WEST SIDE -- Tony Mendoza recorded a hat trick Tuesday night with three goals against Gentry as Decatur (4-6, 2-4 4A-1) defeated the Pioneers 4-0. Mendoza now has six goals on the year.
Decatur returned to action Monday in Harrison.
In track, Lady Bulldogs hurdler junior Lacy Barrett won the 100-meter hurdles at the Pioneer Relays with a personal best 17.90. She ran a 18.60 for a third-place finish at the Panther Relays on Thursday. Barrett has also posted improved times in the 300-meter hurdles.
"Her times have come way down from where we were earlier in the year," Decatur track coach Shane Holland said. "She has really worked hard. Her sprint speed has got better."
Decatur junior Mario Urquidi finished second in the pole vault while setting a personal best 11-6 in the event. He cleared 10-6 at the Panther Relays.
"I think he can go quite a bit higher, but it is a matter of getting him the right pole," Holland said. "When a kid weighs 180 pounds, it is really hard to find poles."
The Bulldog junior high track team is also having a good year as they won a 13-team meet in Vinita, Okla., earlier this month.
"I have been going to that meet for 25 years with larger schools and we had never been able to win it," Holland said. "I'm real proud of my junior high kids."
Gentry Still Ahead
The Lady Pioneers soccer team continues to lead their half of the 4A-1 Conference and coach Fabrizio Campagnolla is encouraged even after suffering their second loss of the season recently.
Gentry (12-2-1) dropped a tough 3-2 contest at Class 7A Russellville, but Campagnolla was proud of his team's effort.
"We played good and it was against their varsity team, so I wasn't unhappy," Campagnolla said.
Sophomore forward Amber Ellis continues to be a scoring machine as she scored three goals in Gentry's 5-0 win over Rogers Heritage's junior varsity earlier this week.
The Lady Pioneers should earn a first-round bye in the first 4A-1 Conference tournament. Early-round games will be played at the higher seeds home field. The tournament finals will be held at Bergman on May 10.
Sports on 04/23/2014