×

’Jacket boys win hurdle event at state track meet

Williamstown High School’s, from left, Tim Wickham, Kyler Sutton, Bradey Fayad and Trevor Hoosier ran a 59.24 on Friday at the Class A state track meet to win the shuttle hurdle relay event.

CHARLESTON — Mother Nature didn’t rear her ugly head here Friday during the opening day of the West Virginia state track and field meet at the University of Charleston Stadium and the Mid-Ohio Valley had plenty of early success.

Defending Class A state girls champion Magnolia held a 32-23 lead against Williamstown with six events scored. The Williamstown boys, who are vying for a single-A repeat title, trail Doddridge County, 35-29, through six events and the Class AAA Ripley girls hold a 20-18 cushion through five events against Wheeling Park.

“Absolutely, it was a good effort today,” said Bulldog boys head coach Bobby Burnside of having the early lead. “We had some of our big events tonight and we took advantage of them.

“We’re pretty pleased with where we are standing right now, but tomorrow is a new day and there are a lot of events we need to do well in.”

Doddridge County received 10 points apiece for victories by Chase Dunaway in the high jump (6-0) and Hunter Riffle in the 3200 (9:49.08). Dunaway topped Ritchie County’s Travis Pickering while Riffle beat Brady Gorrell of St. Marys by seven-plus seconds. The Little Kanawha Conference also had 2-mile placers in Ravenswood twin brothers Bryce and Blake Jarrell, who finished third and fourth respectively, as well as a sixth-place showing from Williamstown’s Joshua Chambers. Pickering also tied for second in the high jump.

Tyler Consolidated’s Jarett LeMasters went 13-0 in the pole vault to top runner-up Dakota Hammer of Williamstown. Silver Knight Levi Morgan and Ritchie County’s Jeremy Hilkey tied for fourth with Bulldog Dawson Evans placing sixth.

The Yellowjacket boys of head coach Jill Bryant tallied 20 points thanks to wins in the 4×800 (Tom Bobbitt, Jon Petty, Chambers, Chase Uppole; 8:19.64) and the shuttles (Bradey Fayad, Kyler Sutton, Trevor Hoosier, Tim Wickham; 59.24).

Wickham, ‘Dog Hunter Hayes, St. Marys’ Cole Smith, Fayad and Evans all qualified for today’s 110 high hurdle finals. In the open 100 prelims, Tyler Anderson of TCHS and Trenton Tallman of Williamstown qualified. Also, Zac Long of St. Marys and Ravenswood’s Austin Garrett qualified out of the open 200 prelims.

Magnolia was able to take the lead after the opening day thanks in part to a long jump win by Bailey Estep (17-2.25) and a runner-up 3200 finish from Jordan Delaney. Estep also won the high jump with an effort of 5 feet, 4 inches, which tied the 2011 state record held by Williamstown’s Megan Steele. Estep’s teammate Alayna Cline finished fourth in the high jump and was followed by Yellowjacket Victoria Buckley and Bulldog Mista Smarr.

Blue Eagle Kyndra Pilant took sixth in the shot put, which was won by Gilmer County’s Sada Wright (120-9). The LKC also placed Williamstown teammates Syndey Palmer (second) and Brianna Kendall (fifth) as well as St. Marys’ Whitney Jemison (fourth) in the event.

The Doddridge County quartet of Abigail Charles, Kiley Ross, Jasmine Ball and Rosa Plaugher went 1:06.20 to win the shuttles.

As expected, the top two 100 hurdles prelim times belonged to Ritchie County’s Samantha Kirk and Plaugher. Also qualifying were Williamstown’s Ellie Gardner and Ally McMullen.

Advancing out of the open 100 prelims were Bulldog Jonna Ferrell, St. Marys’ Marissa Cottrill and Lexi Zide of WHS. Newton, Parkersburg Catholic’s Alexis Saunders and ‘Jacket Lilly McMullen made the finals for today’s open 200. Also placing in the long jump were Newton (third), Saunders (fourth) and Ferrell (fifth) as well as ‘Jacket Kasey McNamara (fourth) and Doddridge’s Desirae Schoonover (sixth) in the 2-mile.

The Ripley girls had victories by Laurel Miller in the high jump (5-8) and Tori Starcher in the 3200 (10:39.04). Parkersburg’s Olivia Collett was sixth in the 2-mile while Parkersburg South’s Erin Williams placed fifth in the high jump.

Viking Allison Fields had the top times in both the 100 and 200 prelims and teammate Laurel Miller qualified fourth in the 100 hurdles.

Parkersburg’s girls got a third-place showing in the 4×800 thanks to Ellie Dario, Collett, Emily Cunningham and Madison Trippett.

In the Class AAA shuttles, Ripley’s Samuel Pierson, Steven Carte, Garrett Robertson and Ridge Dalrymple had a winning time of 56.39 to edge runner-up Hedgesville’s 56.96 and Parkersburg South’s 56.99. The third-place Patriots ran Dominic Collins, Corey Beverage, Chris Elschlager and Jimmy Kemp.

Scott Barker of PHS finished third in the 3200, teammate Ben McFarland was fifth in the shot put and Parkersburg South’s Nate Santiago got the last podium spot in the pole vault. PHS had to settle for a runner-up showing in the 4×800 after going 8:04.77 with Barker, Anthony Bradford, Will Lemaster and Ian Domenick. Woodrow Wilson won the event with a time of 7:55.98. Also, both Dalrymple and Elschlager advanced out of the 110 high hurdle prelims.

In Class AA action, Roane County got a third-place effort in the long jump from Austin McGinnis. Raider Haden Coon qualified fourth in the 110 high hurdles. Josie Raines also moved on to today’s open 100 and 200 finals after qualifying fifth and third respectively. Teammate Hannah McKown was fifth in the 100 hurdle prelims.

NEWSLETTER

Today's breaking news and more in your inbox

I'm interested in (please check all that apply)
Are you a paying subscriber to the newspaper? *

Starting at $4.15/week.

Subscribe Today