Martin sisters pace Wave swimmers in win
Sep. 7—They might be young, but Mae and Willa Martin are making a big impact for Tupelo's swim team.
The sisters led the Golden Wave to a win in their first home meet on Tuesday. Tupelo's girls scored 178 points, well ahead of second-place Starkville (74 points).
Mae Martin, a freshman, won two individual races: the 200 freestyle and the 500 freestyle. She was also part of the first-place 200 medley relay team.
Willa Martin, a seventh grader, won the 200 individual medley and was part of the winning 400 freestyle relay team.
"They're in the water every day," Tupelo coach Josh Daniel said. "They love swimming; they swim every day. They take it seriously. They make it a priority."
Tupelo's boys also won Tuesday, outscoring second-place Saltillo 162-56. Colin Wright won two races, the 200 individual medley and the 100 backstroke. He was also a member of the 200 medley relay and 400 freestyle relay teams, both of which won their races.
Isaiah Barbour (500 freestyle), Hopson Daughdrill (100 breaststroke) and Carter Simpson (200 freestyle) also picked up wins.
"We certainly swam really well in certain areas, and there were certain areas we wished we had done better," Daniel said. "... We definitely scored very well."
Tupelo's next meet is Sept. 12 at the Tupelo Aquatic Center.
IAHS golf starts hot
After finishing tied for third at state last season as a team, the Itawamba AHS boys golf team is off to a hot start this fall.
The Indians have won four competitions this season, most recently a tournament at The Trace in Saltillo on Aug. 28.
IAHS brought back its top three golfers in Jeremiah Bell, Lawson Burton and Braeden Dobbs, each of whom have been putting in extra work this season.
"I think they've spent about six, seven hours a day at the golf course over the summer just working on their game," coach Randy Earnest said.
The Indians' quest continues on Thursday, when they play in the TCPS Invite at Tupelo Country Club. The course has certain features, like fast greens, that can make it hard to score at times.
"I just want to see them manage the course there," Earnest said. "Because you can get yourself into some trouble on some of those holes."
Big day for XC
Several cross country meets are scheduled for Saturday.
There will be four races involving area teams, including the annual Mooreville Invitational, to be held at the Hussey Sod Farm. Along with the host school, notable participants include Baldwyn, Itawamba AHS, Myrtle, Oxford, Saltillo, Tupelo Christian and West Union.
A few miles away will be the Mantachie Invitational, which will be held at Mantachie High School. Hatley, Houlka, Shannon, Tremont and Wheeler are among the teams in the field.
The Hickory Flat Invitational will be run at Blue Mountain College. Amory, Booneville, Corinth, East Union and Walnut are among the teams competing.
And the French Camp Invitational counts East Webster among its entries.
