Senate Resolution 26

A RESOLUTION COMMENDING AND CONGRATULATING THE 2022 BROOKHAVEN HIGH SCHOOL "PANTHERS" AND "LADY PANTHERS" TRACK AND FIELD TEAMS FOR WINNING BOTH BOYS AND GIRLS MHSAA CLASS 5A STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS.

WHEREAS, the Brookhaven High School Track and Field Program has been building a reputation over the last several years as one of the best athletic program in Mississippi at the 5A level; and

WHEREAS, on May 1, 2022, in Pearl, Mississippi, the Panthers left a pawprint on the record books as they won both the boys and girls State Team Titles in equally impressive fashion. These are the first ever state track titles won by both teams in the modern era; and

WHEREAS, the track and field teams at Brookhaven High School are led by coaches Darien Dorsey, Tonya Johns, Shannon Knott and Sandra Banks; and

WHEREAS, the girls' team scored a combined 130.5 points, far outpacing Hattiesburg High School, which finished in second place with 100 points; and

WHEREAS, the boys' team piled up 149 points in its win, a landslide victory over Columbus High School in second place with 70 points; and

WHEREAS, both teams came in as favorites after winning the 5A South State Meet a week prior, but Dorsey and the other coaches knew that their team could not just show up to the Woody Barnett Track and Field Complex at Pearl High School and assume a trophy would be handed to them. As expected, the Brookhaven High School boys dominated in the distance events. With the boys' cross-country team finishing first overall in 5A for a third straight year in the fall, the competition was aware of what the Panthers could trot out in long runs; and

WHEREAS, in the 1600-meter race, Brookhaven High School senior Grayson Childress finished first with a time of 4 minutes and 26 seconds over the distance of one mile. His senior teammates Sam Arnold and Jake Thompson were second and third respectively. Childress had finished runner-up last season in the same race, and the boys' team, as a whole, finished as runners-up in 2021 to Hattiesburg High School. Arnold finished first in the 32-00-meter race as he covered the two-mile distance in 10-12 and was followed by Childress in second place and senior Trey Knott in fourth place; and

WHEREAS, in track and field, points are awarded for top finishers in places one through six. First place gets 10 points, second place gets eight points, third place gets six points, fourth place gets four points, fifth place gets two points and sixth place gets one point towards the team total; and

WHEREAS, Childress also finished second in the 800-meter race, and his senior teammate Collin Kellum came in right behind him in third place. Kellum, Thompson, Arnold and Childress teamed up to dominate the 4x800 relay. The senior foursome finished 12 seconds ahead of the second-place team from Saltillo High School. Brookhaven High School also won the 4x400 relay race by just edging out Pearl River Central High School with a margin that was less than a full second. Members of that relay included Jazquez Smith, Jaden Watson, Ladarius Wilcher and Xavier Gayten. Gayten, a sophomore, finished fourth in the 200-meter dash and Stewart, a senior, finished fifth in the same race. A sophomore, Wilcher, was the fifth-place finisher in the 400-meter dash for Brookhaven High School. Senior Jalin Brown, the top hurdler on the team, finished second in the 300-meter hurdles and fourth in the 110-meter hurdles. Brown was also part of a 4x200 relay that finished third. Running on that relay with Brown were Nathan Lewis, Smith and Stewart. Brookhaven High School also finished second in the 4x100 relay race. Members of that quartet included Stewart, Leis, Watson and senior Elijah Kennedy. Kennedy finished fifth in the 100-meter dash and sixth in the 200-meter dash. Junior Brodie Ezell came into the day already a state champion once over as he won the discus last season for Brookhaven High School. Ezell defended that title as he was the discus with a toss of 161.03 feet. Ezell's toss was almost 30 feet longer than the second-place finisher. His senior teammate Kobe Jacobs ended up in fourth place for Brookhaven High School as well in the event. It was a personal best throw for Ezell who threw a then personal record of 143-feet at last year's state meet.

WHEREAS, the path to victory for Brookhaven High School on the girls' side of the competition came through a dominating performance in the relay races. The Panthers won the 4x200, 4x400, 4x800 and were second in the 4x100 relay. The 4x200 team was made up of Aniyah Cook, Chrisiyona Quarles, Jakira Cook and Kyja Willis. The 4x100 team had three of the four same members with Jayda Johnson replacing Quarles in the rotation. The 4x400 Brookhaven relay team was two second faster than second placed Jim Hill High School Panthers running that relay including Johnson, Tiyuna Harris, Jakeriyah Pendelton and Sierra Edwards. Pendelton, Jasmine Robertson, Kemiya Crockett and Ellie Slay teamed up to run the 4x800 relay. Brookhaven High School won that race in a time of 10.26, well ahead of New Hope in second place with a 10.33 finish. Willis and Cook, both seniors, were fourth and fifth respectively in the 100-meter dash. Cook finished third in the 200-meter and Willis was fourth in that race. A sophomore, Robertson was the fourth-place finisher in the 800-meter race. Slay finished fourth in the 1600-meter run, and her freshman teammate Annabelle Summers was the sixth-place finisher in the same event. Slay was also third and Summers fourth for the Lady Panthers in the 300-meter hurdles too. Johnson, a junior, was second in the high jump and Cook, a sophomore, finished in fourth for the same event. Senior Kortne Nelson finished fifth in the pole vault for Brookhaven High School, while fellow senior Alexandria Gines was the third-place finisher in the discus. The senior duo of De'Naejah Williams and Jermyah Murray were the fourth and fifth place winners respectively for the Panthers in the shot put; and

WHEREAS, what an awesome season for Brookhaven in track and field: 5A State Champions for the girls and boys! It is with pride that we recognize this special group of student athletes who have brought honor to their school, their community and to the State of Mississippi:

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI, That we do hereby commend and congratulate the 2022 Brookhaven High School "Panthers and "Lady Panthers" Track and Field Teams for winning both boys and girls MHSAA Class 5A State Champions, and extend to the teams, coaches, parents and sponsors our best wishes for future success.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That this resolution be presented to the "Panthers" and "Lady Panthers" track and field Coaches, Darien Dorsey, Tonya Johns, Shannon Knott and Sandra Banks, forwarded to Brookhaven High School Principal David Martin and the Brookhaven School Board, and be made available to the Capitol Press Corps.