Pearl River High junior Caitlyn Harper set a personal record and won the javelin event during Wednesday's Region III Track Meet held at Salmen and hosted by McDonogh 35.

Harper threw the javelin 112 feet, 10 inches, defeating Vandebilt Catholic's Emma Gaiennie (107-7).

Harper thought she had a good throw but was surprised when the measurement was tallied.

Pearl Rivers Caitlyn Harper, who won the javelin with a throw of 112 feet, 10 inches, is pictured performing in the event she captured during Wednesdays Region III meet at Salmen and hosted by McDonogh 35. (Staff Photo by Chris Kinkaid)

"I didn't believe it at first," she said. "It was crazy. It felt like one of my better ones, but it didn't feel like it would be that far."

Her coach, Charlie Bowman, said Harper has been improving in practice lately.

"Last week, she hit 100 in practice a few times. This week, we were looking pretty good. She wasn't doing a whole lot of throwing, but technically, she was doing everything right. We felt we could be in the 100-range. I was a little shocked she got 112, pleasantly shocked," Bowman said.

The coach added he feels she could get to 120 by state, scheduled for May 3 in Baton Rouge for classes 3A-5A.

The top three finishers from each event qualified for state. Cabrini won the girls' team competition with 145 points. Edna Karr (126) was second, followed by Vandebilt (64), Helen Cox (63) and McDonough 35 (49). Locally, Pearl River (14) was ninth and Salmen (10) 10th in the 16-team event.

The girls' track Most Valuable Player was Karr's Jesseka Jones. She finished first in the 100 hurdles (14.93 seconds) and second in the 300 hurdles (44.74) along with the 100-meter run (12.39).

Cabrini's Kasey Laird captured the field MVP after taking the discus (108-8.25) and runner-up in the shot put (34-4.5).

In the field events, Cox's Eldreaon Washington took the shot (34-5.5), while McDonogh 35's Ashley Livingston won the high jump (5-0) and Cabrini's Devinn Rolland was tops in the long jump (16-7). Vandebilt's Rachel Laurent finished first in the pole vault (12-6) and Cabrini's Amy Laws got the triple jump (34-9).

In the track events, Cabrini's Ashley Taylor and Ellender's Hali Yarmush were double-winners. Taylor captured the 300 hurdles (44.56) and the 800-meter run (2:29.08). Yarmush won the 1,600 (5:52.08) and 3,200 (12:45.06).

Karr's Alex Arlington was the winner of the 100 (12.33), while McDonogh 35's Martinique Octave topped the 200 (24.57) and O. Perry Walker's Ashanti Duckworth got the 400 (58.56).

Karr won two of the three relays. The Lady Cougars took the top spot in the 4X200 relay (1:42.46), edging out Cabrini (1:43.28). Karr also got the 4X100 (48.49), beating out Cox (49.13). The 4X400 went to Cabrini (4:05.42), which got by Karr (4:08.14).

Boys:

Archbishop Shaw beat out O. Perry Walker 80-73. McDonogh 35 (69) was third, while Vandebilt Catholic (63) took fourth and Edna Karr (52) rounded out the top five of the 16-team competition. Locally, Salmen (27) finished eighth and Pearl River tied with Riverdale for 14th. Each had one point.

The track Most Valuable Player was Karr's Jordan Sullen, who captured the 100 hurdles (39.86) and 300 hurdles (39.86).

The field MVP went to McDonogh 35's Derreck Dean. He won the shot put (51-4.5) and finished second in the discus (157-6).

McDonogh 35's Low Brown was tops in the javelin (165-2), while Vandebilt's Jaora Johnson was first in the pole vault (12-0) and O. Perry Walker's Urell Johnson got the long jump (22-3.75). Shaw's Christian Lacy threw the discus an amazing 173-6, while Belle Chasse's Otis Peterson was first in the high jump (6-2) and his teammate James Wright got the triple jump (44-9).

In the track events, Shaw's M.J. Ahmad and Morgan City's Johnny Francois were double winners. The Eagle soared by the competition in the 800 (2:02.60) and in the 1,600 (4:41.70). Francois beat everybody in the 100 (10.14) and 200 (21.19).

McDonogh 35's Cornell Howard was the 400-winner (51.22), while Holy Cross' Kevin Laughlin captured the 3,200 (3:27.66).

O. Perry Walker swept the relays, winning the 4X100 (41.84), 4X200 (1:27.16) and 4X400 (3:27.66).

Salmen teammates Willie Farlow and Arnold Wilson both qualified for state. Farlow finished second in the javelin (153-10), and Wilson was third in the high jump (5-8).