In his 40th year as coach of Lady Panther track at Russellville High School, Matt Tipton is again headed to the state track meet. In the middle of his career, his relay teams were invariably in the top two or three in the state. This year Tipton anticipates only one girl running.
Tipton, who became track coach in the spring of 1974 and followed that fall as the first Lady Panther coach after the state mandated the resumption of girls basketball throughout Kentucky after a 42-year absence, takes in stride whatever he’s dealt in track at the small school. Even though his team finished third in highly competitive Region IA last weekend, several of those who qualified won’t be competing, either because of a conflict with commencement or a failure to practice this week.
Senior Nathanshia Haskins had a super regional. She helped a young 4x100 relay team qualify for state with their 53.2 second sprint, which placed them third. Also running were Angelia Evans, Diamond Hines and Davonna Sydnor. Haskins also placed in the 100-meter hurdles (18.2) and fifth in the 300-meter hurdles.
Not only will Haskins not be hurdling at state, but the entire relay team will be scratched. Haskins instead will be involved in her graduation from high school in commencement exercises Saturday morning.
Hines, a former state champion, won the region in 200 (27.28) and second in the 100 (12.92), but she has shown no interest in getting ready for state this week, so she won’t be competing.
Junior Davonna Sydnor will run at state. She ran fourth in the 200 but had a state qualifying time at 28.04. She was third in the 100 with a 12.98. She was fifth in the long jump with a leap of 14’6”.
The Lady Panthers finished third in the region, trailing only Murray and Fort Campbell. Ballard Memorial was fourth and Livingston Central fifth.
Also running for RHS were Jolanda Wells, Shailyn Milam and Madison Morrow.
Demarcus Hampton led Coach Dennis Sydnor’s Panthers. The star football running back placed second in the 100 (11.50) and fourth in the 200 (23.97). He was also a member of the third place 4x200 relay team (along with Josh Hampton, Josh Bigbee and Johnny Drumgole) and the fourth place 4x100 (joined by Josh Hampton, Drumgole and Bigbee).
Joining them in competing for Coach Dennis Sydnor’s Panthers were Bryson Thomas, M.J. Jones and Lamar Farusto.
Dennis Sydnor has great state track meet experience, too. He was a key member of Coach Floyd Burnsed's 1975 RHS state championship track team.
The state meet is at the University of Louisville.