The East Rankin Academy (ERA) Patriots’ track and field team, led by Coach David Hopper and Assistant Coach Steven Boozer, concluded the spring track and field season with a championship win on May 6 at the 2023 Midsouth Association of Independent Schools (MAIS) State Championship.
The varsity girls 4x800 relay team came home with a gold medal win, with a time of 10:08.64. The four girls, Emma Raines, Audrey Mayatte, Leah Collipp and Lydia Collipp, neared the ERA school record of 10:07.52, which was set by the team earlier in the 2023 season. This same relay team competed fiercely all year, winning the Pearl Pirate Opener, the Southern Mississippi Invitational, the Rankin County Championships and the Bianca Knight Invitational.
The ERA varsity girls overall finished sixth, and the varsity boys finished tenth out of the eighteen MAIS 5A schools.
ERA had a number of state finalists, including Eli Bowman, who took silver in pole vault; Brayden Warner, who brought home bronze in discus; Audrey Mayatte, who earned bronze in the 1600m, and the varsity girls 4x400 relay team, composed of Audrey Mayatte, Leah Collipp, Lydia Collipp and Emily Williams, who brought home bronze.
Other outstanding Patriot athletes included Jack Boyd, with a fourth in shot put; Emily Williams, with fourth in both the 200m and the 400m; Taylor Woods, with fourth in the 200m; Emma Raines, with fourth in the 3200m; Caleb Leach, with a fifth in discus; and Leah Collipp, with a fifth in the 800m.
The 2023 Patriot team featured three seniors, all of whom played a role in field team success throughout their Patriot careers. They leave ERA with a multitude of records: Eli Bowman is the ERA pole vault record holder and 2023 state silver medalist, with a personal record of 10’6”; Caleb Leach is a three-time state finalist in discus, with personal records of 140’3” in discus and 43’5” in shot put; and Reagan Vinzant is a two-time regional qualifier in discus, with a personal record of 92’6”.
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