On the schedule, it was supposed to be the second track and field meet of the 2006 season, but due to a cancellation of the Ferris meet, the Midway Relays Saturday became the initial competition for La Vega.

Heavy rain cancelled all field events and many running events, but the relays and a few hardy runners braved the elements to place in the JV or varsity divisions.

The highlight for the varsity boys was the 800-meter relay that finished third behind McGregor and 5A Killeen Ellison in 1:34.07. Patrick Edwards led off, handing off to Deshaun Rembert, then Trey Watkins, and the anchor by 1600 state relay champion Michael Batts.

Edwards and Watkins also teamed with Craig Watson and Antonio Guevara for a fifth in the 400 relay, while Edwards took 11th in the 400 behind state champ LaGerald Betters of Waco High (47.93). Guevara also placed in the 400.

In the JV division, Reco Pardue took fourth in the 400 (57.95) and joined Jordan Miller, Roman Loa, and Korey Moore on the white team to place seventh in the 400 relay (48.87), while Miller, Michael Bigelow, Matthew Nesbitt, and Moore took eighth in the 800 relay (1:41.9); the blue team (Nick Bosley, Daxton Swanson, Stanford Glasco, and Sharad Harris) also placed eleventh in the 800 relay (1:45.56).

In the open 800, Donald Davis finished seventh and Paul Debose eighth, while Nesbitt placed thirteenth in the 100, followed by Harold Redrick, Loa, and Harris.

Also competing in the 400 were Davis, Mario Guevara, Redrick, and Debose.

"Overall, it was not a good showing, but we have a good team, and we could be VERY good when everything falls into place," Coach Steven Oliver said. "Tomorrow, we are at Connally."

On the girls' side, the varsity 400 relay (Charlotte Sanders, Shanequea Dudley, Shayla White, and Tralisa Hall) placed fourth in 53.73, and the 800 relay (Sanders, Dudley, Ashley White, and Shayla White) took fifth in 1:53.23. Dudley also finished twelfth in the 100 in 15.81, and Renessa Johnson was seventh in the 400 (65.42), followed by Sanders in 69.58, helping the team place seventh overall.

For the JV's fourth place finish, Ali Smith, LaJastanee Long, Patricia Edwards, and Shakayla Clayton won the 400 relay in 54.36, and the 800 relay of Smith, Edwards, Clayton, and Erika Walker was third. Ieisha Bigelow also placed twelfth in the 400 (75.27).

Given a better opportunity to run in the sunny and cloudy weather at Connally yesterday, the coaches saw some good efforts turned in by a number of Pirates, highlighted by the varsity boys' fourth place, varsity girls and JV boys in sixth, and JV girls in fifth.

Michael Batts took gold in the 200 (22.3) despite a sore leg and anchored the 800 relay to silver (1:31.31) with Antonio Guevara, Trey Watkins, and Patrick Edwards. Craig Watson long jumped 19'5", but the Pirate 400 relay was disqualified as were the JV boys' short relays.

However, Michael Bigelow helped make up for it by sweeping the horizontal jumps (20'1" and 38'7 1/2") and anchoring 1600 relay to fourth in 3:51.64. Bigelow also finished sixth in the 400 (57.3).

Other JV boys' placers were James Mickles (third in the 800 at 2:17.99) and the white 400 relay in 47.05.

"This next Friday at Giddings will be our first time having a combined JV boys' team, but overall we've had a better showing than at Midway," Coach Steven Oliver said. "We're still not where we want to be, but we expect to be back in Austin for state."

On the varsity girls' side, the 400 relay took second, while third places went to Ashley White in the 200 (26.77) and long jump (15'10 1/2"), and Jessica Glynn in the 1600 (5:54.17). The 800 and 1600 relays placed fifth, and Whitney Littles was sixth in the discus (82'6"), as were the 400 relay and Glynn in the 800 (2:35.72).

For the JV girls, the 400 relay finished second in 54.52, Shakayla Clayton was third in the long jump (15'), and Jasmine Banks triple jumped 27'8" for fourth, while the 800 relay was also fourth and 1600 relay sixth. Ieisha Bigelow finished the 400 in 1:11.9 for sixth.

At the Mar. 23 Bulldog Relays in McGregor, the varsity boys placed seventh with 46 points, behind Philip Turner's second in the discus (137'), Trey Wilson's fourth (123'4"), Michael Bigelow's 42'2" triple jump (third), the 4X100 relay's third in 43.72, the 4X200 relay's fourth in 1:32, and the 4X400 relay's fourth in 3:31.77.

The JV boys placed fourth with 88 points, led by Reco Pardue and Stanford Glasco (1-2 in both hurdles, 4th and 6th in the triple jump), runnerup finishes by the 4x200 and 4x400 relays, fifths by Timmy Kemp (discus), Martin Hernandez (3200), and Matthew Nesbitt (400), and a sixth by Harold Redrick in the 400.

On the varsity girls' side, the Lady Pirates took third with 92 points, led by Whytnee Littles's 90'7" discus throw for second, Ashley White's 15'6" long jump (also second) and 26.84 200 (fourth), Shaylon Montgomery's 4'8" high jump (tie for third), 17.82 100 hurdles (second), and 54.02 400 hurdles (sixth), Jessica Glynn's 5:48.77 1600 (first) and 12:41.74 3200 (second), Renessa Johnson's 1:03.26 400 (third) and 2:36.64 800 (sixth), Lacandice Sanders's 1:06.13 400 (sixth), the 4X100 relay (third in 50.88), the 4x200 relay (third in 1:47.31), and 4x400 relay (fourth in 4:22.96)

The JV girls took second with 95 points, paced by Shakayla Clayton (14’11” long jump first, 13.81 second in 100, and 29.38 second in 200), Jessica Starts (2:50.48 800 first, 1:09.56 second in 400), Jennifer Martinez (6:43.15 second in 1600 and 2:59.52 in the 800), Brittany Williams (66’5” third in discus), Jasmine Banks (28’4”1/2” triple jump third), Ieisha Bigelow's third in the long jump (13’5”) and fourth in the 400 (1:12.11), LaJastanee Long's third in the 100 (14.28) and sixth in the 200 (30.46), and the relay team's third in the 1600 (5:01.93).

Next on the agenda for the Pirate tracksters are the Mike Tessie Relays in Ferris Mar. 30 and the Heart of Texas Relays at Waco HS Apr. 1.