Lonoke Jackrabbits football camp

The Lonoke Jackrabbits football team is hosting a football camp July 29 and 30. This is the official registration form. Print it out and contact Coach Doug Bost at 501-676-6749 or email doug.bost@lonokeschools.org or Taggart Moore at taggart.moore@lonokeschools.org.

Lady Rabbits do well in state track meet in May

Lonoke's Keiunna Walker, playing basketball during the district tournament, scored in two events during the Class 4A state track meet. (Photo by Mark Buffalo)

(Editor's note: We apologize for taking so long to get this story on the website. Thanks for reading.)

Three athletes from the Lonoke Lady Jackrabbits track team qualified for the Class 4A state track meet, which was held in May.

Those athletes were Brandy DiGiacomo, Janis Chapman and Keiunna Walker.

Walker competed in the 100 meters, 200 meters, high jump and long jump. She did not make it out of the prelims in the dashes but she played fourth in the high jump, equaling her personal high of 5 feet. She placed third in the long jump with a personal best of 17 feet, 1.5 inches. 

"She is a ninth-grader who is doing good things for Lonoke sports," coach Angela Watson said. 

DiGiacomo was new to the Lonoke team this year. A senior, she ran the 1,600 meters and 3,200 meters. She qualified for the state meet in the 3,200 after finished second in the 4A-2 conference meet. At the state meet, she ran a personal best 14 minutes, 1 second. 

Chapman places first and second in the 400 meters and 200 meters at the conference meet. 

At the state meet, Chapman did not qualify for the finals in the 200 meters but finished eighth in the 400-meter dash, equaling her best time at 1:04. This was the second consecutive year that she qualified for the state meet in the 400-meter dash. 

SharkRockets swimmers win multiple events

Tristan Bennnett

The Lonoke SharkRockets swim team scored 130 points in a meet against Maumelle and Lakewood on June 27 in North Little Rock. 

Competing in the meet were Tristan Bennett, Peyton Blackard, Matthew Boyles, Baileigh Dulaney, Tanner Edwards, James Evans, Kelyn Fagan, Madison Goodman, Presley Perrow, Eden Roedel, Garrett Roedel, Nash Tipton and Kanon Williams. 

Bennett won all four of her races in the girls 15-18 age division. She won the freestyle with a time of 34.19 seconds; backstroke with a time of 41.48 seconds, breaststroke with a time of 44.16 seconds and individual medley with a time of 1 minute, 26.84 seconds. 

Blackard won his four races in the boys 15-18 age division. He won the freestyle with a time of 33.73 seconds; the backstroke with a time of 45.60 seconds; the breaststroke with a time of 44.63 seconds; and the butterfly with a time of 38.81 seconds. 

Boyles did well in three races in the boys 7-8 division. He won the breaststroke with a time of 32.32 seconds and the and the backstroke with a time of 32.74 seconds. He finished second in the freestyle with a time of 27.45 seconds. 

Dulaney won three arches in the girls 15-18 age division. She won the butterfly with a time of 50.59 seconds, the breaststroke with a time of 53.16 seconds and the backstroke with a time of 46.97 seconds. She was second in the freestyle with a time of 39.24 seconds. 

Edwards won two races in the boys 15-18 division. He was first in the individual medley with a time of 1:24.88 and the butterfly with a time of 36.60 seconds. He was second in the breaststroke with a time of 47.56 seconds and third in the freestyle with a time of 30.88 seconds. 

Evans won one race in the boys 15-18 age division. He won the backstroke with a time of 38.75 seconds. He was second in three races: freestyle at 30.72, butterfly at 37.21 and individual medley at 1:25.90.

Fagan was third in two races in the boys 9-10 group: freestyle at 46.85 and breaststroke at 1:22.17.

Tipton was two races in the boys 13-14 age group: freestyle at 34.57 and backstroke at 40.75. He was second in the butterfly with a time of 40.84 seconds and third in the breaststroke with a time of 56.11 seconds. 

Williams finished second in three races in the boys 7-8 division: backstroke at 31.16 seconds, breaststroke at 36.18 seconds and individual medley at 2:31.81. He was third in the freestyle with a time of 27.57 seconds. 

Nash Tipton
(Photos by Tara Bennett)

Tanner Edwards

SharkRockets swim in second meet of the season

Presley Perrow participates in the kickboard event for 6 and under swimmers. (Photos by Tara Bennett)

The Lonoke SharkRockets scored 52 points during their second meet of the Central Arkansas Swim League season Saturday at Sherwood. 

Swimmers competing Saturday were Tristan Bennett, Peyton Blackard, Matthew Boyles, Baileigh Dulaney, Kelyn Fagan, Madison Goodman, Mason Jackson and Kanon Williams.

Bennett scored 12 points during the meet. She won the girls 15-18 silver butterfly with a time of 34.31 seconds. She finished second in the silver backstroke with a time of 38.22 seconds. She was second in the gold breaststroke with a time of 40.82 seconds. Bennett was third in the gold freestyle with a time of 30.25 seconds. 

Blackard won three races in the boys 15-18 age division. He won the freestyle with a time of 31.91 seconds, the breaststroke with a time of 39.75 seconds and the butterfly with a time of 39.47 seconds.

Boyles won the boys silver breastroke in the 7-8 age division with a time of 26.66 seconds. He was second in the free style with a time of 23.46 seconds. 

Dulaney scored 11 points in the girls 15-18 age division. She won the breaststroke with a time of 48.19 seconds. She was second in both the freestyle (36.13 seconds) and the backstroke (44.25 seconds)

Fagan finished third in the boys 9-10 backstroke with a time of 49.46 seconds. He was their din the butterfly with a time of 58.93 seconds. 

Williams finished second in the boys 7-8 butterfly with a time of 32.11 seconds. He was third in the backstroke with a time of 28 seconds.

The boys 12-and-under 100-yard relay finished third with a time of 1 minute, 30.15 seconds. Swimming were Mason, Boyles, Williams and Fagan. 

Lonoke will swim at Cabot this Saturday.

Madison Goodman

Peyton Blackard

Lady Rabbits finish as Region Runners-up

The Lonoke Lady Jackrabbits are the 2015 4A-East Region Tournament Runners-up after falling to Brookland in the finals of the tournament Tuesday. (Photo by Christy Hallum)

By Mark Buffalo

Staff Writer

lonokecountysports@gmail.com

POCAHONTAS — The Lonoke Lady Jackrabbits ran up against a buzz saw in the finals of the 4A East Region Tournament on Tuesday.

Lonoke managed only two hits while Brookland has 11 in a 6-0 loss to the Lady Bearcats in the regional final. The Lady Jackrabbits will be the second seed from the East in the Class 4A state tournament, which starts Thursday at Mena. Lonoke receives a first-round bye and will play the winner of Gravette and Nashville on Friday at 5:30 p.m. If Lonoke wins, the state semifinals are Saturday at 2:30 p.m. The championship game is May 22 at 3 p.m. at Bogle Park in Fayetteville.

In the regional final, Brookland led 2-0 after one inning. The Lady Bearcats scored single runs in the third and fifth innings then twice in the sixth.

Lonoke's best scoring chance came in the top of the first. The Lady Jackrabbits left the bases loaded. Charley Jo Chesney struck out but reached on a dropped third strike. Jasalyn Truelove followed with a walk. Two batters later, Amanda Sexton walked to load the bases with one out. The next two Lonoke hitters popped out to end the inning. 

Candace James and Valerie Staton had Lonoke's only base hits. Staton's game in the second while James singled in the seventh. 

"I'm extremely proud of these girls," Lonoke coach Laura Park said. 

Jackrabbits win regional baseball title

The Lonoke Jackrabbits are the 2015 4A-East Region Champions (Photos by Melissa Pool)

By Mark Buffalo

Staff Writer

lonokecountysports@gmail.com

POCAHONTAS — The Lonoke Jackrabbits are the 2015 4A East Region champions.

Lonoke (17-3) scored a run in the bottom of the seventh to beat Brookland 8-7 in the championship game of the regional tournament Tuesday afternoon. The Jackrabbits will open Class 4A state tournament play Friday at noon against the winner of Thursday's game between Prairie Grove and Arkadelphia. The Badgers are the two-time defending state champions.

Our kids just keep finding ways to win," Lonoke coach Darrick Lowery said. "It's been something different every ballgame. Someone has stepped up. It's definitely been a team effort with the dugout keeping us in ballgames and bouncing back after momentum-changing plays. They are doing a great job."

Lonoke led 7-6 heading into the top of the seventh. Brookland hit a leadoff homer to tie the game at 7-7. Things looked bleak in the bottom of the frame. 

With one out, designated hitter Conner Linton reached on an error and went to second on a passed ball. After a flyout by Savonte Rountree for the second out of the inning, Elijan Seigrist reached on an error, allowing Linton to score the game-winning run.

Lowery said winning the regional title is huge. Three years ago when the Jackrabbits made it to the state championship game, Lonoke finished third in the regional tournament. 

"It was great for us to play in the first round (in 2012) because I had never been there and our kids had not been there in a long time," Lowery said. "This year with these guys, I feel confident that we play with anybody in the state. It's big for us to have that bye and set up our pitching."

Brookland took a 2-0 lead in the top of the third inning. It was Lonoke's first deficit of the regional.

The Jackrabbits responded quickly with six runs in the bottom of the frame. Casey Martin hit a solo homer to lead off the inning. He also drove in two more runs with a single later in the frame. Also scoring in the third were Cody Martin, Nick Graves, Christian James, Todd Pool and Rountree. 

Brookland cut the deficit to 6-3 with a run in the fourth then tied it with three runs in the top of the fifth.

Lonoke reclaimed the lead with a run in the bottom of the fifth. Routhree singled and scored on a double by Casey Martin.

Casey Martin was 4-for-4 at the plate with four RBIs. Also collecting hits were Haven Hunter, Cody Martin, Graves, Rountree and Seigrist. 

Ethan Holland got the win on the mound in relief. He pitched 2 1/3 innings. He gave up one on earned run while striking out two. He allowed only one hit.

Hunter pitched 4 2/3 innings. He gave up five hits and six runs with only four of them earned. He struck out three.

One thing that was possibly going to disturb Lonoke's run to another state title game was graduation, which is slated for Friday night at 8 p.m. at James B. Abraham Stadium in Lonoke while the state tournament is being played in Blytheville.

Provided the weather doesn't cause any issues, the Lonoke seniors should be able to return to Lonoke in time for graduation and head back to Blytheville if the Jackrabbits are victorious.

"It was definitely a concern going in on what we would do about that," Lowery said, adding that parents have volunteered to get the senior players back to Lonoke then back to Blytheville for a semifinal game if they win.

"We'll get all the little details worked out for that and we'll be ready to go," Lowery said.

The 2015 Lonoke Jackrabbits senior players with the regional championship award.

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Lady Jackrabbits knock off Heber Springs, advance to regional final

Lonoke's Jasalyn Truelove stands on second base after getting a double against Heber Springs on Saturday. (Photo by Courtney McGowan)

By Mark Buffalo

Staff Writer

lonokecountysports@gmail.com

POCAHONTAS — The Lonoke Lady Jackrabbits will play for their first regional title since 2004 on Monday.

Lonoke scored two runs in the top of the seventh to beat Heber Springs 4-2 in the semifinals of the 4A-East Region Tournament on Saturday. The Lady Jackrabbits last won a regional title in 2004 — also the last time Lonoke played in the state tournament. 

Lonoke led most of the game, plating single runs in the first and fifth innings. Jasalyn Truelove doubled and scored in the first. Gracie Cole single and scored on a single by Charley Jo Chesney in the fifth.

Chesney kept Heber Springs in check until the bottom of the sixth when the Lady Panthers scored twice to tie the game at 2-2.

Lonoke reclaimed the lead in the top of the seventh. Candace James and Cole both walked to lead off the inning. Madison McFadden, running for James and Cole both scored on a triple by Truelove.

Chesney then retired the Lady Panthers in order in the bottom of the frame to seal the win. 

Both teams had five hits. Truelove led Lonoke with two hits. Also getting hits were Chesney, Jarrelyn McCall and Cole. 

Chesney did not allow a walk in seven innings of work. She struck out two in the win. Also, Lonoke did not commit an error.

The Lady Jackrabbits will play Brookland for the regional championship Monday at 2:30 p.m. They will play in the Class 4A state tournament Friday at Mena. They will receive a first-round bye no matter what happens Monday.