As he looks back over the recently completed high school track and field season, South Aiken High School coach Russ Busbee is pleased with his team's overall results.

"All the hard work, the practice, the discipline over the year paid off," said Busbee, whose girls' squad finished ninth in the state and whose boys' team finished 10th in the state at the championships May 9-10 at Spring Valley High School in Columbia.

Senior Trey Blanton, who has signed with Wake Forest University, won the pole vault competition by clearning the bar at 15 feet; he placed sixth in the discus with a throw of 137 feet, 1 inch.

Jamal Davis, another senior, came in second in the high jump with a jump of 6 feet, 6 inches, and Marquel Matthews came in eighth in the 400-meter hurdles.

For the Lady Thoroughbreds, senior Allie Nicosia was second in the pole vault with a height of 11 feet, 6 inches. Her sister Shelby finished sixth in the pole vault and seventh in the 3,200-meter race. Hope Bennett finished seventh in the pole vault.

Amy Bassett finished eighth in the 1600-meter race, and the girls' 4x400-meter relay team of Amy Bassett, Traci Jones, Sarah Johnson and Elizabeth Rabon finished fifth.

This was the first time in eight years that the Lady Thoroughbreds did not win the 4-AAAA region title. The girls came in second in the region meet last month.

"Being a rebuilding year, they did very well," he said.

The boys' team won the region title for the third consecutive year.

Reach Charmain Brackett at czbrackett@hotmail.com.