Harmon, the Ironton Fighting Tigers senior track star, leaped 21-6 3/4 Wednesday to win the long jump event and earn a place in the state meet June 3-4 at Dayton’s Welcome Stadium.

Thursday, May 25, 2000

Harmon, the Ironton Fighting Tigers senior track star, leaped 21-6 3/4 Wednesday to win the long jump event and earn a place in the state meet June 3-4 at Dayton’s Welcome Stadium.

"He’s been pretty consistent with jumping around 21-plus feet. I think he’s still got a 22-footer in him," Ironton coach Greg Cronacher said.

Harmon was the only qualifier during Wednesday’s first day of the Division II regional meet. Most of the events were running preliminaries.

The top four finishers in the finals of each event advance to the state.

Although Harmon won the long jump, he ran a 15.0 in the 110 high hurdles and finished sixth in his heat and did not reach the finals.

"He’s been bothered a little by a hamstring, but I don’t know if that had anything to do with it," said Cronacher.

Ironton’s Warren Brown was in the pole vault but failed to place among the top eight.

"Warren didn’t qualify, but he had some good jumps," said Cronacher.

South Point’s Jason Garl went 11-6 in the pole vault, good enough to place seventh.

The Pointers Jarrod Smith failed to place in the top eight of the discus.

The Ironton Lady Tigers did well in the running preliminaries.

Rachael Perry was fourth in the 100 meters at 12.7 seconds to reach the finals. She ran a 27.0 in the 200 dash which was the sixth best time overall.

The 400 meter relay team of Christy Lilly, Alisa Philabaun, Sarah Herman, and Perry had a 51.8 time to place second overall.

The same quartet ran a 1:50.9 and was fifth overall.

"That was a little slow for them, but there was a pretty good wind at the time," Lady Tigers coach Tim Thomas said.

The 1600 relay team broke its own school record by four seconds with a 4:16.9 clocking. Ashley Neal, Herman, Philabaun, and Lilly comprised the unit, and Neal had a 61.9 split as she went from seventh to third place.

"She had some people oohing and awing," said Thomas.

South Point’s Deidra Layne ran a 13.1 to finish fourth in her heat of the 100 meter dash.

Rock Hill’s Jessica Kerns placed sixth in the high jump finals at 5-2.

Kerns’ 15.8 time in the 100 meter hurdle preliminaries was fourth overall. She failed to reach the finals in the 300s.

Chesapeake’s Danny Wassell, who will be in the high jump Friday, had a false start in the 400 meter dash preliminaries.