By By Chandler Myers
Escambia Academy’s junior varsity track team is officially a dynasty after winning their third straight AISA Class 2A state championship last Saturday in Canoe.
The Cougars soundly defeated their opponents, which included Clarke Prep, Sparta Academy, Jackson Academy, Springwood Academy and Edgewood Academy.
Cougars head coach Heath Gibson said he was excited by the performance that his team had.
Escambia Academy scored a total of 175 points with their closest opponent being the Clarke Prep Gators who scored 130 points at the meet.
Gibson said the team was excited about having such a close competition with the Gators track team.
The Cougars had several participants including the state meet’s Most Valuable Player sophomore Braxton Chastang.
Chastang received the award for his performance in discus, the shot put, the 110-meter hurdles and 300-meter hurdles. He placed first in the discus and both hurdles events, while recording a fifth place finish in the shot put.
Chastang also set two state records for his times in the hurdle events. He ran the 110 hurdles in 19.2 seconds and the 300 hurdles in 48.3 seconds.
Gibson said Chastang’s performance was impressive because of the times he set.
Several other Cougars placed in events throughout the event.
J.P. Sawyer placed fifth in the 3200 meters with a time of 13:50, fifth in the 1600 meteres with a time of 6:21 and eighth in the discus with a throw of 51 feet and five inches.
Jared Hadley placed first in the high jump with a jump of five feet and five inches, second in the 100 meters with a time of 12.2 second, second in the triple jump with a jump of 32 feet and four and three-quarter inches and third in the 200 meters with a time of 26.97 seconds.
Brandon Goddard placed first in the long jump with a jump of 17 feet and two inches, third place in the 400 meters with a time 1:08 and third place 31.5 feet and fourth place in the 100 meters with a time of 12.7 seconds.
Austin McGhee placed first in the 400 meters with a time of 1:04, second in the 800 meters with a time of 2:38 and second in the high jump with a jump of five feet and two inches.
Other Cougars to place in the meet included James Dean (4th in 300m hurdles, 4th 110m hurdles and triple jump), Macks (3rd in 300m hurdles, 4th in long jump and 3rd in 110m hurdles) and Cameron McGhee (4th 200m hurdles and 5th 100m hurdles).