Published: May 08, 2008 01:24 am         

Three's good company for Wolfe City track

WOLFE CITY — Three’s good company when you’re talking about the Wolfe City track and field team.

The Wolves and Lady Wolves are sending three athletes in four events to the University Interscholastic League State Track and Field Championships this weekend in Austin.

It’s school history in the making, according to Wolfe City coach Gary Roundtree, who was raised in Wolfe City. Wolfe City has sent athletes to the state track and field meet in the past and had one, Andrea Fuller, win a state triple jump title in 1979.

“I’m pretty sure Wolfe City’s never been represented in four events at the state track meet,” said Roundtree.

James King is advancing in two events, the 200-meter dash and the long jump after finishing second in both at the Region III-A meet in Nacogdoches. King will run the 200 on Saturday afternoon at the Mike A. Myers Stadium in Austin and will jump on Friday.

B.K. Scott competes in the discus event on Friday afternoon after winning the regional title with a heave of 145 feet 6 inches.

Kealey Gaffney also runs the 100-meter hurdles on Saturday afternoon after winning the Region III-A title.

Gaffney has a couple of incentives to do well at state.

“I was really determined to make it this year,” she said.

Gaffney fell last year in the preliminaries of the 100-meter hurdles at the Region III-A meet, preventing her from challenging for a state berth.

“It really hurt me more inside,” she said.

She also wants to run well following the death of her father, Jimmy Gaffney, on March 25. She knows her father would be very proud of her accomplishments at regional this year. He watched her at last year’s meet.

“It really has pushed me to do really well,” she said.

Gaffney won the area title in 16.13 seconds and clocked a 16.64 at regional. She ranks seventh of the eight state qualifiers in her event. Bosqueville’s Morgan Elkins, who was second last year in 15.35, leads the state qualifiers at 15.18.

Wolfe City coach Corey Jenkins said Gaffney finds different ways to win.

“I think she’ll run what she needs to to win,” he said.

King ranks second of the state qualifiers in the 200 with his 22.56 time. Blum’s Levi Hardcastle, who beat King at regional, ranks first with a 22.44. Adrian Anderson of Hull-Daisetta won last year with a 22.30.

“He’s got a pretty good chance in the 200 going in,” said Roundtree.

King also ranks in the thick of things in the long jump with his qualifying mark of 22 feet. The eight qualifiers rank from a high of 22-9 to a low of 22-0.

“He has long jumped over 22 before but he never has in competition,” said Roundtree. “He could go 23. Depends on how he feels that day.”

Joshua Landrum of Chilton won last year with a leap of 22-7.

King said his goal is “to win it all.”

Scott will be pursuing a second state medal, having won the 242-pound class at the state powerlifting meet earlier this season. King bench pressed a state record 500 pounds at that meet.

He ranks sixth with his throw from regional.

Johnathon Lindsey of Strawn leads the qualifiers at 171-0, only one foot off last year’s winning throw by Marcus Mitchell from Overton.

Scott has recorded some big throws in practice.

“He has thrown out there in practice 160 plus but we’ve got to do it in competition,” said Roundtree.

Competition is something these three Wolfe City athletes seem to thrive on.