Mauldin boys, Mann girls repeat as county champs

TAYLORS – Mauldin's boys team held off Riverside to win for the second year in a row at the Greenville County Track and Field Championships Wednesday night at Eastside High School.

The J.L. Mann girls were victorious for the eighth time in the last nine years. The Patriots did not compete in the event in 2011.

The boys competition went down to the final event. Mauldin led Riverside by five points heading into the 4x400-meter relay. Riverside won the event, but Mauldin's second-place finish was enough to give the Mavericks a 94-91 victory over the Warriors.

"I'm happy for the kids," Mauldin coach Dion Holmes said. "It's a privilege to win the county. We talked about this all year, repeating. Last year we were blessed to win, and to repeat is something special."

Nate Patterson, who won the triple jump (43 feet, 9.5 inches), was the Mavericks' lone champion.

Riverside was led by Troy Pride, who was named boys track co-MVP after winning the 200 (22.59) and the 400 (50.61) and running a leg of the Warriors' victorious 4x400 relay team.

The other track co-MVP was Christ Church's James Quattlebaum, who won the 800 (1:56.75), the 1,600 (4:26.34) and the 3,200 (9:25.21).

The boys fields events MVP was Greer's Cole Henderson, who placed first in the shot put (45-3) and was runner-up in the discus to Berea's Thomas Sullivan, who won with a throw of 130-4.

Wade Hampton's Bryan Poe won both hurdles events, the 110 in 14.58 and the 400 in 58.38. Christ Church's Dorian Dickey won the 100 (11.09), and Travelers Rest's Devario Bruster won the high jump (6-4).

The Mann girls finished with 153 points. Greer was runner-up with 68.

The Patriots won without long-time coach George Moss, who was absent because of a health issue.

"I could tell a difference in the girls' attitudes," Mann assistant coach Joe Pinckney said. "They were not geared up for it. If anything is a little different, the kids get out of whack."

The Patriots were still plenty good enough. For starters, their 4x100 relay team of Kelsey Heyward, Kyra Atkins, Tee'asiah Vance and Desiree Ross set a meet record with their time of 48.10.

Heyward, who also won the 100 (15.09) and 400 hurdles (1:07.82), was chosen girls track MVP.

Ross won the 400 (58.48), and Mann's Alexus Harris won the pole vault (7-6).

Eastside's Quay Scott was named the girls field events MVP after winning the shot put (35-11) and the discus (124-7).

Berea's Kennedy Dennis placed first in the 100 (12.4) and the 200 (26.11).

Other girls county champs crowned Wednesday were Eastside's Lindsay Hannah in the 800 (2:21.78), Riverside's Abigail Smith in the 1,600 (5:17.88) and Greer's Keanan Johnson in the long jump (17-9).