Sampey leads Berwick competitors at state meet

Berwick High School’s Kennedy Sampey capped her high school pole vaulting career with a state runner-up finish at the Class 3A State Track and Field meet Saturday.
Sampey, who along with Billie Cannon of West Feliciana each jumped 11 feet, won runner-up honors because of fewer misses at 11 feet. The mark was a personal and school mark, topping the previous mark of 10 feet, 7 inches she set earlier this year.
“I thought I did pretty well being I PR’d and getting second place in state runner up,” Sampey said.
The Berwick senior who cleared 10 feet and 10-6 on her third and final attempts, reached 11 feet on her first attempt.
“I was very surprised because I had just been waiting to do that for so long … and I was just so shocked I did that on my first attempt,” Sampey said of her personal record.
Things didn’t start out right at 11 feet, 6 inches, however, as on her first attempt, Sampey’s pole snapped in three pieces.
Sampey said she didn’t even realize her pole had snapped initially.
After being checked on by personnel and her father, volunteer Berwick track coach Blair Sampey, the Berwick High senior continued in the competition with a spare pole she had but couldn’t clear the 11 feet, 6-inch barrier.
Sampey said she has never had a pole break on her, but she has seen it happen before. One of her friends in Class 4A competition earlier in the day broke her pole.
Berwick Track and Field Coach Paul Gilder said it was tough for Sampey to come back after breaking her pole.
Erath’s Sarah Watson, who had missed on her first two attempts at 11 feet, cleared the bar on her final attempt. She cleared 11 feet, 6 inches for the title.
Along with Sampey, Watson and Cannon also broke school records in the event that day too, Gilder said.
“To be state runner-up is really, really good,” Gilder said of Sampey. “(I’m) just real proud of her.”
Also for the Lady Panthers, Ashton Morales finished sixth in the triple jump with a leap of 33 feet, 5 inches.
“She didn’t jump her best, but it’s a different venue there and still to come out sixth in the state was really good as a sophomore,” Gilder said. “She’s got two more years, so she’ll be back.”
Kayla Drain of Mansfield won the event with a leap of 36 feet, 11 inches.
In the boys’ 800-meter run, Berwick senior Chad Vining finished seventh in 2:09.56.
Gilder said Vining’s time was his second best of this year behind his personal record he set at regionals.
“I thought he did well,” Gilder said
He edged St. Louis’ Jimmy Baggett, who finished eighth in 2:09.64, at the end of the race.
John Curtis’ Devyn Keith won the event with a mark of 1:55.61.
John Curtis won the boys’ team title with 93 points, while Berwick’s boys didn’t record any points.
The Lady Panthers finished in 21st place with nine points. St. Louis won the girls’ 3A title with 84 points.