmari Malone (Wando), 3. Torrean Davis (Spartanburg), 4. Amari Stevenson (Ridge View), 5. Jamier Gaston (Dorman) DISCUS THROW 1. Aiden Graham (Rock Hill), 2. Jaden Roberson (Dorman), 3. Jay Morris (James Island), 4. Collin Ash (River Bluff), 5. Preston Iagulli (Carolina Forest) POLE VAULT 1. Lukas Kowlok (Stratford), 2. Mayson Samuel (Cane Bay), 3. Caleb Berry (Mauldin), 4. Luke Lasher (James Island), 5. Walker Ferguson (Mauldin) JAVELIN THROW 1. Walker Ferguson (Mauldin), 2. Ben Eikenberry (Wando), 3. Gryson Greenberry (Summerville), 4. Zach Teachman (Wando), 5. Nate Dixon (Lexington) SHOT PUT 1. Aidan Graham (Rock Hill), 2. Henry Camps (Wando), 3. Collin Ash (River Bluff), 4. James Porter (Dorman), 5. Jimmy Jones (James Island) TEAM SCORES (Top 10) 1. Wando (84), 2. Ridge View (78), Dorman (52), 4. Lexington (50), 5. Spring Valley (48), 7. Mauldin (41), 8. J.F. Byrnes (40), 9. Blythewood (38), 10. Spartanburg (35.50)