Young Water Valley Track Team Showing Championship Potential
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Members of the district champion 4×200-meter relay team — Akera White, Janiayah Gooch, Joniyah Benson and Jamaria Morgan — display their medals.
WATER VALLEY — A young but talented Water Valley High School girls track team continues to show signs of something bigger.
Following a strong showing at the district meet held at Potts Camp on April 8, head coach Bernadette Sayles believes her team has the potential to compete for championships as the postseason continues.
“I have several division champs,” Sayles said, noting multiple first-place finishes across events.
Among the top performers is Akera White, who captured district championships in the 100-meter and 200-meter events. White was also part of the district champion 4×200 meter relay team alongside Janiayah Gooch, Joniyah Benson and Jamaria Morgan.
Morgan added to the team’s success with a district championship in the 100-meter hurdles and a second-place finish in the long jump with a personal record of 15 feet.
Kristaney Reed turned in a standout performance in the field events, winning district championships in both the long jump with a personal record of 15 feet, 10 inches and the triple jump.
Jayla Adams claimed a district championship in the discus with a personal record throw of 77 feet, while Amari Gooch placed third in the event.
Additional points came from Janiayah Gooch, who placed fourth in the 200-meter dash, and Jiyah Jenkins, who finished second in the 100-meter hurdles.
Water Valley also saw strong performances across its relay teams and sprint events, areas where Sayles said the team has consistently performed at a high level.
“My expectation this year is for them to be state champions in the events that I know we will make it to state — the 4×100, 4×200, the 100 and triple jump,” she said.
The team’s success is even more notable given its youth. Sayles said she relies heavily on underclassmen, including several freshmen competing in relay events.
“I have three freshmen on my relay and one senior,” she said. “So we’re still young.”
Despite the strong results, Sayles said the team still has room to grow — particularly in distance events.
“I need some distance runners,” she said. “It is tougher to find distance runners.”
That gap proved costly at the district meet, where Water Valley led in points for much of the competition before being overtaken in distance races.
“If we had some distance running, we could have been district champions,” Sayles said.
The team is also working through facility limitations, practicing primarily on a football practice field rather than a dedicated track.
“We don’t practice on a track,” she said. “We just use what we have and get it done.”
To prepare for upcoming meets, the team occasionally travels to other schools to practice on a track.
Looking ahead, Water Valley will compete in the Super Regional meet April 14, followed by North Half on April 21 and the state meet May 1 at Pearl High School.
Sayles said she believes this group can contend not only this year, but for years to come.
“I really believe they could be champions until they graduate,” she said.
With a core group already producing strong results and more athletes showing interest, Sayles said the track program is building momentum.
“Success builds success,” she said. “If they see us winning, they’re going to come.”
