Navasota grad Jedkins leaps to top finish

Malaiya Jedkins won the triple jump in McNeese State University’s last outdoor track and field meet before the Southland Conference championship.

The Navasota High School graduate won the event at the Leon Johnson meet, the second consecutive competition she won the triple jump. As of Thursday, she ranked first in the triple jump among the conference women and was the only woman in the conference to jump beyond 41 feet.

Jedkins finished eighth in the 100-meter dash and tied for eighth in that event in the conference rankings.

She ranked seventh in the 200 dash and was a part of the 4-by-100 relay that ranked second.

The conference championship is Friday through Sunday.

More women’s outdoor track and field

track and field Fabiola Hernandez of Jacksonville College placed eighth in the 1,500-meter run at the Leon Johnson meet. It was the Anderson-Shiro High product’s highest finish in the event this season.

Baseball

Pitcher Tyler Eppler earned his first win for the Kiwoom Heroes of the Korea Baseball Organization. The former Rattler allowed four hits and one earned run in six innings of an April 15 start. The right-hander struck out four. He lost his next start, leaving him with a 1-1 record and 4.22 earned run average in four appearances.

Nicholls State University pitcher Josh Mancuso allowed three hits in two and one-third scoreless innings of relief against Northwestern State. The past Owl struck out two.

Pitcher Dalton Acosta did not allow a hit or earned run in three innings of relief against the Avengers in the Houston Baseball Association. The Navasota graduate struck out four and was hitless in three at-bats. The Marlins right-hander had a 1-0 record and 3.18 ERA in five appearances this spring. He batted .273.

Men’s outdoor track and field

McNeese State’s Ronnie Jackson won the 110 hurdles at the Leon Johnson meet. The Navasota alumnus placed second in the high jump. As of Thursday, he ranked fourth in hurdles in the Southland Conference and eighth in the high jump.

Another from the Rattlers, Earlham College freshman David Turner finished third in the high jump at the Manchester Invitational. He also scored by placing fifth in the triple jump.

Send updates about area athletes to Barbara Boxleitner at jdanddoc@gmail.com.