School record drops again at Cardinal

MOUNT PLEASANT ? AJ Rachford ran the 400-hurdles for the first time in nearly two years last week and set a school record.

It would only figure his second try would be even better.

Rachford bested his school record by more than a second and helped his Cardinal track team to four wins at the New London Invitational Tuesday night in Mount Pleasant. The senior won the event with a time of 55.41 ? beating his old school record of 56.78 ? and now holds the third fastest Class 2A time in the event.

Rachford also anchored two winning relays as the Comets swept through all four of the sprint relays with wins in the 4x100, 4x200 and 4x400.

Sid McMartin, Marcus Giltner, Brandon Warren and Rachford won the 4x100 in 44.84. Warren and Giltner switched places for the 4x200 to win in 1:34.29 and Tyler Goodell ran a strong anchor leg to help the 4x400 team of Jimmy Edwards, McMartin and Giltner post a winning time of 3:50.34.

?We started out front in that 4x400, and Tyler Goodell ran probably the best 400 of his career to hold off both Winfield and WACO,? said head coach Darren Hill. ?I?m happy with the effort each meet. Our times were stagnant the last couple weeks, but last night they came down again. We?re not where we want to be, but we?re gaining and hopefully we?ll be at our best for districts.?

McMartin added a second-place finish in the open 100 (11.68) while Trevor Kayser also took second in the high jump, clearing the bar at 5-feet, 10-inches.