FHS track team
The Flomaton High School class of 2018-19 continues to make sports history with the school having its first-ever track team and Daquan Johnson added to his Most Valuable Player award in the Class 3A football championship game by becoming the Hurricanes' first, first-place finisher in a track meet held March 7 in Jay.
Under the direction of Coach Karl Smith, the Hurricanes fielded it first track team with both boys and girls and he hopes to see the sport grow in Flomaton.
"When I got hired here in 2013 one of the first things I pursued was getting a track team started," Smith said.
He said in his previous coaching jobs he saw the importance of track to help people become better athletes.
"Everywhere I've been we had football players running track," he said. "It makes them better football players. It makes people better basketball players and better baseball or volleyball players."
He said when he first approached Principal Scott Hammond he was told the school needed to get the funds situated.
"Mr. Hammond was very supportive," Smith said. "So last spring we began the steps needed to get track started."
That start was March 7 at Jay with teams from Jay, Baker, Central, Rocky Bayou and Flomaton.
Johnson made history for Flomaton as the first student to win an event at a track meet when he took first place in the 100 meter dash with a time of 11.51.
"He made history for Flomaton," Smith said.
Smith said he was proud of the entire team and hopes to grow the program.
Flomaton's Ivan Glenn finished third in the 1,600-meter run with a time of 5:32; the 4x100 relay team of Johnson, Devonta Bradley, Austin Long and Travon Brown finished second with a time of :48.30.
Bradley also finished fifth in the 100 meter dash with a time of 12.26 and Long finished fourth in the 400 with a time of 1:97. Glenn finished third in the 800 meter run with a time of 2:31 and Johnson finished second in the 200 with a time of 25:70 making him the first student to place in two events in Flomaton history.
The Flomaton girls also made history with the 4x400 team of Briana Stuckey, Jayla Wiggins, Malin White and Kaylie Davenport taking second with a time of 4:50.
Stuckey also finished third in the 400 meter run with a time of 1:08 and placed second in the 800 meter run with a time of 2:44 to become the first Flomaton female to place in two events at a track meet.
"To say I'm excited is an understatement," Smith said. "Over the years of coaching, I've seen the benefits of track. It makes better athletes overall and hopefully it will get more students interested."
Flomaton's track team will travel to T.R. Miller in Brewton on March 21 in a meet that will include 20 teams.
A meet Tuesday in Baker was canceled, but Coach Smith had his team practicing that afternoon to get ready.
"I'm excited and the kids are excited, that's what's important," Smith said.
Smith said with no track facilities at Flomaton his new team does its practice on the football field. He said as the season moves closer to the sectional meet he plans to reach out to some neighboring schools to use their facilities for practice.
