By ALEC ETHEREDGE | Sports Editor

HOMEWOOD – It’s been a strong start to the 2019 outdoor track and field season for the county’s 1A-6A teams, and on Saturday, March 16, Briarwood, Calera, Chelsea, Helena, Pelham and Westminster at Oak Mountain posted strong performances at the Homewood Invitational.

In the event, those six teams combined for 17 finishers inside the top three with Pelham posting six, Calera four, Helena three, Briarwood three and Westminster at Oak Mountain one.

The highlight of the event was none other than Pelham, and specifically Erin Long, who recorded three of the Panthers’ six top three finishes.

Long finished first in the high jump with a height of 5 feet, 2 inches, firs in the javelin throw with a distance of 134 feet, 5.5 inches and second in the triple jump with a distance of 35 feet, 7.5 inches.

Her javelin throw of 134 feet, 5.5 inches won by close to 20 feet with an unreal throw.

As a team, the boys finished the 4X800-meter relay in 8:17 to claim second place, while the girls finished the 4X400-meter relay in first with a time of 4:09.03.

The final individual athlete to claim a top-three finish was Katie Strozier, who also finished in first. She claimed the top spot in the 800-meter run with a time of 2:17.58, which was four seconds faster than second.

While Calera had three athletes finish just outside the top three with Tyler Ray, Nia Maye and Syncere Henderson all finishing in fourth, the Eagles also had four top three finishes.

In the 400-meter dash, Maye and teammate Jordon Bray were both able to claim top three finishes. Maye took second with a time of 59.97 seconds, while Bray, a seventh grader, finished third with a time of 1:02.25.

Henderson also added a top-three finish by claiming third in the 300 meter hurdles with a time of 46.05.

As a team, the girls’ 4X400-meter relay team finished second with a time of 4:10.54.

Helena and Briarwood were next on the list with three top three finishes.

The Hukies continue to be led by Jonah Hyde this year, as the senior took home first in the high jump with a height of 6 feet, 4 inches.

Teammate Kirsen Gardner was the other individual athlete to finish inside the top three after claiming second in the discus throw with a distance of 101 feet, 5 inches.

The final top-three finish for Helena came in the 4X100-meter relay, as the Huskies finished the event with a time of 50.81 seconds to take third place.

For the Briarwood Lions, Jake Nunn was responsible for two top three finishes. The junior finished first in the 400-meter dash with a time of 49.65 seconds to just edge out Oak Mountain’s Glen Humphrey, while he also finished second in the 200-meter dash with a time of 22.83 seconds.

Briarwood’s only other top-three finish came in the 4X100-meter relay, where the Lions finished third with a time of 45.30 seconds.

Westminster’s lone top-three finisher was none other than sophomore Hallie Porterfield, who finished the 800-meter run in third with a time of 2:24.06.

Chelsea’s biggest highlights were Chandler Ard finishing 12th in the 400-meter dash with a time of 53.36, and Teanna Cason finishing 12th in the 3,200-meter run with a time of 12:07.97.