Before I begin this year's synopsis, I'd like to take a minute to give out a "Thank You" to all the meet officials, press box staff, and volunteers that worked at the state meet. I think something we as fans and athletes don't realize most of the time is the amount of work it takes to put on a quality track meet. It took 171 officials and helpers to run this state meet. These folks are paid very little for this job, and many are not paid at all. They work the meets for the love of the sport and for the love of the kids. And typically, the only thanks they get is a "that @#$@ disqualified me," when they should really be receiving a "thanks for taking two days away from your family, from your life, from your job to help us out." We're as guilty as the next person when it comes to complaining about an official's decision (with us, it's usually a shuttle exchange violation that goes unnoticed), but I also recognize that without these fine folks, the meet would not run nearly as smoothly, and might not run at all. I also want to offer a special thanks to Marshall Cavender (the FAT operator), the woman in charge of press relations (whose name I do not know), and the rest of the pressbox staff for giving us everything we ask for. I've also decided to do this year's synopsis in meet-event order rather than the 100-200-400, etc. format that was used last year.
A-AA Girls
4x800 Meter Relay
The primary contenders in this race were scheduled to be Grafton, Magnolia,
and Ritchie. Missy Spangler opened with a 2:26 lead leg for Ritchie,
and they never looked back. Grafton used a strong anchor leg by Megan
Docherty to close the gap, but the Rebels were never in danger.
Winfield used a strong contingent to grab the number three spot. Berkeley
Springs ran a great race to take fourth as the only team to crack the
top 6 that was not expected. Magnolia and Paden City rounded out
the placers. RunWV's current score, 5 of 6.
High Jump
We nailed the first three on this one. Mary Greene, Tiffany Sutton, and
Blaine Spencer nabbed the top three spots, as expected. Emily Henley was
able to overcome a foot injury to grab the fourth spot and was the only
other competitor to clear 5'0. Midland Trail's Amanda Horrocks
surprised us by grabbing fifth, and Weir's Nikki Flora claimed
6th. RunWV's current score 9 of 12.
Pole Vault
This event was expected to be one that would have a major impact on the
team scoring race. If Doddridge could take a 1-2-3 finish, they would get
a leg up on the field. If Angela Lowe from Grafton could manage to grad a
second or third, it would be a double point swing in Grafton's favor. Neither
thing happened. Doddridge didn't get their 1-2-3, but Grafton wasn't the
team that broke it up. Nicole White claimed the top spot for Doddridge with
teammate Lisa Davis taking second. Each tied the existing state record of
10'. Davis narrowly missed a 10'6 vault, hitting the bar on the way
down. Blaine Canfield scored a 9'0 vault to take third, with
Doddridge's Karen Kellar matching that height to grab a fourth.
Angela Lowe and Sissonville's Erica Young filled out the
placers, giving us a 6 for 6 call on the placers in this event.
RunWV's current score 15 of 18.
Discus
The eventual winner of this event narrowly made it to the finals. Rules state
that any ties for the 7th spot will all advance to the finals, and that is
exactly what happened. Doddridge's Judi Rose managed to make it to
the finals where she eaked out a 1" victory over pre-meet favorite Lucinda
Huffman. Bridgeport's Theresa Melko took the third spot with
Marsh Fork's Jennifer Pettrey taking 4th. Cameron's Shanda Mason
and Oak Glen's Megan Allison finished out the placers with better than
expected finishes. RunWV's current score 19 of 24.
3200 Meter Run
Fayetteville's Jessica Taylor blasted through the first mile in 5:24
and never looked back. Grafton's Sherri Flohr ran her typical even
race to take the second position. Braxton's Erin Boggs tailed Taylor
as long as she could and was able to hold on for third with a season best
time. Ritchie's Missy Spangler ran strong for fourth. Each of the
first four ran under 12:00. PikeView's Marian Brooks finished strong
to finish 5th, ahead of Grafton's Heather McDaniel. A special
mention has to go to Jessica Taylor who became the first high
school female in West Virginia to crack the 11:00 barrier. RunWV's
current score, 24 of 30.
400 Meter Dash
Sissonville's Jennifer Povick continued her domination of this event by
winning by nearly a full second. Her first 300 meters left her so far ahead
of the competition, there would be no catching her. Summers' Candice Lilly
was an easy second place, just over 2 seconds ahead of third place, East
Hardy's Alicia Sanders. Webster's Sarah Keller edged Poca's
Ashley Craigo by 0.01 to take fourth. Petersburg Freshman Roshawna
Mongold sneaked in for sixth place. RunWV's current score, 28 of 36. Of course,
we'd like to point out that one of our placers scratched from this event to
run the 4x400.
1600 Meter Run
Fayetteville's Jessica Taylor again ran away from the field early, and
dared them to catch her, and again they could not. She missed nabbing her
second state record by less than 0.6 seconds. Grafton's Sherri Flohr
ran negative splits to take an easy second. Braxton's Erin Boggs
scored her second third place finish. Ritchie's Missy Spangler overcame
a late-third lap tumble that occurred while in a pack with Flohr and Boggs to
hold on to fourth. Winfield's Lindsey Dawson jumped into the fifth
spot, and Webster's Valerie Perrine caught us completely off guard
with her 6th place finish. RunWV's current score, 33 of 42.
Shot Put
We scored our second 6 for 6 event in the shot put. Winfield's Michele
McGinnis dominated the field as expected with her toss of over 40'. With
a year to go, she could challenge Crystal Hypes' 43'4 toss from 1993. St.
Marys' Alicia Dickson continued a strong finish to her season by taking an
easy second. Ritchie's Lucinda Huffman nipped East Hardy's Brandi
Brill by 1" for third. Bridgeport's Theresa Melko edged teammate
Lacy Hill for sixth. No one else came within 3 feet of placing.
RunWV's current score, 39 of 48.
300 Meter Low Hurdles
Summers' Canice Lilly laid rest to RunWV's theory that the 400 would
take too much out of her to place highly in the 300's. She dominated the field,
running away from them in the last hundred to win by over a second. Doddridge's
Jordan Walker ran a very strong first half to take second. Tygarts Valley's
Andrea Saucerman edged Winfield's Laura Ellis for third. Doddridge's
Nicole White grabbed fifth and Buffalo's Lindsay Elkins overcame the
hindrance of running from the "slow" heat to take 6th place. RunWV's current
score, 44 of 54.
100 Meter Dash
Richwood's Pam Nettles, though not yet 100 %, was able to squeak out
a victory over a fast-starting Jennifer Povick of Sissonville.
Wheeling Central's Caroline Palmer took a solid third. Oak Hill's
Amanda Ellison jumped up a few notches by taking 4th. Frankfort's
Apryl Frankland nabbed the fifth position, narrowly missing out on
the fourth spot, and Ravenswood's Ambria Chambers claimed sixth. RunWV's
current score, 49 of 60.
100 Meter High Hurdles
Bridgeport's Ali Moore narrowly edged Doddridge's Lori Coffman
for the title. Grafton's Ginny Keener claimed a strong third, with
Ravenswood's Ambria Chambers taking fourth. Poca's Jessica Lett
was our only surprise as she grabbed the fifth spot, with Doddridge's
Jordan Walker taking sixth. RunWV's current score, 54 of 66.
4x200 Meter Relay
Tyler Consolidated pulled one over on us. We only mentioned them as a
"could place," and they go and win the thing. Moorefield narrowly edged a
hard-charging Poca for second place. Winfield claimed a strong 4th, with
Doddridge and Wheeling Central taking 5th and 6th, respectively. RunWV's
current score 58 of 72.
4x100 Meter Relay
Winfield showed the form that had them at the top of the rankings for the
bulk of the season in winning the event by 0.5 seconds. Bridgeport nipped
Moorefield at the line by 0.01 in taking 2nd. Poca ran a solid 4th, with
Tyler Consolidated and Doddridge rounding out the field. RunWV's current
score, 63 of 78.
Long Jump
Oak Hill's Alisha Hopkins won easily as expected, defeating the field
by nearly a full foot. East Hardy's Alicia Sanders won the narrow
battle for 2nd place. 2nd through 6th places were separated by a mere 5.25".
Charleston Catholic's Amanda Snyder outleaped anything she did during
the regular season by nearly a foot to take third. Richwood's Mary Greene
won a tie-breaker over Summers' Olivia Newsome for the fourth spot. Each
of the first five jumped over 16'. Bridgeport's Jamie Bragg claimed
sixth place with her 15'11 leap. RunWV's current score, 68 of 84.
800 Meter Run
I'm always torn between calling this a run and a dash. For Fayetteville's
Jessica Taylor, it was a dash. For the third time in the meet, she
simply ran away from the competition. In doing so, she nearly eclipsed a
14 year old record and actually became the only person in recent years to
even come close to it. Grafton's Sherri Flohr claimed her third
"easy" 2nd of the meet. Paden City Freshman Loralee Hillyard started
strong and held on for a surprise 3rd place finish. Ritchie's Missy
Spangler duplicated her 4x800 leg to take 4th. Grafton's Megan Docherty
nipped Charleston Catholic's Annie Schuerger at the line for the fifth
spot. RunWV's current score, 73 of 90.
Shuttle Hurdle Relay
Doddridge easily outdistanced the field in winning by nearly a full second.
Weir and Grafton were so tight for 2nd place, the Finish Lynx system had to
go to thousandths of a second to see that Weir had edged Grafton for 2nd.
Grafton had been disqualified in the trials on Friday night, but had been
reinstated after an appeal that evening. RunWV knows no other details.
Ritchie grabbed fourth, with Paden City and Summers rounding out the field.
RunWV's current score, 77 of 96. One of our placers finished with a time
good enough for 4th, but was disqualified for an early exchange.
200 Meter Dash
Sissonville Freshman Jennifer Povick claimed her second victory of
the meet by easily distancing the field for the victory. Frankfort's Apryl
Frankland ran to a narrow 2nd place over Winfield's Kem Jones whose
sub-27 second time showed that her injured hip was more of a hindrance to her
start than to her actual running itself. Summers' Candice Lilly took a
close race for 4th over Poca's Ashley Craigo and Ravenswood's Ambria
Chambers. RunWV's current score, 82 of 102.
4x400 Meter Relay
The final event of the day was supposed to determine the meet's winner, but
Doddridge County had already wrapped up the meet after winning the shuttles.
Magnolia ran strong fram start to finish to claim the victory. Grafton's
Sherri Flohr attacked the anchor leg to take the second spot away from
pre-race favorite Wheeling Central. Berkeley Springs again came up big, just
as they did in the 4x800, taking the 4th spot from the "slow" heat.
Doddridge slipped into the fifth spot, narrowly ahead of Winfield, who
had run with Berkeley in the earlier heat. RunWV's Final A-AA Girls score,
86 of 108. Meaning that 79.6 % of the people that were supposed to place,
did indeed place. Congratulations to those that goofed us up.
Exceeding Predictions
The following athletes exceed our predictions by 3 or more places and
deserve special mention.
Amanda Ellison, Oak Hill -- 100 M (not picked, got 4th)
Loralee Hillyard, Paden City -- 800 M (not picked, got 3rd)
Candice Lilly, Summers -- 300 LH (picked 5th, got 1st)
Ritchie County -- Shuttles (not picked, got 4th)
Tyler Consolidated -- 4x200 (not picked, got 1st)
Poca -- 4x200 (not picked, got 3rd)
Berkeley Springs -- 4x400 (not picked, got 4th)
Berkeley Springs -- 4x800 (not picked, got 4th)
Emily Henley, Winfield -- High Jump (not picked, got 4th)
Blaine Canfield, Williamstown -- Pole Vault (picked 6th, got 3rd)
Amanda Snyder, Charleston Catholic -- Long Jump (not picked, got 3rd)
AAA Girls
4x800 Meter Relay
Parkersburg South opened strong and just got better as they went along as
they shattered the state record. Legs of 2:27, 2:28, 2:23, and 2:22 made
them uncatchable to a strong field. Martinsburg ran a very strong 2nd, nearly
getting under 9:50 themselves. Parkersburg also finished under 10:00.
Buckhannon-Upshur, Hedgesville, and East Fairmont rounded out the field.
RunWV's current score, 6 of 6.
Long Jump
Capital's Milan Cary began her quest for 40 with a convincing victory
of nearly a full foot in the long jump. Logan's Danyell Garner and
Parkersburg's Roxanne Ward each jumped at least 17' for 2nd and 3rd.
Cabell Midland's Terri Young claimed 4th with Wheeling Park's
Alicia Strong close behind. Elkins' Manda Pawelczyk grabbed 6th
place. In all, eight athletes eclipsed 16'. RunWV's current score, 10 of 12.
Shot Put
Parkersburg's Roxanne Ward again dominated the shot put field in winning
by over 4 feet. Buckhannon-Upshur Freshman Annie Gurdak nipped
Parkersburg's Alicia Woods by less than an inch for 2nd place.
Elkins' Erin Bartlett claimed 4th, with Keyser's Jodi Curran and Fairmont
Senior's Brittany Miller taking the last two spots. RunWV's current score,
16 of 18.
3200 Meter Run
This turned out to be one of the best races of the weekend. A pack of five
stayed together through the first mile, crossing the line in 5:42. On lap
5, Hampshire's Jennifer Davis, Roane's Stephanie Eastman, and
Martinsburg's Rachel Carden began to separate themselves from the
field. These three ran laps 5, 6, and 7 together, setting up a last lap
showdown. Davis was the first to make a move, with about 300 meters to go.
Eastman responded and trailed her closely. Carden appeared to be unable to
match the increased pace. At the 200 mark, Davis increased the pace yet again.
Moments later, Eastman began her final kick, pulling even with Davis as
they headed out of the turn. A final 100 meter sprint to the finish ended
with Davis as slightly stronger than Eastman as she won the dual by less than
0.4 seconds. Carden easily held on for 3rd. Morgantown's Karen Wigal
held off teammate Leah Erenrich and cross town rival, University's
Maria Stover for 4th. In all, 7 finishers ran under 12:00. RunWV's
current score, 21 of 24.
400 Meter Dash
Capital's Milan Cary completed what was likely to be her most
difficult challenge in her 40 point quest by creating such a large gap
between herself and the rest of the field in the first 200 meters, that
the furious kick of Roane's Stephanie Eastman couldn't quite make up.
Parkersburg's Sheena Spencer and Keyser's Carrie Barrick also
ran under 1:00. Capital's Randi Cary and Brooke's Jesamyn Fuscardo
rounded out the finishers by pushing each other to the limit in the "slow"
heat. RunWV's current score, 25 of 30. One of our predicted placers
scratched from this event to be more fresh for the 1600.
1600 Meter Run
As expected, this came down to a battle between Martinsburg's Rachel
Carden and Hampshire's Jennifer Davis. Carden made her move
with over 200 meters to go, and Davis waited until about 100 meters to go
to counter. The gap generated by Carden proved to be just enough as she
claimed a 0.38 second victory over the fast closing Davis. Parkersburg
South's Rachel Fox ran an outstanding race for 3rd. University's
Maria Stover reversed the standings of Friday's 3200 by taking 4th
over cross-town rivals, Morgantown's Leah Erenrich and Karen Wigal.
RunWV's current score, 30 of 36.
300 Meter Low Hurdles
Pre-meet favorite, Briania Jones of Parkersburg held off a very
game Nancy Regalbuto for the win. Greenbrier East's Laura Tamea
surprised by grabbing the 3rd position from the early heat. Wheeling Park's
Andi Rose missed out on that 3rd spot by only 0.04 seconds.
Huntington teammates Kimba Hissom and Laura Stevens closed
out the placing. RunWV's current score, 34 of 42.
High Jump
In a meet that saw 8 young ladies clear 5'0, Capital Freshman Alexis
Hornbuckle set the standard with an impressive leap of 5'6. Defending
champion Roxanne Ward of Parkersburg also leaped well, clearing 5'5.
Hedgesville's Nancy Regalbuto, Greenbrier East's Katie Kilcollin,
and Parkersburg's Briania Jones each cleared 5'2 to take the 3rd, 4th,
and 5th spots, respectively. Robert C. Byrd's Britney Amodio and
Preston's Brittany Foley tied for the 6th position. RunWV's
current score, 38 of 48.
Pole Vault
With two athletes that had beaten the existing state record during the season,
it was almost assuredly going to go down. The question was, which one
would do it, or would both? Both Parkersburg South's Ashley Dunn
and Fairmont Senior's Darcy Thompson matched the record of 10'. The
bar was then set to 10'3. Only Dunn could manage the height. She then
followed that up by clearing 10'6 and nearly cleared 10'9 as well. University's
Megan Patton nabbed 3rd place with a 9'6 vault. Parkersburg South's
Kendra Combs was the only other vaulter to clear 9'0 and took 4th.
Hedgesville's Tracy Regalbuto and Parkersburg's Dava Kaltnecker
finished out the places. RunWV's current score, 41 of 54.
100 Meter Dash
As expected, Capital's Milan Cary completed the 3rd leg of her
quest. She was not threatened in this event. Hampshire's Lindsay
Stewart grabbed a strong 2nd, and Jefferson's Kris Morris was
an easy 3rd. A reasonably tight race for 4th saw Philip Barbour Freshman
Ebony Jones defeating East Fairmont's Jenna Snyder and
Woodrow Wilson's Maura Arline. RunWV's current score, 45 of 60.
100 Meter High Hurdles
One of the tightest races of the weekend saw only 0.03 separate the first
three places. In the end, Huntington's Kimba Hissom nipped Hedgesville's
Nancy Regalbuto and Parkersburg South's Ashley Dunn. Parkersburg's
Briania Jones was also in the mix as she was less than 0.1 seconds
behind Dunn. Herbert Hoover's Julie Tawney and Wheeling Park's
Andi Rose completed the all-state field. RunWV's current score, 50 of 66.
4x200 Meter Relay
Keyser's Carrie Barrick ran an exceptional anchor leg to provide Keyser
with the upset victory. Woodrow Wilson finished a close second. Martinsburg
followed closely behind with Wheeling Park right on their heels. Buckhannon-Upshur
and Capital rounded out the field. RunWV's current score, 55 of 72.
4x100 Meter Relay
Jefferson once again ran away from the competition in this event. Woodrow
Wilson ran a strong second. Keyser claimed third spot with Brooke and
Martinsburg taking 4th and 5th. As the result of a pair of disqualifications,
Capital managed a 6th place despite a dropped baton. RunWV's current
score, 59 of 78.
Discus
A strong field delivered four tosses over 115'. The best of these belonged
to Keyser's Jodi Curran. She outdistanced the field by nearly 4 feet
with her 124'1" toss. St. Albans' Jennifer Adkins also eclipsed 120'
in her 2nd place finish. Brooke's Deidre Davis grabbed the 3rd spot
by a mere 2" over Elkins' Erin Bartlett. Capital's Lashawna
Moss and Keyser's Nicole Lyle completed the scoring. RunWV's
current score, 64 of 84.
800 Meter Run
The question coming into this event wasn't whether or not Roane's
Stephanie Eastman would win, but by how much, and would she break
the record. Eastman had run under the record time on several occasions
during the season, and did so yet again on Saturday. Eastman's time of
2:15.94 smashed the record by 1.41 seconds. Hampshire's Jennifer Davis
finished a strong weekend with a 2nd place finish. Martinsburg's Rachel
Carden claimed an easy 3rd. Carden's teammate Shannon Tobias
used a strong finish to edge out Elkins' Zaia Wharton for 4th. Brooke
freshman Nadia Sawtarie claimed the 6th position. RunWV's current
score, 69 of 90. Our only predicted placer that didn't place scratched the
event to join a relay.
Shuttle Hurdle Relay
Parkersburg, as expected, won the event. Huntington provided quite a
challenge, though, as they finished only 0.14 behind. John Marshall was
a distant 3rd, and Martinsburg claimed 4th. Nitro and Keyser finished
in the 5th and 6th places. RunWV's current score, 74 of 96.
200 Meter Dash
Capital's Milan Cary completed her 40 point day with an easy victory
in the 200. Hampshire's Lindsay Stewart claimed an easy 2nd place.
Parkersburg's Sheena Spencer held off Keyser's Carrie Barrick
for 3rd, and Philip Barbour's Ebony Jones nipped Woodrow Wilson's
Rachael Rhinehart for 5th. RunWV's current score 78 of 102. One of
our placers was disqualified for a false start in the trials.
4x400 Meter Relay
As expected, Parkersburg ran away from the competition. Capital ran a
strong 2nd, also finishing under 4:10. Following a disqualification, Brooke
grabbed the 3rd spot. The race between Wheeling Park and John Marshall
had to be taken to the thousandths place to determine that Wheeling Park had
nipped John Marshall at the line for 4th. That race occurred during the
first heat. Keyser claimed the 6th position. RunWV's Final Score, 81 of 108.
Again, one of our placers was disqualified. 75% of the people we picked to
place did so. Congratulations to the 25% who proved us wrong.
Exceeding Predictions
The following athletes exceed our predictions by 3 or more places and
deserve special mention.
Ebony Jones, Philip Barbour -- 100 M (not picked, placed 4th)
Carrie Barrick, Keyser -- 200 M (not picked, placed 4th)
Shannon Tobias, Martinsburg -- 800 M (not picked, placed 4th)
Rachel Fox, Parkersburg South -- 1600 M (not picked, placed 3rd)
Laura Tamea, Greenbrier East -- 300 LH (not picked, placed 3rd)
Woodrow Wilson -- 4x100 (picked 5th, placed 2nd)
Keyser -- 4x100 (not picked, placed 3rd)
Brooke -- 4x100 (not picked, placed 4th)
Brooke -- 4x400 (picked 6th, placed 3rd)
Wheeling Park -- 4x400 (not picked, placed 4th)
Kendra Combs, Parkersburg South -- Pole Vault (not picked, placed 4th)
Annie Gurdak, Buckhannon-Upshur -- Shot Put (picked 6th, placed 2nd)
Deidre Davis, Brooke -- Discus (picked 6th, placed 3rd)
A-AA Boys
4x800 Meter Relay
Grafton sealed the event on the last leg. They took the baton at approximately
the same time as Doddridge, but with 300 Meters to go, they began to open
a gap that would not close. Magnolia used a strong anchor leg to just squeeze
past Doddridge for the 2nd spot. Ravenswood closed well for 4th, with Gilmer
close behind in 5th. St. Marys rounded our the placers. RunWV's current
score, 5 of 6.
Shot Put
Pre-meet favorite Brad Wilt of Doddridge came through with flying colors,
exceeding his season best throw, while gapping the field by over a foot.
PikeView's
John Blankenship climbed up into the 2nd spot. Ritchie's
Lucas Henger continued his solid late season performances by placing 3rd.
Bridgeport's Josh Nicewarner also threw over 48' for 4th. Liberty
Raleigh's Tristian Crookshank and Poca's Ryan Burdette completed
the placers. RunWV's current score, 10 of 12.
Long Jump
At long last, the RunWV A-AA long jump curse has ended. Our predicted winner
didn't win, but he did finish 2nd, breaking a string of predicted winners
finishing out of the money. Richwood's Pat Bay was the man to knock
Magnolia's Aaron Long from the top spot. Bay's leap of 21'10 was just
a half inch further than Long's leap. St. Marys' Jared Davis snagged
3rd with a jump just short of 21'. Wayne's Rick Sanford took the 4th
position with Curt Simcox of Oak Glen and David Briscoe of
Berkeley Springs rounding out the field. RunWV's current score, 15 of 18.
3200 Meter Run
One of the more scintillating races of the evening saw three athletes begin
to break away late in the 3rd lap. Cole Carpenter of Ritchie, Justin
Simpson of Oak Glen, and Josh Sheets of Doddridge took command at
that point. Sheets and Simpson were able to maintain the pace, but Carpenter
began to drop off during the 6th lap. Simpson led the way into the last lap,
with Sheets matching him step-for-step. Simpson made his initial move with a
slight surge to begin the last lap. Sheets was able to counter and moved around
Simpson as they came out of the first turn. Sheets slipped into the lead,
but Simpson remained right on his heals. Sheets began his final sprint to
the finish with about 200 meters to go. Simpson tried to match, but you could
see a gap begin to grow with about 150 meters remaining. Sheets final lap of
1:05 ended up giving him nearly a 3 second cushion. Grafton's Scott Gemberling
used a strong final lap of his own to claim 3rd over Notre Dame's Kenny
Beerbower. Each of the first four placers ran under 10:00. Ritchie's
Cole Carpenter held on for 5th, with Ravenswood's Isaac Andrick
claiming 6th. This field should be even stronger next year as only Carpenter
graduates. RunWV's current score, 20 of 24.
Pole Vault
St. Marys' Michael Powell took a calculated risk when he passed on a
height of 14'3, which was being attempted by Winfield's Connor Robertson.
If Robertson cleared the height, Powell would be forced to clear 14'6 to get
the victory. Robertson cleared the height. Robertson was unable to clear
14'6, and neither was Powell on his first two attempts. On his third attempt,
however, the bar stayed on. Powell was the victor. He then made the state
record his and his alone by clearing 14'7. Williamstown's Jason Buttrey
was the only other vaulter to clear 13'6. Tyler Consolidated's Andrew
Mercer and Frankfort's Garrett Butler each cleared 13'0 for 4th and
5th, while Ritchie's Josh Wagner claimed 6th. RunWV's current score,
26 of 30.
400 Meter Dash
According to one article, Mt. Hope's Jarod Pittman won the 400 just
to prove us wrong. That's the best way to use our predictions if you're one
of the athletes competing. Use them as motivation to do better. As it was,
Pittman was the only competitor to sneak in under 51 seconds. Grafton's Casey
Workman held onto 2nd, with Oak Glen's Rance Everly and Weir's
David Archie close behind. Ravenswood's Josh Bowman and
Petersburg's Michael Candelario narrowly claimed the 5th and 6th
spots from the early heat. RunWV's current score, 30 of 36.
1600 Meter Run
Doddridge's Josh Sheets pulled off the double. After winning the
3200 the night before, he came back to run an exceptional 1600 Saturday morning.
Liberty Raleigh's Chris Herron didn't give up without a fight. They began
the last lap together, and Herron actually pulled about even with Sheets with
about 100 meters to go. Sheets was able to maintain the finishing sprint all
the way in, though. Herron let Sheets go with about 40 meters left and coasted
in for an easy 2nd. Oak Glen's Justin Simpson ran a smart race to finish
a strong 3rd. Frankfort's Sy Farris edged out a pair of Freshmen for
4th place. Ravenswood's Adam Benford and Grafton's Scott Gemberling
rounded out the placers. This field bodes quite well for next year as only
Farris is graduating. RunWV's current score, 35 of 42.
300 Meter Intermediate Hurdles
Berkeley Springs' Shane Bosley overcame his tumble in the 110 Trials
the day before to put in an outstanding showing the the 300's. Only he and
runner-up Justin VanKirk of Ravenswood dipped under the 40 second barrier.
Pre-meet favorite Curtis Simcox of Oak Glen claimed 3rd, with Winfield
freshman Brad Keys following close behind in 4th. Tygarts Valley's
Brandon Welch and Ritchie's Jordan Taylor claimed the last two spots.
RunWV's current score, 40 of 48.
Discus
Ritchie's Lucas Henger completed an outstanding senior season with a
toss of 156'5. PikeView's John Blankenship nabbed his second 2nd place
finish of the weekend. Williamstown's Zac Hall also tossed the discus
over 150' in grabbing 3rd place. Magnolia's David Blair fell just shy
of 150' in taking 4th. Poca's Ryan Burdette also neared 150' with his
5th place toss. Doddridge's Brad Wilt rounded out the scoring. RunWV's
current score, 45 of 54.
100 Meter Dash
We said when making the picks for this event that we might as well throw names
into a hat and draw them out. It looked like it was going to be that close.
It was. Only 0.2 seconds separated first from last. As it ended, Wheeling
Central's Ryan Ferns walked away with the title, edging Shady Springs'
Aaron Forinash by 0.03 seconds. Jason Baxter nipped Magnolia
teammate Aaron Long by 0.02 for 3rd. Bridgeport's Paul Graeber
slipped past Moorefield's Jacob Petry by 0.02 for 5th. RunWV's
current score, 51 of 60.
110 Meter High Hurdles
Our pre-meet favorite took a tumble in the trials, leaving us out in the cold.
Ravenswood's Justin Vankirk ran strong in both the trials and finals
and walked out with a relatively easy victory. St. Marys' Jared Davis
edged Oak Glen's Curt Simcox for 2nd. Tygarts Valley's Brandon Welch
slipped in just in front of Winfield's Brad Keys and Bridgeport's Joe
Ielapi in the battle for 4th. RunWV's current score, 55 of 66.
4x200 Meter Relay
Oak Glen ran a strong closing leg to edge Magnolia for the victory. St. Marys
ran a very strong 3rd. Berkeley Springs, Shady Spring, and Bridgeport
rounded out the placers. RunWV's current score, 59 of 72.
High Jump
As expected, St. Marys' Jared Davis outleaped his competition with
his jump of 6'6. However, Wheeling Central's Eric Belancic and Webster's
Josh Hayhurst made him sweat a bit when they cleared 6'5. Tyler
Consolidated's Andrew Mercer, Magnolia's Greg Preston, and
Braxton's Jeff Perrine each cleared 6'2 to take the 4th, 5th, and
6th spots respectively. RunWV's current score, 64 of 78.
4x100 Meter Relay
Berkeley Springs rather easily defeated the contending field for the relay
title. Wheeling Central held off St. Marys for 2nd. Shady Spring was a
solid 4th with Lincoln edging Tyler Consolidated rounding out the placers.
RunWV's current score, 70 of 84.
800 Meter Run
Weir's Matt Apesos ran an excellent tactical race and proved to be
too much for the competition down the stretch. Liberty Raleigh's Chris
Herron recovered nicely from the 1600 to take 2nd. Magnolia's Matt
Quinet finished right on Herron's heals for 3rd. Independence's
Ashton Nelson finished 4th and was the last competitor to finish under
2:00. Ravenswood's Chris Snell snagged 5th, and Petersburg's
Michael Candelario bettered his season best time by 8 seconds to take 6th.
RunWV's current score, 75 of 90.
Shuttle Hurdle Relay
Magnolia ran fast enough to win but was disqualified for an early exchange.
That left the photo finish between Ritchie and St. Marys to determine the
winner. The photo showed Ritchie to have the slightest edge and the victory.
Shady Spring claimed 3rd with Berkeley Springs, Bridgeport, and Sissonville
rounding out the field. RunWV's current score 79 of 96. One of our placers
was disqualified in the finals.
200 Meter Dash
Magnolia's Jason Baxter sprinted past the field for the victory.
Wheeling Central's Ryan Ferns cruised to an easy 2nd. Mount Hope's
Jarod Pittman edged Weir's David Archie for 3rd. Pocahontas'
David Palmer nipped East Hardy's Jesse Levenson for 5th.
RunWV's current score, 83 of 102.
4x400 Meter Relay
Magnolia had already sealed their team championship, but the 4x400 left no
doubt. They won the event by over 2 seconds. Ravenswood ran strong for
2nd. Williamstown finished a solid 3rd. Grafton edged Petersburg for 4th.
Tyler Consolidated rounded out the field. RunWV's Final Score, 89 of 108.
82.4 % of the people that we picked to place, did indeed place.
Exceeding Predictions
The following athletes exceed our predictions by 3 or more places and
deserve special mention.
Ryan Ferns, Wheeling Central -- 100 M (picked 4th, placed 1st)
Ryan Ferns, Wheeling Central -- 200 M (picked 5th, placed 2nd)
Jarod Pittman, Mount Hope -- 200 M (not picked, placed 3rd)
David Archie, Weir -- 200 M (not picked, placed 4th)
Jarod Pittman, Mount Hope -- 400 M (picked 4th, placed 1st)
Casey Workman, Grafton -- 400 M (picked 5th, placed 2nd)
Kenny Beerbower, Notre Dame -- 3200 M (not picked, placed 4th)
Justin Vankirk, Ravenswood -- 110 HH (picked 6th, placed 1st)
Shady Spring -- Shuttles (not picked, placed 3rd)
Andrew Mercer, Tyler Consolidated -- High Jump (not picked, placed 4th)
John Blankenship, PikeView -- Discus, (picked 5th, placed 2nd)
AAA Boys
4x800 Meter Relay
Cabell Midland opened with a 1:57.5 leg from Zach Beckett (a split doesn't
get completed until the baton crosses the line for all you folks out there
that have been saying that Beckett ran a 1:55 or 1:56 leg), but even that
wasn't enough to keep them from getting quite a scare from Huntington. Midland
used legs of 2:01.9, 2:03.9, and 1:59.1 to close out the victory, but a 1:57
closing leg from Michael Weber nearly gained Huntington a surprise victory.
Both teams ran under 8:04, outstanding times. Nitro outkicked Parkersburg
South for 3rd. Morgantown claimed 5th, and South Charleston grabbed a 6th.
RunWV's current score, 5 of 6.
Discus
Three guys topped 150'0. The best of those belonged to Woodrow Wilson's
Matt Morris. His throw of 157'7 was over 4 feet better than that
of runner-up Ken Sanders of Musselman. Parkersburg's Brad Morris
was the other competitor to exceed 150'. North Marion's Andrew Starsick
nabbed a 4th place, just ahead of Point Pleasant's Justin Carr and
St. Albans' Jarrett Thompson. RunWV's current score, 10 of 12.
High Jump
Parkersburg's Ryan Rader saved his best for last as his best jump (6'7)
of the season gave him the High Jump championship. Parkersburg South's
Chris Taylor was the only other competitor to clear at least 6'6.
Hampshire's Chuck Braithwaite, Greenbrier East's Mike Winkfield,
and Philip Barbour's Scott Mayle each cleared 6'4 to take 3rd, 4th, and
5th, respectively. 6th place was a three way tie between Nitro's Josh
McCallister, North Marion's Brandon Wiley, and Preston's
Joshua Boone. RunWV's current score, 15 of 18.
3200 Meter Run
George Washington's Zach Sabatino pulled off a major upset in taking
the 3200 title. He used a strong last lap to surge past St. Albans' Ben
Lukowski within 20 meters of the finish line. Sabatino's teammate
Chris Walsh ran a strong second half to surge into third place, just ahead
of Jefferson's Jeff Gessler and University's Stephen Hiser. Cabell
Midland's Justin Rogers used a strong finishing kick to climb into
6th place. In all, 8 guys ran under 10:00. RunWV's current score, 19 of 24.
400 Meter Dash
As expected, Parkersburg South's Chris Spencer ran away from the field,
winning by nearly a second. Martinsburg's Andrew Morgan narrowly edged
University's Richie Gibbs by 0.05 for 2nd. Capital's Rico Greenhowe
claimed 4th with Wheeling Park's Clint Falduto surging into 5th ahead of
Parkersburg's Jason Battin. RunWV's current score, 25 of 30.
1600 Meter Run
Cabell Midland's Zach Beckett used a finishing kick to narrowly edge
St. Albans' Ben Lukowski who used a 500 meter kick strategy nearly to
perfection. George Washington's Zach Sabatino held on for 3rd. Jefferson's
Jeff Gessler finished strong for 4th, slightly ahead of Cabell Midland's
Richard Kitching. George Washington's Chris Walsh again finished
strong for 6th. RunWV's current score, 30 of 36.
300 Meter Intermediate Hurdles
South Charleston's Scott Kautz scored a narrow victory over Robert C.
Byrd's Tony Shade. Both athletes ran under 39 seconds. North Marion's
Andy Kucish ran a very strong 3rd as he was the only other competitor
to go sub-40. Cabell Midland's Jared O'Malley scored a 4th. South
Charleston's Shaun Marshall claimed fifth from the early heat, and
Woodrow Wilson's Todd Busick grabbed 6th.
RunWV's current score, 35 of 42.
Long Jump
Philip Barbour's Scott Mayle jumped nearly 23' in winning the Long Jump.
Hedgesville's Patrick Miller was the only other competitor to soar beyond
22'. Tony Shade of Robert C. Byrd claimed an easy 3rd place, with Ripley's
steady Brock Stotts taking 4th. Capital's Darnell Davis nailed a
21' jump for 5th, and East Fairmont's Billy Hornton claimed 6th.
RunWV's current score, 40 of 48.
100 Meter Dash
South Charleston's T.R. Dues left no doubt that he was the fastest guy
in Charleston with his easy victory in the 100. Teammate Eddie Whitehead
finished a very solid 2nd. Philip Barbour's Schott Mayle claimed 3rd
with Wheeling Park's Dino Cardinali close behind. Point Pleasant's
Jonathan Bonecutter taking home the 6th spot. RunWV's current score,
44 of 54. One of our placers scratched the event entirely, and another scratched
from the finals due to injury.
110 Meter High Hurdles
Robert C. Byrd's Tony Shade came through for us by taking home the top
prize. South Charleston's Scott Kautz wasn't far behind. Parkersburg
South's Aaron McCartney edged out Jefferson's William Bolton for
3rd. North Marion's Andy Kucish and Huntington's Jonathan Riggs
rounded out the placers. RunWV's current score, 48 of 60.
4x200 Meter Relay
As Parkersburg South's Chris Spencer and South Charleston's T.R. Dues
battled down the stretch for the title, T.R. Dues pulled up lame, giving Parkersburg
South an easy victory. Dues was able to stagger across the line in 3rd, but South
Charleston had been disqualified. Wheeling Park crossed the line in 2nd. Riverside
moved up to 3rd, with University edging Capital for 4th, and Parkersburg coming
in 6th. RunWV's current score, 52 of 66. One of our placers was disqualified
in the finals.
4x100 Meter Relay
Parkersburg South walked away with another relay title, this time by a narrow
margin as they finished a mere 0.02 ahead of South Charleston. Wheeling Park
claimed a strong 3rd, with Riverside taking 4th, North Marion 5th, and St. Albans
6th. RunWV's current score, 56 of 72. Again, one of our placers was disqualified.
Shot Put
Robert C. Byrd's R.J. Coleman easily outthrew the field with his toss
of 52'1 1/4. No other competitor threw over 50'. Ripley's Jonathan Spencer
avenged a couple late-season defeats to Hurricane's Mike Otzenberger by
taking 2nd to Otzenberger's 3rd. Wheeling Park's Pat Young finished a
solid 4th, with Hedgesville's Stephen Berg taking 5th, and Point Pleasant's
Eric Frye finishing 6th. RunWV's current score, 61 of 78.
800 Meter Run
Nitro's Brandon Johnson once again came through in the big meet. He held
off a strong challenge from Huntington's Michael Weber. Parkersburg's
Jason Battin finished a strong 3rd, with Morgantown's Seth Lawson
also finishing under 2:00 in 4th. Cabell Midland's Zach Beckett finished
5th with East Fairmont's Justin Morris taking 6th. RunWV's current score,
66 of 84.
Shuttle Hurdle Relay
Parkersburg South took home an impressive shuttle victory with a time of 57.20.
North Marion ran a strong race for 2nd, but was disqualified for an early exchange.
Buckhannon-Upshur finished just ahead of Keyser for 2nd. Woodrow Wilson claimed
4th with Parkersburg and Capital rounding out the placers. RunWV's current
score, 69 of 90. Two of our placers were disqualified and another fell during
the trials.
200 Meter Dash
In yet another race that had to be decided by a blown up photo, taken to the
thousandths of a second, Parkersburg South's Chris Spencer had just the
narrowest of victories over South Charleston's Eddie Whitehead. Both
athletes were credited with a time of 22.11. Wheeling Park's Dino Cardinali
took the 3rd spot with a strong finish, and Philip Barbour's Scott Mayle
overcame a mild injury to take 4th. Elkins' J.D. Cooper took home the
5th position and Martinsburg's Andrew Morgan walked home with 6th. RunWV's
current score, 73 of 96. The two people who we picked to place that did not had
to scratch due to injury.
4x400 Meter Relay
Capital rode Rico Greenhowe's sub-50 anchor leg to victory in the 4x400.
Cabell Midland ran strong for 2nd, with University edging Parkersburg for 3rd.
Huntington claimed 4th and South Charleston stole 6th place from the early heat
to round out the placers. RunWV's current score, 78 of 102.
Pole Vault
Parkersburg's Ryan Rader was the only vaulter to clear 13'3 in taking
home the title. University's Stephen Patton cleared a personal best 13'0
to take 2nd. Parkersburg South's Michael Teel took 3rd, with Roane's
Jason Alvis and Nitro's Chris McGhee tying for 4th at the same
height. Parkersburg South's Chad Showen took home the 6th spot. RunWV's
Final Score, 83 of 108. 76.9 % of those that we picked to place, did so.
Exceeding Predictions
The following athletes exceed our predictions by 3 or more places and
deserve special mention.
Eddie Whitehead, South Charleston -- 200 M (picked 5th, got 2nd)
Dino Cardinali, Wheeling Park -- 200 M (picked 6th, got 3rd)
Brandon Johnson, Nitro -- 800 M (picked 5th, got 1st)
Chris Walsh, George Washington -- 3200 M (not picked, got 3rd)
Jeff Gessler, Jefferson -- 3200 M (not picked, got 4th)
Buckhannon-Upshur -- Shuttles (picked 6th, got 2nd)
Woodrow Wilson -- Shuttles (not picked, got 4th)
University -- 4x200 (not picked, got 4th)
Mike Winkfield, Greenbrier East -- High Jump (not picked, got 4th)
Jason Alvis, Roane -- Pole Vault (not picked, got 4th)
Pat Young, Wheeling Park -- Shot Put (not picked, got 4th)
Andrew Starsick, North Marion -- Discus (not picked, got 4th)
The following teams in each division deserve kudos for scoring seven points or more higher than we predicted.
AAA Boys Wheeling Park +13 Jefferson +10 University +7 AA-A Boys Wheeling Central +14 Mount Hope +12 Grafton +10 PikeView +8 Winfield +7 AAA Girls Keyser +23 Brooke +13 Buckhannon-Upshur +9 Parkersburg South +9 Greenbrier East +8 Martinsburg +7 AA-A Girls Poca +14 Berkeley Springs +8 East Hardy +7 Paden City +7 Summers +7