Wampus Cats win, Lady Cats 2nd in home track meet

By Ben Keller
UCA sportswriting

Conway's boys took first place overall at the Conway Wampus Cat Relays on Thursday, April 14, with the Lady Hornets from Bryant winning the girls competition.

Conway dominated with 158 points; the closest competitor was Cabot with 79.

Wampus Cat coach Johnny Kennedy said this was close to his team’s best performance all season long.

“Looking at it overall, we didn’t have a lot of first-place finishes, but we placed high in a lot of events, and that is how you win,” he said. “Our best performance this year though was at Russellville.”

The Wampus Cats had 18 top-three finishes.

Conway junior Elvis Stewart won the long jump with a leap of 22 feet, 1.5 inches. Conway won the 4x400 relay in 3 minutes, 25.46 seconds and the pole vault by default with a height of 13-0. Russellville senior Braden Henderson was disqualified because he was competing without wearing his school's jersey, giving CHS senior Hunter Moix the win.

Kennedy said he felt like his team was hitting its high point toward the end of the season and that he hoped this would bode well for the Wampus Cats heading into the Class 7A State Meet in Conway.

“We do feel like we have a legitimate chance to win it here at home,” he said.

While Conway was the top cat at the meet, several other schools from across the state brought out their best. Cabot had a large showing at the meet, bringing along the top female pole vaulter in the state, senior Ariel Voskamp.

Voskamp was the only competitor going over 11 feet. Mount St. Mary senior Claire Buckman came in second with a vault of 10-8. Voskamp continued to vault, using all of her scratches to try to hit a personal record. Voskamp said her personal best at a meet was 12-4 but had hit 12-7 during practice.

Voskamp said she trained hard to do her best during meets and that vaulting was just like anything else, you have to work hard for it.

“If you do what you’re supposed to do, you’ll be fine when you get up there,” she said. “But just like anything else, if you half-ass it, you’re going to fall on your face.”

Other than Conway, other schools from the central Arkansas area also had athletes trying for personal bests on Thursday. Senior April Terry from Central Arkansas Christian entered the meet having posted the best shot put in the state this spring at 38-4.5. She was hoping to pass 40 feet but settled for 37-9 to win.

“I was disappointed I couldn’t hit the 40 mark at this meet,” she said. “Even though it didn’t happen I just have to remember we praise God when we win and we praise God when we lose.”

Terry said her knee had been bothering her during the day. She said she dislocated her knee on her landing leg a few years ago but did not require surgery.

Lady Cat senior Quay Allen-Smith finished second with a throw of 36-11.5.

Conway will host the Class 7A State Track and Field Championships on Thursday, May 5.