Jason Armstrong, Harmony Moore lead standout performances in region championship meet

ALBANY — The finishes were tight, the times were fast and, for much of Thursday night at Hugh Mills Stadium, the spotlight belonged to Albany-area sprinters and hurdlers who turned the Region championships into a showcase of local speed.

While Cairo High School claimed the boys team title with 151 points and Bainbridge High School rolled to the girls championship with 194, athletes from Westover High School, Monroe High School and Dougherty High School made their presence felt from the opening gun to the final relay.

The most electric moment on the track came in the boys 100-meter dash, where Dougherty’s Jason Armstrong edged Westover’s Jarvis Vaughn  by just .04 seconds to earn “fastest man on the track” honors. Dougherty freshman Jamar White wasn’t far behind, finishing third in a race that highlighted the depth of local sprint talent.

Armstrong came back with another strong run in the 200 meters, finishing second, while Vaughn added a fourth-place finish for the Patriots.

Westover continued to show its strength in the quarter-mile, where James Rod and Jameel Herring finished second and third in the 400 meters behind Cairo’s Bryian Duncan.

Duncan also won the triple jump and long jump for the Syrupmakers, with Westover’s Qay’Shawn Mathis in second place in both the triple jump and the long jump.

Dougherty’s hurdle crew turned in one of the night’s most complete performances. Zaterria Kegler led the way by winning the 110-meter hurdles, just ahead of teammate Alijah Pace, before returning to take second in the 300-meter hurdles in a tight finish.

On the girls’ side, Dougherty’s Rihunna Doyle powered her way to a victory in the 100-meter dash, while Monroe freshman Harmony Moore delivered one of the meet’s defining performances. Moore swept both the 100- and 300-meter hurdles, with times recognized as “elite” by MileSplit.

Monroe also made a strong statement in the distance events. Madisyn Goddard finished second in the 800 meters, leading a 2-3-4 finish for the Lady Tornadoes alongside Mariah McIntyre and Olivia Lewis.

Dougherty’s 4×200-meter relay team added to the night’s momentum with an “elite” performance, underscoring the Trojans’ speed across multiple events.

If the track belonged to the sprinters and hurdlers, the field events provided just as many highlights — and a few clutch moments.

Dougherty’s Grace Smith dominated the throwing events, sweeping both the shot put and discus to lead the Lady Trojans’ effort.

Westover’s Sydney Donaldson delivered perhaps the most dramatic moment in the field. After fouling on her first two long jump attempts, the junior regrouped and soared to a winning mark on her third try to successfully defend her region title. She also won the high jump competition.

By the end of the night, the team standings were set — Cairo on the boys side, Bainbridge on the girls — with Dougherty (127) and Westover (126) finishing just behind in the boys race, and Westover (111), Monroe (107) and Dougherty (89) all posting solid finishes for the girls.