Senior standout Jimmy Johns won three events in the Division6-4A Track Meet but it wasn’t enough to keep the BrookhavenPanthers from finishing a distant third in team standings. McComb’sTigers ran away with their third straight division title, beatingrunner-up Wingfield 145-100.3 on King Field.

Wingfield’s Lady Falcons, powered by Chinitra Murphy’s quadrupletriumph, dominated the girls division. They scored 183 points whilerunner-up McComb scored 118. Murphy, a senior, won the 100 and300-meter hurdles, plus the long jump and the high jump.

Johns, a University of Alabama football scholarship signeebecause of his quarterback skills, won the discus, shot put and 100hurdles. Slowed by a pulled hamstring, he was third in the 300hurdles.

“My ham tightened up on me,” said Johns. “It was hurting, too. Igot a slow start.”

Johns threw the shot 49 feet, 4 inches. He hurled the discus154-4. He had a time of 15.4 in the 110 hurdles.

The top four finishers in each event advance to next Saturday’sregional meet at Pearl. Besides Johns, the Panthers got a firstplace finish from senior James Draper in the 400 meter dash.

The Panthers got seconds from Jessie Bowman in the shot put(46-1) and Montral Smith in the 300 hurdles (41.38). Taurean Joneswas third in the high jump at 6-2 and Bud Chatman was third in thetriple jump (40-6).

Brookhaven got a fourth place finish from Seth Small in the 800meter run (2:16.34) and Nason Stephens in the 400 meter run(53.09). The Panthers placed fourth in the 4×200 relay(1:38.40).

“Jimmy has been bothered all year by that hamstring,” said OleBrook track coach Patrick Hardy. “We haven’t pushed him toomuch.”

Hardy said he was happy to see Draper win the 400 meter dash.His time of 51.58 edged Akeem Williams of McComb (51.75).

The Lady Panthers saw their 3-year reign as division championscome to an end. They got a first place finish from sophomore JoannaMcDaniel in the 100 meter dash, posting a 13.01.

“At first I was kind of nervous because of the times I saw inthe preliminaries,” said McDaniel. “I think I ran my best timetonight,” and edged Keisha Landrews of McComb (13.13).

“When nobody was next to me, I knew I had it won,” saidMcDaniel. She was runner-up in the 200 meter dash.

Brookhaven got a third place from Sinetra Rivers in the 300meter hurdles (52.84) and from Andrea Graham in the triple jump(32-1). Ole Brook’s 4×200 relay team was fourth in 1:53.55.

“All of my girls graduated last year,” said Hardy. “We had agood showing out of our eighth graders. Andrea Graham qualified forregional in the triple jump and this was the first time for her tocompete.”

Rivers placed fourth in the high jump (4-8.)

Hardy said he enjoyed hosting the division track meet. “I lovetrack. I had a lot of good help from the community.”