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, 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 the pressbox and computer staff who do such a good job at keeping the information flowing and manage to get us everything we ask for.
A-AA Girls
4x800 Meter Relay
Grafton entered as the favorite, but running without Sherri Flohr was going
to expose them to a potential defeat. Megan Docherty opened with a 2:22
lead leg to put Grafton in a great position for the remainder of the race. With
a 9 second lead after 3 legs, the race was all but over with Heather McDaniel
holding the anchor position. McDaniel did not cruise, running a 2:28 leg
to put the competition away. Magnolia's strong anchor leg nearly made up
an 8 second deficit on Charleson Catholic, but Catholic was able to hold
them off down the stretch. Ritchie ran a great race to take 4th. Bridgeport
moved up to 5th and Winfield to 6th when Wheeling Central was disqualified
(we were never made aware of the reason). RunWV's current score 5 of 6.
Shot Put
We did just about as well as we could have in this event. The top three
went exactly as expected, with Winfield's Michele McGinnis heaving the
shot 40'7 1/4 on her last throw to overtake Williamstown's Molly Kiger.
St. Marys' Alicia Dickson and East Hardy's Brandi Brill each had
tosses over 37'. Bridgeport's Theresa Melko grabbed 5th, and
Valley Wetzel's Megan Ueltschy proved to be a clutch performer in
grabbing 6th. She achieved her best throw of the season by a foot and a half.
RunWV's current score: 10 of 12.
Long Jump
The long jump has long been the bane of our predictions. Once again, it
has thwarted us. The young ladies who took 1st and 2nd place were not
even picked to place. Midland Trail's Amanda Horrocks shocked the
field by leaping 15'10 to take a very unexpected title. Bridgeport's Rachel
Williams jumped 15'7, good enough for 2nd. East Hardy's Alicia
Sanders and Gilmer Freshman Erica Williams were the only other
competitors to exceed 15'. Tyler Consolidated's Brittany Hagerty and
Gilmer's Nicole Pounds rounded out the placers. RunWV's current score:
14 of 18.
3200 Meter Run
Grafton's due of Sherri Flohr and Heather McDaniel entered
the event as the only two A-AA girls to run under 12:00 this season. They
left the event as the only two A-AA girls to run under 12:00 in the state
meet. It took a full mile for the duo to reel in the early leader, PikeView's
Marian Brooks. Brooks' was able to maintain well enough to hold on
to third. Her 10 second gap over the 4th place finisher on lap 3 had shrunk
to 5 seconds at the end of lap 7, but she was never really threatened. A pack of
5 girls was fighting for the last three places, but during lap 4, three of
those girls broke away. Of those, Ritchie's Kristina Watson proved
to be the strongest, eventually breaking away from the other two. Scott's
Kristin Byus had enough left to distance herself from Doddridge's
Clara Grandt on the last lap. Grandt, struggling on the last lap,
barely held off a hard-charging Nicole Lemal of Weir, who made up
9 seconds of a 12 second gap. RunWV's current score: 18 of 24.
400 Meter Dash
The second day began with Jennifer Povick's quest to repeat as the 400 Meter
Champion. Povick blasted through the first 200, and generated enough of a lead
to hold off a furious finish by Poca's Ashley Craigo. Povick and
Craigo were the only finishers under 1:00. Summers' Candice Lilly ran a
strong third. Moorefield's Carrie Bierkamp grabbed 4th, and Petersburg's
Roshawna Mongold edged Magnolia's Vanessa Baxter for 5th.
RunWV's current score: 24 of 30.
1600 Meter Run
Sherri Flohr and Heather McDaniel once again ran away from the
field after catching an early leader. Flohr managed to run negative splits in
finishing in 5:19.48. McDaniel finished 5 seconds ahead of the next closest
competitor. Ritchie's Jessica Jones finished very strong to grad 3rd place.
Berkeley Spring's Laurel Thomas finished just over a second back in 4th. The
top 4 all finished in less than 5:30. Early leader Valerie Perrine
of Webster held on for 5th, with Winfield's Lindsay Dawson placing 6th.
RunWV's current score: 29 of 36.
Discus
Pre-meet favorite Theresa Melko of Bridgeport did not disappoint. She
dominated the field in winning by nearly 10 feet. Doddridge's Kate Clark
tossed her best throw of the season by nearly 5 feet to grab 2nd. Oak Glen's
Megan Allison and Sissonville's Emily Facemyer also threw over
110'. Shanda Mason of Cameron and Mandy Maier of Grafton
grabbed the final two places as each finals qualifier threw over 107'. Frankfort's
Andrea Leatherman was the other competitor to toss the discus over 107.
RunWV's current score: 33 of 42.
300 Meter Low Hurdles
Summers' Candice Lilly blew away the field in winning by nearly 1.7 seconds.
Doddridge's Lori Coffman was steady from start to finish in grabbing
2nd. Buffalo's Lindsay Elkins edged Charleston Catholic's Katie
Kern and Frankfort's Ashley Helmstetter for third. Each of the
top 5 finished in under 49.0. Magnolia's Hilary Heinzman grabbed
6th place from the "slow" heat. RunWV's current score: 37 of 48.
100 Meter Dash
Sissonville's Jennifer Povick nabbed her second victory of the day
in easily taking the 100. Ravenswood's Ambria Chambers used a great
start to take a surprisingly easy 2nd place. Moorefield's Carrie Bierkamp
edged Frankfort's Apryl Frankland for 3rd by 0.02. Gilmer Freshman
Camai Roberson nipped Bluefield's Dominque Woods and East
Hardy's Amber Shoemaker for 5th. RunWV's current score: 42 of 54.
100 Meter High Hurdles
Bridgeport's Ali Moore defended her title with an easy win. She was
the only competitor to run under 16 seconds in the finals. Weir's Julie
Drelick edged Doddridge's Lori Coffman for 2nd. Webster's Brandy Johns,
Tyler Consolidated's Jennie Collinsworth and Winfield's Emily Henley
ran a tight race for 4th, with each finishing between 16.8 and 16.9 seconds.
RunWV's current score: 47 of 60.
4x200 Meter Relay
Magnolia and Gilmer ran to a photo finish. The finish line judge indicated
that Gilmer had won, and most in the stands felt that Magnolia had gotten
the edge. In the end, the crowd was correct and Magnolia won the title
by 0.02 seconds. Tyler Consolidated took an easy third. Bridgeport edged
out Winfield for 4th and Weir took a solid 6th. RunWV's current score: 51 of 66.
4x100 Meter Relay
Winfield was the only team in the finals to run faster than they did in the
trials. As a result, they squeezed out the top spot over Tyler Consolidated.
Magnolia held off Gilmer in the race for 3rd. East Hardy edged Weir for 5th.
We got five of six placers right in this event, with the missing placer not
reaching the finals after a dropped baton.
RunWV's current score: 56 of 72.
High Jump
Weir's Nikki Flora had been at the top of the High Jump heap all
year long, and she proved why. Sailing easily through the early portions
led to her clearing a personal best 5'4. Doddridge Freshman Jennie
Spencer was the only other competitor to clear 5'2. Parkersburg
Catholic's Emily Rader was the only other competitor to clear the
bar at 5'0. Doddridge's Danielle Powell cleared 4'10 on her first
attempt to take 4th. Frankfort's Breann Whitacre and Williamstown's
Molly Kiger also cleared 4'10 and took 5th and 6th. 4 other competitors
cleared 4'10, but lost potential places by having too many misses either at
4'10 or at earlier heights. RunWV's current score: 59 of 78.
Pole Vault
Winfield Freshman Maggie Tincher served notice that she will be a
force to be dealt with for three more years as she was the only competitor
to clear 9'6. Bridgeport's Emilee Stout was the only other competitor
to clear 9'0. The defending champion, Doddridge's Nicole White, coming
off a severe knee injury, regained enough strength to take 3rd with a vault of
8'6. Doddridge's Chantel Simmons cleared 8'0 on her first attempt
to grab 4th. Williamstown's Blaine Canfield and Grafton's Kayla
McDaniel tied for 5th. RunWV's current score: 64 of 84.
800 Meter Run
Grafton's Sherri Flohr made it three for three as she ran away from
the field in the 800. Her winning time of 2:18.61 was over 4 seconds better
than 2nd place. Megan Docherty gave Grafton their 3rd 1-2 finish in
the distance events. Wheeling Central's Melanie Gantzer took an
easy 3rd, with Charleston Catholic's Annie Schuerger holding off
Paden City's Loralee Hillyard by the narrowest of margins for 4th.
Berkeley Springs' Laurel Thomas rounded out the placers. RunWV's
current score: 69 of 90.
Shuttle Hurdle Relay
Weir continued a very successful history in the Shuttle Hurdle Relay by
running an impressive 1:06.34 to squeak past pre-meet favorite Bridgeport.
Summers finished 1.5 seconds back for 3rd, just ahead of Tyler Consolidated.
Buffalo and Webster nipped Winfield for 5th and 6th places, respectively.
RunWV's current score: 74 of 96.
200 Meter Dash
Sissonville's Jennifer Povick made the clean sweep of her individual
events by taking the 200 Meter title. Poca's Ashley Craigo made it close,
but couldn't overcome the talented Sophomore. Frankfort's Apryl Frankland
finished a very solid 3rd. Moorefield's Carrie Bierkamp grabbed 4th,
with Summers' Candice Lilly in 5th and Ravenswood's Ambria Chambers
holding 6th. RunWV's current score: 79 of 102.
4x400 Meter Relay
We thought a fully loaded Grafton team could take the victory, but Magnolia
proved too strong. Magnolia ran for the win by nearly a full second. Charleston
Catholic was the only other team really in the chase. They finished over a
second behind Grafton. The first three teams were all under 4:15, while no
other team ran under 4:21. Bridgeport nabbed 4th, with Oak Glen and Winfield
giving chase. RunWV's Final A-AA Girls Score: 84 of 108. That means that
77.8 % of the people that were supposed to place did indeed place
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.
Ambria Chambers, Ravenswood -- 100 M (picked 6th, got 2nd)
Laurel Thomas, Berkeley Springs -- 1600 M (not picked, got 4th)
Katie Kern, Charleston Catholic -- 300 LH (not picked, got 4th)
Bridgeport -- 4x200 (not picked, got 4th)
Charleston Catholic -- 4x800 (picked 5th, got 2nd)
Ritchie -- 4x800 (not picked, got 4th)
Emily Rader, Parkersburg Catholic -- High Jump (not picked, got 3rd)
Chantel Simmons, Doddridge -- Pole Vault (not picked, got 4th)
Amanda Horrocks, Midland Trail -- Long Jump (not picked, got 1st)
Rachel Williams, Bridgeport -- Long Jump (not picked, got 2nd)
Kate Clark, Doddridge -- Discus (picked 5th, got 2nd)
Megan Allison, Oak Glen -- Discus (picked 6th, got 3rd)
Emily Facemyer, Sissonville -- Discus (not picked, got 4th)
The following teams deserve kudos for scoring seven points or more higher than we predicted.
AA-A Girls Charleston Catholic +10 Ravenswood + 8 Ritchie + 7 Oak Glen + 7
AAA Girls
4x800 Meter Relay
Parkersburg South opened with a 2:23 and held on in the middle before closing
with a 2:25 leg to win in convincing fashion in 9:52.18. Martinsburg used
a 2:21 anchor leg from Shannon Tobias to climb into 2nd, also under 10:00.
Parkersburg was strong from start to finish in coming in 3rd. Morgantown barely
held off Buckhannon-Upshur, who was closing quickly down the stretch, for 4th.
Woodrow Wilson was a surprise 6th, getting solid legs througout. We got 5 of 6
on this one, with our missing team coming in a very close 7th. RunWV's
current score: 5 of 6.
Discus
Capital's Lashawna Moss handily defeated the rest of the field with
her throw of 120'2. That throw was over 8 feet further than her nearest
competitor. Cabell Midland's Autumn Jefferson had her best toss
of the year by 5 feet in taking a surprise 2nd. Parkersburg South's
Amber McCartney was solid in finishing 3rd. The Keyser duo of
Tosha Likin and Nicole Kyle were separated by only 5 inches
in grabbing 4th and 5th. Kacie Keesecker of Martinsburg and
Brittany Cartwright of Nicholas had matching throws of 105'7. Keesecker
earned the 6th place spot by having a better 2nd best throw between the two.
RunWV's current score: 9 of 12.
High Jump
Pre-meet favorite, Nancy Regalbuto of Hedgesville, came through
with flying colors, clearing 5'4. Robert C. Byrd's Britney Amodio
also cleared 5'4, but had more misses. Cabell Midland's Amy McVay
was the only other competitor to clear 5'2. Parkersburg's Nikki Daniel
and Wheeling Park's Brianne Kosar tied in clearing 5'0. Cabell
Midland's Sara Beth McVay also cleared 5'0, but fell to 6th on the
tie-breaker. RunWV's current score: 14 of 18.
Pole Vault
We knew coming in that the state record of 10'6 could go down. Parkersburg
South's Asley Dunn had cleared 11'0 twice during the year. As
the vaulters upped the mark, past 9'6 and up to 10'0 only three competitors
remained. Dunn, Capital Freshman Jennifer Hansen, and Dunn's teammate
Ashley Beckett. Hansen and Dunn both soared over 10'0 with ease
on their first attempt. With the bar raised to 10'6, both again soared
over with ease on their first attempt. The bar was set at 10'9, and again
both cleared it on their first attempt. With the bar at 11'0, neither was
able to clear. Hansen earned the victory by having no misses at earlier
heights while Dunn missed twice at 9'6. Robert C. Byrd's Britney Amodio
took 4th at 9'0, while University's Megan Patton also cleared 9'0 for
5th. Parkersburg South's Kendra Combs and Cabell Midland's Jessica
Nelson cleared 8'6 in their tie for 6th. RunWV's current score: 20 of 24.
3200 Meter Run
Last year, 7 girls eclipsed the 12:00 barrier. This year, it would be
only three...the three young ladies from Morgantown. The triumvirate grouped
up during the 2nd lap and moved to the front. They really began to distance
themselves from the field on the 4th lap, and continued to run away over
the second half of the race. The three traded leads several times over
the last few laps, but in the end, Karen Wigal proved to have the
most left on the last lap. Freshman Claire Berryman came on very
strong in the last 100 meters to overtake Leah Erenrich. The top
three all ran under 11:38. The next closest competitor was over 30 seconds
behind. Robert C. Byrd's Stephanie Hatfield found herself in the
unenviable position of running all alone for the last 5 laps. With the
Morgantown girls getting away from her, and the pack a good 50 meters behind,
she was on an island. She held her concentration, though, and maintained
that 4th place position. Parkersburg's Diane Kenaston used a furious
finishing kick to move into 5th place. Cabell Midland'sKira Bailey
was overtaken down the stretch, but fought back to retake 6th place in the
last 10 meters. RunWV's current score: 25 of 30.
400 Meter Dash
Pre-meet favorite, Sheena Spencer of Parkersburg knocked over
a second off her best time in holding off a very game Randi Cary
of Capital for the win. Both were under 59 seconds. Princeton's
Erica Farmer ran away with the "slow" heat in eclipsing the 60 second
barrier and grabbing 3rd place. Keyser's Carrie Barrick barely
held off John Marshall's Kaci Francis for 4th. Only 0.01 separated
the two. Elkins' Zaia Wharton rounded out the placers. RunWV's current
score: 31 of 36.
1600 Meter Run
This proved to be one of the more exciting races of the weekend. A tight
pack remained in tact heading into the final lap. In the end, the closing
speed of Martinsburg's Shannon Tobias and her 1:13 last lap was too
much for the competition. Parkersburg South's Megan Ritchea made
a valiant effort, but came up just short. University's Maria Stover
ran a season best by 11 seconds to claim 3rd. Morgantown's Karen Wigal
matched that improvement in taking 4th. Parkersburg's Diane Kenaston
nabbed her second 5th place finish of the weekend, and Ripley's Alison
Spiker held off Morgantown's Claire Berryman for 6th. RunWV's
current score: 36 of 42.
300 Meter Low Hurdles
Hedgesville's Nancy Regalbuto grabbed 1st place with an outstanding
time of 45.52. Wheeling Park's Andi Rose was on her way to the
victory but stumbled over the last hurdle. She ran so well that she had time
to pick herself up and straggle across the finish line and still get 2nd
place. Greenbrier East's Laura Tamea once again dashed to a high
place from the "slow" heat. Parkersburg South's Ashley Dunn
grabbed 4th, and Elkins' Zaia Wharton and Huntington's Laura
Stevens rounded out the placers. RunWV's current score: 40 of 48.
Long Jump
Last year, 8 athletes jumped over 16'. This year, there was only one.
Cabell Midland's Terri Young launched herself 16'10 1/4. John
Marshall's Melinda Workman nipped Huntington's Ashleigh Chaddock
by 1/4 inch for 2nd. Greenbrier East's Laura Tamea claimed 4th,
with Elkins' Manda Pawelczyk in 5th and Morgantown's Lara Stone
in 6th. RunWV's current score: 43 of 54.
Shot Put
Pre-meet favorite, Alicia Woods of Parkersburg won in dominating
fashion, tossing the shot over a foot and a half further than her nearest
competitor, LaShawna Moss of Capital. Fairmont Senior's duo of
Brittney Miller and LaShawna Black each had season best throws
by over a foot in taking 3rd and 4th. Martinsburg's Lasha Anderson
topped her season best by nearly 2 feet and nabbed 5th place as a result.
Keyser's Nicole Kyle rounded out the placers. RunWV's current score: 48 of 60.
100 Meter Dash
Huntington Freshman Denise Gregory surged to the front in the last few
meters, overcoming the exceptional start of Cabell Midland's Terri Young
for the win. Philip Barbour's Ebony Jones ran strong for 3rd. Fairmont
Senior's Delorean Dooley surprised in grabbing the 4th spot, just ahead of
Capital's Laura Howard and Cabell Midland's Julie Ellis.
RunWV's current score: 52 of 66.
100 Meter High Hurdles
Wheeling Park's Andi Rose was dominant in this event, winning by
nearly 0.4 seconds over Hedgesville's Nancy Regalbuto. Parkersburg
South's Ashley Dunn repeated her 3rd place finish of a year ago.
Capital's Julie Tawney took 4th, Huntington's Ashleigh Chaddock
nabbed 5th, and John Marshall's Stephanie Strgananc grabbed the final
place. RunWV's current score: 57 of 72.
4x200 Meter Relay
Martinsburg ran away from the field with a 1:46.26. They won the race
by over a second. Capital squeaked past Parkersburg for 2nd. Wheeling
Park climbed up into 4th place. Keyser claimed 5th and Jefferson followed
close behind in 6th. RunWV's current score: 62 of 78.
4x100 Meter Relay
Martinsburg edged a surprisingly strong Huntington squad for 2nd. Wheeling
Park closed well for 3rd, just ahed of Cabell Midland. Capital and East
Fairmont completed the scoring. RunWV's current score: 67 of 84.
800 Meter Run
Elkins' Zaia Wharton was impressive from start to finish in running
away from the field. No one else was within 3 seconds of her time of 2:19.80.
Ripley's Alison Spiker claimed 2nd place. The next three places
were separated by less than six tenths of a second. Buckhannon-Upshur's
Lisa Unger used a spectacular finishing kick to overtake Martinsburg's
Shannon Tobias, Parkersburg South's Megan Ritchea, and Ritchea's
teammate Betsy Curry. All six placers ran under 2:25. RunWV's
current score: 73 of 90.
Shuttle Hurdle Relay
Martinsburg missed the state record by only 0.03 seconds in easily defeating
a strong relay field. Parkersburg claimed an easy 2nd, and Parkersburg
South was an easy 3rd. Nitro ran a solid race for 4th. Cabell Midland
and Wheeling Park ran for 5th and 6th. RunWV's current score: 78 of 96.
200 Meter Dash
John Marshall's Kaci Francis powered down the stretch to overtake several
competitors who led her through 140 meters. Cabell Midland's Julie
Ellis breezed into 2nd place. Philip Barbour's Ebony Jones
closed well to take 3rd, just ahead of Keyser's Carrie Barrick.
Cabell Midland's Terri Young claimed 5th place, and Parkersburg's
Sheena Spencer grabbed the final all-state spot. RunWV's current score: 84 of 102.
4x400 Meter Relay
Buckhannon-Upshur overtook Martinsburg on the last leg. Both teams
ran exceptional times, coming in under 4:07. Woodrow Wilson again
surprised in grabbing 3rd. Brooke excelled in the "slow" heat, running
fast enough to take 4th. Parkersburg claimed 5th, just ahead of Capital.
RunWV's Final Score: 89 of 108. 82.4% of the people we picked to place
did so.
Exceeding Predictions
The following athletes exceed our predictions by 3 or more places and
deserve special mention.
Delorean Dooley, Fairmont Senior -- 100 M (not picked, got 4th)
Ebony Jones, Philip Barbour -- 200 M (picked 6th, got 3rd)
Erica Farmer, Princeton -- 400 M (picked 6th, got 3rd)
Laura Tamea, Greenbrier East -- 300 LH (not picked, got 3rd)
Ashley Dunn, Parkersburg South -- 300 LH (not picked, got 4th)
Parkersburg -- 4x200 (picked 6th, got 3rd)
Wheeling Park -- 4x200 (not picked, got 4th)
Woodrow Wilson -- 4x400 (not picked, got 3rd)
Brianne Kosar -- High Jump (not picked, tied for 4th)
Melinda Workman -- Long Jump (not picked, got 2nd)
Laura Tamea -- Long Jump (not picked, got 4th)
Autumn Jefferson -- Discus (not picked, got 2nd)
Amber McCartney -- Discus (picked 6th, got 3rd)
The following teams deserve kudos for scoring seven points or more higher than we predicted.
AAA Girls Fairmont Senior +11 Wheeling Park + 9 Greenbrier East + 8 Cabell Midland + 7.5 John Marshall + 7
A-AA Boys
4x800 Meter Relay
Ravenswood used a 1:57 opening leg from Chris Snell to put the pressure
on the contending teams. Grafton was able to surge into the lead heading
into the last leg, but Adam Benford ran a 1:59 anchor leg to give
Ravenswood the victory. Grafton held 2nd, and Williamstown held off
Doddridge, who used a 1:59 anchor leg from Josh Sheets to get back
in contention. The first 4 teams all ran under 8:15, which would have won
last year. Ritchie finished 5th, over 14 seconds back, followed by Scott
4 seconds later. RunWV's current score: 5 of 6.
Long Jump
Williamstown's Tony Flinn, a strange combination of Long Jumper/Thrower,
outleaped the field in being the only competitor to exceed 21'. Richwood's
Stephen Zirilli had his best leap of the season by nearly 9 inches
to climb into 2nd. Magnolia's Aaron Long got the upper hand on pre-meet
favorite Chris Hampton of Bridgeport based on a better 2nd best jump
to take 3rd. Buffalo's Daniel Watson was the last competitor to
exceed 20' in taking 5th. Greenbrier West's Bryan Spitzer completed
the all-state roster. RunWV's current score: 10 of 12.
Shot Put
Defending Champion Brad Wilt of Doddridge put the pressure on his
competitors early when he tossed the shot 53'9 on his first attempt. No
one was able to get within two feet of that mark, except for Wilt himself,
he later in the event his 54'0. Liberty Raleigh's Tristan Crookshank
came up with his best throw of the year by over 3 feet to snag 2nd. Magnolia's
Travis Emch was the only other competitor to exceed 50' in taking
3rd. Ritchie's Brady Henger narrowly missed out on joining the 50'
club with his toss of 49'11. Paden City's Nicholas Henderson threw
a season best 49'7 for 5th. Williamstown's Tony Flinn grabbed the
final place. RunWV's current score: 15 of 18.
3200 Meter Run
Oak Glen's Justin Simpson was the overwhelming favorite, but an ankle
injury suffered while warming up for the 4x800 left his status in doubt.
He lined up for the 3200 and began the race. Grafton's Scott Gemberling
pushed the pace early, going through the first lap in 1:06. At the end of two
laps, Gemberling was joined by Simpson and Doddridge's Josh Sheets. By
the end of the first mile, Simpson had begun to take control, going through
in 4:41 and not showing any ill effects from his ankle injury. Sheets and
Gemberling trailed closely but were beginning to drop the pace. Simpson continued
to build his lead, while Gemberling started to get away from Sheets. Meanwhile,
Josh Simpson of Oak Glen had begun closing the gap on Sheets. At
the gun lap, Justin Simpson was in clear control and could cruise to the victory.
Gemberling had very solid control of 2nd, and Josh Simpson had bolted past
Sheets. Justin Simpson waltzed in at 9:29.09 on his gimpy ankle. Gemberling
held 2nd in 9:42. Josh Simpson closed strong for a 9:48. Josh Sheets coasted
in for 4th. Ravenswood teammates Isaac Andrick and Chris Snell
outkicked Grafton's John Riffle for 5th and 6th, respectively. RunWV's
current score: 20 of 24.
400 Meter Dash
Magnolia's Josh Natali pulled off a mild upset in the 400, barely
holding off pre-meet favorite Josh Bowman of Ravenswood, who was
closing quickly, by 0.06. Both runners were under 50 seconds. Mount Hope's
Jared Pittman ran very strong for 3rd, with Oak Glen's Rance Everly
not far behind in 4th. Each of the first four were fast enough to beat the
winning time from last year. Pocahontas' Joseph Schoolcraft claimed an
easy 5th, with Greenbrier West Freshman Chris Fleming holding on
for 6th. RunWV's current score: 25 of 30.
1600 Meter Run
This was one of the more anticipated races of the weekend, with several
runners sporting the ability to win.Again, pre-meet favorite, Oak Glen's
Justin Simpson's status was in doubt. Again, he lined up to compete.
It wasn't to be this time, however, as he pulled off the track less than a
lap into the race. The leaders pushed through the first lap in 1:04, but there
was still quite a pack. By the end of the 2nd lap, a four man race had evolved.
Ravenswood's Chris Snell was leading the way, coming through in 2:09.
He was trailed closely by Grafton's Scott Gemberling and Magnolia's
Matt Quinet. They were followed closely by defending champion Josh
Sheets of Doddridge. The next two laps looked like an all-out version
of a Blood and Guts drill. One runner would make a move, and the other three
would counter. Through the 3 1/2 lap mark, no runner could gain a significant
advantage. Quinet had generated a very small gap. At the 200 meter mark,
Sheets made his move. He pulled along side of Quinet and surged to the
front. Quinet countered, and both began their final sprint to the finish,
leaving the other two contenders in their own battle for 3rd. Sheets came
into the stretch with a small lead, and with both runners straining for
every tenth of a second, Sheets was able to hold off Quinet. Sheets' time
was 4:25.41 to Quinet's 4:25.67. Snell was able to win the dash for 3rd
in 4:28.41 to Gemberlings 4:28.79. Williamstown's Adam Raper claimed
the 5th spot in 4:31.61, and Oak Glen's Josh Simpson grabbed 6th in
4:33.50. The field looks strong for next year as only Sheets and Quinet
graduate. They can be replaced by a healthy Justin Simpson, and Scott Freshman
Jason Sheets and Frankfort Junior Woody Snoberger who ran
4:34 and 4:35 respectively in taking 7th and 8th. Our picks on this one
took a hit when two of our top three predicted placers dropped out before
the halfway point. RunWV's current score: 28 of 36.
300 Meter Intermediate Hurdles
Winfield SuperSoph Brad Keys looks like a sure bet to threaten
the state record next season after taking a one second victory in 39.23
this year. Berkeley Springs' Shane Bosley came up for 2nd down
the stretch. Ritchie Freshman Zach Linville continued the 300 Meter
youth movement with a 3rd place finish, also under 41 seconds. Wayne's
Justin Clagg narrowly snared 4th while running in the "slow" heat. Bridgeport's
Joe Ielapi gained the 5th spot over "slow" heat runner Andrew
Dawson of Sissonville. Those times had to be broken down to the thousandths
to determine a winner. RunWV's current score: 33 of 42.
Pole Vault
Last year, 5 vaulters cleared 13'0 at the state meet. This year none
would accomplish the feat. Ritchie's Nick Morgan proved to be the
best of the crew this year. He and Liberty Harrison's Dustin Mutschelknaus
each cleared 12'6, but Morgan won on fewer misses. Wheeling Central's Josh
Wiethe was the only other vaulter to clear 12'0. Williamstown Freshman
Wesley Billups was the only other one over 11'6. Two other vaulters
cleared 11'0 to round out the placers. They were Winfield's Adam Petryszak
and Grafton's Darren Turner. RunWV's current score: 38 of 48.
High Jump
Wheeling Central's Eric Belancic had been dominant in the High Jump
all season long, but he was not going to go unchallenged. Richwood's
Stephen Zirilli would give him all he could handle. Belancic would
come out on top, though, with both jumpers clearing 6'6, but Belancic having
fewer misses. No other jumper cleared more than 6'2. Three jumpers
cleared 6'2. Tucker's David Gsell grabbed 3rd on the tiebreakers,
Berkeley Springs' Adam Mason 4th, and Webster's Michael Sears
5th. Four other jumpers cleared 6'0, but it was Doddridge's Derek Underwood
claming 6th place by himself after breaking the tie. RunWV's current score: 43 of 54.
100 Meter Dash
Much like the A-AA Girls 4x200, this event was in doubt at the finish. The
finish line judge indicated that Ravenswood's Josh Bowman had scored
the victory. Some in the stands agreed, while many others felt that Greenbrier
West's Chris Fleming had held on for the win. The camera had to
break this one down to the thousandths to determine a winner. In the end,
it was determined that Fleming had held on for the narrow victory. Cameron's
Roger Kupfer claimed a close 3rd. Berkeley Springs' Jamie Moore
moved up to 4th down the stretch. Bridgeport's Chris Hampton parlayed
an exceptional start into a 5th place finish. Sissonville's Jeffery
Honaker squeezed into 6th position. RunWV's current score: 48 of 60.
110 Meter High Hurdles
Magnolia's Josh Natali made it two for two, taking a convincing win
in the 110's. Winfield's Brad Keys was an easy 2nd. Bridgeport's
Joe Ielapi closed well for 3rd. Berkeley Springs' Shane Bosley
grabbed 4th despite losing a shoe early in the race. Wheeling Central's
Eric Belancic ran his best race of the year by far to nab 5th, and
Oak Glen's Brian Forsythe claimed 6th. RunWV's current score: 52 of 66.
4x200 Meter Relay
Oak Glen was able to hold off Ravenswood, who received a tremendous anchor
leg from Josh Bowman to nearly steal the win. Ritchie made a strong
move on the last leg as well to snare the 3rd position, just ahead of Tyler
Consolidated. Bluefield claimed 5th and Richwood 6th following Mount Hope's
disqualification. RunWV's current score: 57 of 72.
Discus
A very strong discus field saw 4 throwers exceed 150', with two others over
149'. However, none was even close to Poca's Ryan Burdette. Burdette
launched a throw of 169'11 to shatter the existing state record by over 6
feet. Valley Wetzel's Travis Shreve was over 17' back even with
his outstanding throw of 152'8. Williamstown's Zach Hall had a toss
of 151'0 to take third, and Doddridge's Brad Wilt hit 150'0 for 4th.
Ravenswood's Eric Reed edged Ritchie's Brady Henger by one
inch for 5th. RunWV's current score: 62 of 78.
4x100 Meter Relay
Pre-meet favorite Berkeley Springs defended their title of a year ago in
easily defeating the field, winning by over 0.4 seconds. Sissonville ran
strong for 2nd, with Wheeling Central running a strong 3rd. Williamstown
grabbed the 4th spot, with Winfield nipping Bridgeport for 5th. RunWV's current
score: 67 of 84.
800 Meter Run
Oak Glen's Seth Hauser shattered his best time of the season, completely
dominating the field in winning by nearly 3 seconds. His time of 1:57.51
was the only time recorded under 2:00. Liberty Raleigh's Chris Herron
duplicated last year's runner-up finish, barely holding off Richwood's
Michael King. Williamstown's Ryan Jobes kicked his way into
4th. Independence's Ashton Nelson held on from his too-fast early pace
(54 second first lap), to claim 5th. Magnolia's Matt Quinet recovered
enough from the 1600 to take 6th. RunWV's current score: 71 of 90.
Shuttle Hurdle Relay
Magnolia and Winfield were expected to dual in this event, and dual they
did. After three legs, Magnolia had the lead, and with Josh Natali
running the anchor, the lead would be safe, barring catastrophe. Natali
did not stumble, and Magnolia claimed the victory. Winfield was an easy
2nd. Those two teams were the only ones to run under 1:00. Sissonville
claimed 3rd. Meadow Bridge edged Oak Glen for 4th. Bridgeport was an
easy 6th. RunWV's current score: 76 of 96.
200 Meter Dash
Magnolia's Josh Natali made it three for three in his individual
events in running away with the 200. He beat the field by nearly 0.4 seconds.
Berkeley Springs' Shane Bosley edged past Greenbrier West's Chris
Fleming for 2nd. Mount Hope's Jarrod Pittman snagged 4th, and
Bosley's teammate Jeff Nuzzolo claimed 5th, just nipping Oak Glen's
Rance Everly. RunWV's current score: 82 of 102.
4x400 Meter Relay
Ravenswood did not follow the meet strategy we had guessed, and that shifted
the role of favorite to Oak Glen. Oak Glen did not disappoint, running
two and a half seconds faster than anyone else. They ran a 3:32.52 and
not other team ran under 3:35. Ravenswood was in the fight for 2nd, but
their 2nd runner pulled up about 200 meters into his leg. That left Wheeling
Central and Magnolia contending for 2nd, with Wheeling Central pulling out
the win. The race for 4th was a three way battle, with Doddridge, Grafton,
and Williamstown all vying for the position. They battled down the stretch,
and it was Doddridge moving up into the 4th spot in the last 30 meters,
with Grafton taking 5th, and Williamstown 6th. RunWV's Final Score: 86 of 108.
79.6% 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.
Chris Fleming, Greenbrier West -- 100 M (picked 4th, got 1st)
Roger Kupfer, Cameron -- 100 M (not picked, got 3rd)
Chris Herron, Liberty Raleigh -- 800 M (not picked, got 2nd)
Ryan Jobes, Williamstown -- 800 M (not picked, got 4th)
Josh Sheets, Doddridge -- 1600 M (picked 5th, got 1st)
Chris Snell, Ravenswood -- 1600 M (not picked, got 3rd)
Wheeling Central -- 4x400 (not picked, got 2nd)
Magnolia -- 4x400 (picked 6th, got 3rd)
Tristan Crookshank, Liberty Raleigh -- Shot Put (picked 6th, got 2nd)
Brady Henger, Ritchie -- Shot Put (not picked, got 4th)
Travis Shreve, Valley Wetzel -- Discus (not picked, got 2nd)
Josh Wiethe, Wheeling Central -- Pole Vault (picked 6th, got 3rd)
The following teams deserve kudos for scoring seven points or more higher than we predicted.
A-AA Boys Wheeling Central +16 Richwood + 9 Liberty Raleigh + 8 Valley Wetzel + 8
AAA Boys
4x800 Meter Relay
Capital ran Rico Greenhowe on the lead leg, and he gave them a 1:57.5
opener. That certainly didn't seal the deal though, as Martinsburg hung
tough all the way. The anchor legs battled all the way down the stretch,
with Capital's Justin Johnson barely holding off Martinsburg's
Brad Dodson. Cabell Midland held off Preston's surprisingly strong
anchor leg to take 3rd. Parkersburg held 5th, and George Washington just
held off South Charleston for 6th. RunWV's current score: 5 of 6.
High Jump
With Parkersburg's Ryan Rader out of the picture, this event became
a lot more wide open. Philip Barbour's Scott Mayle and St. Albans'
Mike Farry had to settle things with a jump-off, with Mayle taking
the victory. Preston's Josh Boone was the only other jumper over 6'2.
North Marion's Ricky Sell claimed 4th over John Marshall's Allen Byard,
a surprise placer in the event. Parkersburg South's Josh Hall and Greenbrier
East's Mike Winkfield tied for 6th. RunWV's current score: 10 of 12.
Pole Vault
Parkersburg's Ryan Rader proved to have overcome his ankle injury
enough to best a strong field of vaulters. He was the only vaulter to clear 14'0.
Nitro's Chris McGhee and Wheeling Park's Adam Albaugh each cleared
13'9, with McGhee winning the tie-breaker. Roane's Scott Burdette also
claimed a higher spot over Parkersburg South's Sonny Dye with a tie-breaker.
Roane's Jason Alvis grabbed the final spot. RunWV's current score: 15 of 18.
Discus
Fortunately, with his rooftop cracking throw not counted, Woodrow Wilson's
Matt Morris was still able to score a three-peat in the discus with a
still-impressive throw of 173'5. That was over 19' futher than his next closest
competitor. Musselman's Ken Sanders was the only other thrower over
150'. Keyser's Velmere Green pulled off a surprise 3rd. St. Albans
Sophomore Chris Boggs claimed 4th, and Buckhannon-Upshur's Adam
Newman nipped Cabell Midland's Zack Morrison for 5th. RunWV's
current score: 20 of 24.
3200 Meter Run
A George Washington runner once again pulled off the upset. This time it
was Chris Walsh coming to the forefront. Walsh hung on the shoulder
of St. Albans' Ben Lukowski until the last lap, and then the two began
to race. Walsh pulled away in the last hunder meters to take the startling
victory. Morgantown's Keith Rand and East Fairmont's Tyler Devault
held on for 3rd and 4th after falling off the lead pace after 3 1/2 laps.
Parkersburg's Dave Ferrell claimed 5th, and Woodrow Wilson's Thomas
Hobbs came up for 6th on the last lap. RunWV's current score: 25 of 30.
400 Meter Dash
Capital's Rico Greenhowe had been dominant in the 400 all season long,
and the State Meet would be no different. No other runner finished within
one second of him as he blasted through the lap in 48.35. Woodrow Wilson's
Antwan Sorrells and Parkersburg South's Ivan Hawkins also ran
under 50 seconds. Jefferson's Rahman Wilcox claimed 4th. Elkins'
Nic Phillips took 5th, and Cabell Midland Freshman John Saunders
nabbed 6th out of the "slow" heat. RunWV's current score: 29 of 36.
1600 Meter Run
Cabell Midland's Richard Kitching opened with a 61 second lap, and
continued to lead the remainder of the way, holding off challengers as he
went. St. Albans' Ben Lukowski used his even pacing to climb into
2nd down the stretch. Martinsburg's Brad Dodson followed Kitching
through 3 laps and held on for 3rd. Morgantown's Keith Rand stayed
just ahead of Kitching's teammate Greg Cooke for 4th. George Washington's
Chris Walsh claimed the final All-State spot. RunWV's current score: 34 of 42.
300 Meter Intermediate Hurdles
North Marion's Grant Paugh pulled off a major surprise in winning
the 300 Hurdles out of the "slow" heat. The only person who would have been
close to him was Keyser's Evan Taylor, who tumbled over the last hurdle.
John Marshall's Ryan Vucelik took 2nd, also running in the "slow" heat.
Cabell Midland's Chad Jordan slipped in front of St. Albans' Brent
Jarrell for 3rd. Hurricane's Matt McDaniel claimed 5th and
Musselman's Josh Stroop claimed the final place. RunWV's current score: 38 of 48.
Shot Put
Robert C. Byrd's R.J. Coleman repeated as champion, outdistancing his
competition by over 2 feet with his throw of 54'4. Logan's Josh Frye
had his best throw of the season by nearly 4 feet in taking 2nd. Woodrow
Wilson's Matt Morris exceed his previous best by over 2 feet to snag
3rd. Fairmont Senior's Zach Martin also improved by well over 2 feet
in taking 4th. Each of the first four had throws over 50'. Wheeling Park's
Pat Young claimed 5th, and Hedgesville's Alex Bennett was 6th.
RunWV's current score: 41 of 54.
100 Meter Dash
Philip Barbour's Scott Mayle blasted the field with a convincing
victory. His time of 10.80 was the only time under 11 seconds. Woodrow
Wilson's Antwan Sorrells stretched out of the pack late for 2nd.
St. Albans' Joe Mosley edged Buckhannon Upshur's Sloan Baisden
by 0.01 and Riverside's Willie Whetstone by 0.03 for 3rd. Whetstone's
teammate Rusty Taylor claimed 6th. RunWV's current score: 46 of 60.
110 Meter High Hurdles
Preston's Matt Liston pulled even with and passed Parkersburg South's
Chris Nix late in the race to take the narrow victory. Hurricane's
Matt McDaniel finished solidly in 3rd. East Fairmont's Ryan Keeney
climbed the charts into 4th. Cabell Midland's Chad Jordan and
Jefferson's Bo Bolton took the last two spots. RunWV's current score: 51 of 66.
4x200 Meter Relay
Parkersburg South cruised through to a relatively easy victory, over a half
second ahead of Riverside. Greenbrier East ran well for 3rd, with Ripley
claiming 4th. South Charleston nipped Preston and Hurricane for 5th.
RunWV's current score: 56 of 72.
4x100 Meter Relay
Parkersburg South sprinted away with another relay title, but this time
they only squeaked by with Woodrow Wilson in hot pursuit. Hampshire slid
in for a surprising 3rd. Riverside grabbed 4th, and Ripley edged Jefferson
and St. Albans for 5th. RunWV's current score: 61 of 78.
Long Jump
Philip Barbour's Scott Mayle's nagging groin injury did not prevent
him from winning the long jump, but it did prevent him from making a run at
the state record. Ripley's Brock Stotts nearly pulled off the upset,
missing by only an inch and a half. Capital's Darnell Davis was just
over two inches back of Stotts in claiming 3rd. North Marion's Rocky
Manchin grabbed 4th ahead of South Charleston's Aaron Willis and
Hampshire's Bryan Wright. In all, 9 jumpers exceed 20 feet. RunWV's
current score: 65 of 84.
800 Meter Run
Capital's Rico Greenhowe accelerated down the stretch when Huntington's
Michael Weber made his big move. Greenhowe bolted to a 0.6 second
victory over Weber. Greenhowe's teammate Justin Johnson was less
than a half second back of Weber in 3rd. Each of the three was under 1:57.3.
The final three placers were also under 2:00. Cabell Midland's Richard
Kitching squeezed in just ahead of Martinsburg's Kyle Buzzell
and Hedgesville's Anthony McCarty. RunWV's current score: 68 of 90.
Shuttle Hurdle Relay
Pre-meet favorite Buckhannon-Upshur was disqualified, thwarting an exciting
finish that saw three teams crossing the line nearly simultaneously. In the
aftermath, the camera showed that Cabell Midland had pulled off the win,
just nipping Parkersburg South by 0.02. St. Albans claimed 3rd, just ahead
of North Marion. Woodrow Wilson grabbed 5th and John Marshall 6th. RunWV's
current score: 72 of 96.
200 Meter Dash
Yet another photo finish occurred in the 200. This time is was Riverside's
Willie Whetstone just slipping in ahead of Woodrow Wilson's Antwan
Sorrells by 0.01. Parkersburg South's Ivan Hawkins was solidly
in 3rd, with Buckhannon-Upshur's Sloan Baisden a clear 4th. Preston's
Billy Harris-Sypolt edged Wheeling Park's Clint Falduto for
5th. Pre-meet favorite Scott Mayle of Philip Barbour had to pull
out of this race due to an injury, preventing him a shot at 40 points.
RunWV's current score: 76 of 102.
4x400 Meter Relay
The 4x400 began with the team scores in doubt. If Capital followed through
with pre-meet predictions and won the 4x400, they would win the meet. If
Cabell Midland pulled off an upset and won the 4x400, they would win the meet.
If anyone else won the event, Woodrow Wilson would be the team champion.
Cabell Midland went into the 3rd leg with the lead, trailed closely by
Huntington and Capital. However, Huntington had Michael Weber to anchor
it and Capital had...yep...Rico Greenhowe. Greenhowe blasted past everyone
else and carried Capital to nearly a 2 second victory and the team title.
Huntington. Cabell Midland claimed 3rd. South Charleston and Greenbrier
East took the next two places out of the "slow" heat, and Lewis County
finished 6th. RunWV's Final Score: 80 of 108. 74.1% of the people we
picked to place did indeed place.
Exceeding Predictions
The following athletes exceed our predictions by 3 or more places and
deserve special mention.
Sloan Baisden, Buckhannon-Upshur -- 100 M (not picked, got 4th)
Richard Kitching, Cabell Midland -- 800 M (not picked, got 4th)
Brad Dodson, Martinsburg -- 1600 M (picked 6th, got 3rd)
Chris Walsh, George Washington -- 3200 M (picked 4th, got 1st)
Chris Nix, Parkersburg South -- 110 HH (picked 5th, got 2nd)
Grant Paugh, North Marion -- 300 IH (not picked, got 1st)
Hampshire -- 4x100 (not picked, got 3rd)
South Charleston -- 4x400 (not picked, got 4th)
Cabell Midland -- Shuttles (picked 4th, got 1st)
North Marion -- Shuttles (not picked, got 4th)
Ricky Sell, North Marion -- High Jump (not picked, got 4th)
Ryan Rader, Parkersburg -- Pole Vault (picked 4th, got 1st)
Scott Burdette, Roane -- Pole Vault (not picked, got 4th)
Josh Frye, Logan -- Shot Put (picked 5th, got 2nd)
Zack Martin, Fairmont Senior -- Shot Put (not picked, got 4th)
Velmere Green, Keyser - Discus (not picked, got 3rd)
The following teams in each division deserve kudos for scoring seven points or more higher than we predicted.
AAA Boys North Marion +19 Parkersburg + 9 South Charleston + 8 Hampshire + 7 Woodrow Wilson + 7