The first year of the 3 Class System has been completed, and I call it a rousing success. The state meet had a number of outstanding performances and great races. There will be critics who look at the new set-up diluting the talent-pool, but that's not the case. As with all changes, it takes time and patience. The first few seasons of Cross Country after A-AA split from AAA were quite weak on the A-AA side with a couple teams dominating the action. I don't think many would argue that A-AA is weak any more. The WVSSAC needs to give the 3 Class System at least four years to develop, and if they do, they'll see increased participation at both the Class A and Class AA level. Increased participation will yield increased competition, and increased competition will yield better times. This is the best move for the growth of our sport.
Class AAA Girls
4x800 Meter Relay
University stormed out with legs of 2:23 and 2:24 to put themselves into
position, and they went on to prove as they have all season long that the
4x800 belonged to them this year. Parkersburg managed to pull away from the
other contenders for 2nd place, finishing 5 seconds behind University but
over 3 seconds ahead of 3rd place. Capital won a tight battle for 3rd over
Hedgesville in what would just be the beginning of a series of outstanding
Cougar performances. Preston nipped Hurricane at the line by a tenth of a
second for 5th. RunWV's Current Score: 5 of 6.
Discus
There's always at least one event each year on which we bomb out completely.
Usually it's one of the Long Jumps, but this year it was the AAA Girls Discus.
Only 2 of our predicted top 6 finished in the top 6. The field did manage
to have seven girls throw at least 100', but only two of them topped 103'.
Martinsburg's Kacie Keesecker proved the best of the field with her
117' toss. Parkersburg South's Amber McCartney backed up her placing
spot of a year ago by throwing 114', a season's best by 11'. Hampshire's
Carolyn Rockow hadn't thrown over 95' all year (at least that we'd
seen), but her 103'11 was good enough for 3rd. Fairmont Senior's Brittney
Miller also topped 103' in finishing 4th. The other three girls over
100' were separated by only 2". Capital's Brittany Fink edged
George Washington's Elizabeth Hammond and Fairmont Senior's Sarah
Keeling for 5th place. Hammond and Keeling had matching throws with
Hammond scoring the point based on a better 2nd best throw. RunWV's
Current Score: 7 of 12.
Long Jump
Jefferson's Shardal Twyman was the standout in this event, winning
by over a foot and being the only girl in the field to top 17' with her
leap of 17'6 1/4. Capital's Jennifer Hansen continued Capital's
strong start by grabbing 2nd place with her 16'4 3/4 jump. Morgantown's
Lara Stone was the only other girl to exceed 16' in taking 3rd. George
Washington's Emily Waldie just missed the mark in taking 4th. Ripley's
Cara Waybright nailed down 5th place, and Cabell Midland's Terri
Young, still fighting back from injury, claimed the final spot. In all,
12 girls jumped over 15'. RunWV's Current Score: 11 of 18.
Shuttle Hurdle Relay
Jefferson ran a strong race and held off a charging Nitro team down the
stretch. Both teams ran under 1:06. Hurricane edged out Cabell Midland
for 3rd behind the anchor leg of Kristen Loughry. The battle for
5th was also close as Parkersburg edged John Marshall for the spot. RunWV's
Current Score: 15 of 24.
High Jump
5 girls cleared 5'2 and 6 more cleared 5'0 leaving many ties to be broken
when possible. Wheeling Park's Breanne Kosar won the title outright
after misses were taken into account. Capital's magical Friday continued
when Julie Tawney tied for 2nd with Preston's Stephanie Kisner.
Martinsburg's Candace Cook scored a 4th and Hedgesville's Ashley
Copenhaver grabbed 5th with her 5'2 jump. Tie-breakers did not help
much with the 5'0 group as 4 girls tied for the 6th place spot. Jefferson's
Danielle Curry, Robert C. Byrd's Britney Amodio, Fairmont
Senior's Jillian Conrad, and Preston's Mariah Freeman tied
for 6th. RunWV's Current Score: 19 of 30.
3200 Meter Run
The 3200 was expected to be a repeat performance for Morgantown's Karen
Wigal. The early pace was strong, but she was unable to shake Parkersburg
South's Allison Teter, a relative newcomer to the event. Teter stayed
just off Wigal's shoulder lap after lap. On the last lap, Teter made her
move and easily outdistanced the defending champion. Teter's time of 11:24 was
over 6 seconds faster than that of Wigal. Parkersburg's Diane Kenaston
took 3rd by over 3 seconds over Morgantown's Claire Berryman. Elkins'
Katie Burda also squeezed under the 12:00 mark in taking 5th, and
University's Melinda BerryAnn celebrated their 4x800 victory by adding
a 6th place in the 3200. RunWV's Current Score: 24 of 36.
400 Meter Dash
With 5 girls having run under 60 seconds on the season, this one was up
for grabs. Two of the girls achieved their sub-60 times again and were
joined by another who hadn't been there yet. Parkersburg's Sheena Spencer,
the defending champion, was still fighting her way back from injury but ran
aggressively, and it paid off. She was able to hold off the contenders
down the stretch and repeated her state title performance of a year ago.
George Washington's Caroline Price was just able to slip in ahead of
Capital's Randi Cary, but Cary's 3rd place finish meant that Capital
was picking up right where they left off on Friday...turning 5th's and 6th's
into 2nd's and 3rd's. Martinsburg scored a pair of places with the back-to-back
finish of Kati Hoeck and Laurel Bobo. Jefferson's Erin Dilley
grabbed 6th. RunWV's Current Score: 30 of 42.
Pole Vault
Capital's Jennifer Hansen was the overwhelming favorite and proved
why. She cleared a State Meet Record and State All-Time Record 11'6, a full
18 inches higher than anyone else. Parkersburg South's Ashley Beckett
was the only other vaulter to clear 10'. Three girls soared over 9'6, led
by Hurricane Freshman Kristen Loughry. Wheeling Park's Jemma
Lester and Hedgesville's Tracey Regalbuto also cleared the mark.
Robert C. Byrd's Britney Amodio was the only other vaulter to clear 9'0.
RunWV's Current Score: 35 of 48.
1600 Meter Run
University's Maria Stover had been working for this event for the past
12 months. This event was her focus, and it showed. Never yielding down
the stretch, she drove past her competitors and took the title in a stellar
5:13.08. Ripley's Alison Spiker led the bulk of the race and turned
in a 5:16.04 of her own. Parkersburg South's Allison Teter, the 3200
champion, made a late move but came up short, taking 3rd in 5:17.82. Parkersburg's
Diane Kenaston easily outdistanced the remaining competition in taking
in 5:21.96. Morgantown's Karen Wigal was the only other runner under
5:30. Greenbrier East's Elise McClintic used a fast final 50 to slip
into the final placing spot. RunWV's Current Score: 40 of 54.
300 Meter Low Hurdles
Greenbrier East's Laura Tamea had a history of performing well in
the 300 Meter Hurdles, and she turned in another stellar performance this year
in taking the event in 45.90, pulling away from Jefferson's Maggie Smith
in the last 40 meters. Those two were well ahead of the field. Parkersburg's
Sheena Spencer continued to battle and took a 3rd. Hedgesville
Freshman Miranda Reed picked up a strong 4th, going under 48 seconds.
Preston's SeeGee Kisner picked up a 5th, and Nitro's Sarah Anderson
claimed 6th, both under 49 seconds. RunWV's Current Score: 45 of 60.
100 Meter High Hurdles
Taking a tumble in the 300 Hurdles had no lingering effects for Hurricane
Freshman Kristen Loughry as she darted through the event in 15.10.
Capital's Julie Tawney continued Capital's run of strong performances
with her 2nd place finish. She finished just ahead of Ripley's Jennifer
Whyte. Huntington's Ashley Chaddock an a strong 4th. Hedgesville's
Ashley Copenhaver finished 5th as the top 5 all came in under 16 seconds.
Cabell Midland's Brittany Rogers rounded out the scoring. RunWV's
Current Score: 50 of 66.
100 Meter Dash Jefferson's Shardal Twyman pulled away from Huntington's Denise Gregory in the last few meters to take the title in an impressive 12.34. Woodrow Wilson's Sarah McKinney nipped South Charleston's Kevisha Cunningham at the line to take 3rd, duplicating their regional finish. Capital Freshman Jerikka Johnson edged Cabell Midland's Terri Young for 5th. RunWV's Current Score: 55 of 72.
Shot Put
Parkersburg's Alicia Woods was a strong favorite and came within
3 1/4 inches of the State Meet Record. Fairmont Senior's LaShawna Black
had an outstanding day as well with her toss of 39'9. The two were the only
ones who exceeded 37'. Black's teammate Brittney Miller was the only
other thrower over 35' Cabell Midland Freshman Megan Scites scored
a 4th in her first state meet, just inching past Hurricane's Rachel
Blankenship. Martinsburg's Ashley Winston rounded out the placing
in the event. RunWV's Current Score: 60 of 78.
4x200 Meter Relay
Martinsburg was expected to impress in this event, and they certainly did,
going under 1:46 and winning by a second and a half. Woodrow Wilson edged
out Capital for 2nd. George Washington was hot on their collective heels
as only 0.3 seconds separated the three teams. Brooke was a solid 5th, and
South Charleston grabbed 6th as all 6 placer ran under 1:50. RunWV's Current
Score: 66 of 84.
4x100 Meter Relay
Martinsburg continued their impressive relays in winning the 4x100. South
Charleston showed strength as well, edging Woodrow Wilson for 3rd. Capital
claimed 4th, and Hedgesville nipped Jefferson for 5th. RunWV's Current
Score: 71 of 90.
800 Meter Run
Ripley's Alison Spiker recovered well from the 1600 and had just
enough to get past Preston's Karly Hamric for the title. The two
were separated by only a tenth of a second. Their times of 2:21.37 and
2:21.47. All other competitors were over three seconds behind. Parkersburg
South's Allison Teter again finished strong to pull away from the
remainder of the field by over 2 seconds. Elkins Freshman Heather Saffel
came in just ahead of Hedgesville's Ashley Mudge and Parkersburg's
Diane Kenaston in a tight finish. RunWV's Current Score: 75 of 96.
200 Meter Dash
Jefferson's Shardal Twyman dominated the event, winning by nine tenths
of a second. Only 0.43 separated the remaining placers. Huntington's
Denise Gregory had just enough to slip past South Charleston's
Rebecca Charles for 2nd. Charles was barely ahead of Capital's Randi
Cary as 0.10 separated the three. Martinsburg's Laurel Bobo
got by Woodrow Wilson's Shay Law for 5th. RunWV's Current Score:
79 of 102.
4x400 Meter Relay
We believed that Martinsburg had the potential to threaten the State Meet
Record in this event. The cool temperatures and strong winds denied anyone
the chance at that kind of glory, but Martinsburg did pull away for a 2 1/2
second victory. Woodrow Wilson held off George Washington and Brooke in
a close finish. Jefferson scored a 5th, with Morgantown taking the final
point. RunWV's Final Score: 85 of 108.
The final score of 85 of 108 means that 78.7 % of the people picked to place did indeed place. Congratulations to those that proved us wrong.
Exceeding Predictions
The following athletes exceed our predictions by 3 or more places and
deserve special mention.
Sheena Spencer, Parkersburg -- 400 (picked 5th, got 1st)
Randi Cary, Capital -- 400 (picked 6th, got 3rd)
Julie Tawney, Capital -- 100 HH (picked 5th, got 2nd)
Sheena Spencer, Parkersburg - 300 LH (picked 6th, got 3rd)
Capital (Brittany Fink, Randi Cary, Nicole Stark, Kelly Matheney) -- 4x800 (picked 6th, got 3rd)
Hurricane (Laura Adkins, Sarah Chaffin, Heather Gainer, Kristen Loughry) -- Shuttles (picked 6th, got 3rd)
Emily Waldie, George Washington -- Long Jump (not picked, got 4th)
Breanne Kosar, Wheeling Park -- High Jump (picked 6th, got 1st)
Julie Tawney, Capital -- High Jump (not picked, tied for 2nd)
Stephanie Kisner, Preston -- High Jump (not picked, tied for 2nd)
Amber McCartney, Parkesburg South -- Discus (not picked, got 2nd)
Carolyn Rockow, Hampshire -- Discus (not picked, got 3rd)
Kristen Loughry, Hurricane -- Pole Vault (picked 6th, got 3rd)
The following teams deserve kudos for scoring seven points or more higher than we predicted.
Class AAA Girls Capital +29 Parkersburg +10 Parkersburg South + 8 George Washington + 7 Woodrow Wilson + 7
Class AAA Boys
4x800 Meter Relay
Another of the meets standout moments occurred in the AAA Boys 4x800.
Martinsburg took the early lead on a 1:58.3 leadoff leg by Kyle Buzzell.
After two more legs, it was Preston who had found their way to the front
followed by Cabell Midland. Martinsburg's Brad Dodson took the baton
with a lot of ground to make up and strong runners to do it against. He
was up to the challenge and a 1:54.8 later, Martinsburg not only had caught
the other two teams but had gapped them by two seconds. Preston held off
Midland for 2nd place as the top 3 ran away from the field. Hedgesville
finished 4th, 13 second back, just ahead of Wheeling Park. Parkersburg
South scored a 6th place in the event. RunWV's Current Score: 5 of 6.
Long Jump
Hedgesville's Bryan Miller popped off a 22'4 jump, the first 22'
jump in the state this year. George Washington's Aaron Willis scored
the only other 21' jump in the field with his 21'7. Only two other jumpers
topped 20'. Chris Reese of Huntington edged Carl Williams of
Jefferson by 3/4" for 3rd place. North Marion's Ricky Sell took 5th,
and University's Aaron Hoard slipped in for 6th by 3/4". RunWV's
Current Score: 10 of 12.
Shuttle Hurdle Relay
Cabell Midland came with 0.54 of the State Meet Record in taking home first
prize with their 56.40. They needed every bit of it, though, as Hurricane
was close on their heels, also running under 57. Jefferson's 58.36 scored
them a 3rd. Capital nipped Parkersburg South's time while running in what
was supposed to be the 2nd slowest heat. Hedgesville took 6th, while 8 teams
in all ran under 60 seconds. RunWV's Current Score: 14 of 18.
High Jump
Two jumpers were able to clear 6'4, and both will return next season. This
year, John Marshall's Allen Byard took top honors while Preston's
Joshua Boone settled for 2nd. Three other jumpers cleared 6'2, highlighted
by a tie for 3rd between Hurricane's Matt McDaniel and North Marion's
Ricky Sell. Elkins' Jeb Smith was the other 6'2 jumper.
Parkersburg South's Seth Townsend scored a 6th place with his 6'0
jump based on fewer misses. RunWV's Current Score: 19 of 24.
3200 Meter Run
Cabell Midland's Eric Cooper wins the title as a Sophomore. The last
Sophomore to win the title went on to run 9:17 a couple years later. His
name was Ben Lukowski. Cooper was the only runner to run under 10:00. Preston's
Bryan Hooten, another Sophomore fought off challenge after challenge
and sprinted to the finish in 2nd place. Cabell Midland's Jon Nelson
followed up his State Cross Country Title with a 3rd place in the 3200. A
strong last 100 pulled him into that spot. Hampshire's Andy Wilcox
just held off Jefferson's Jake Green, who was back in the pack at mid-race,
for 4th. Greg Cooke gave Midland three placers in the event with his
6th place finish. RunWV's Current Score: 24 of 30.
Pole Vault Nitro's Chris McGhee soared over 14'6 in defeating the field by a foot and a half. Hedgesville's Matt Smith was the only other vaulter to clear 13'. Three others cleared 12'6, led by Parkersburg's Brian Williamson. East Fairmont's Robert Kozul scored a 4th, and Parkersburg South's Eric Mather placed 5th. East Fairmont's Jeff Boyles lead a trio of vaulters to clear 12' and scored the final place in the event. RunWV's Current Score: 28 of 36.
400 Meter Dash
A photo finish in the AAA Boys 400 highlighted the morning's events. Cabell
Midland's John Saunders outleaned George Washington's Marty Barnes
to take the title. Saunders' time was 49.75 and Barnes' was 49.76. Martinsburg's
Robert Clise ran a 50.25 for 3rd. University's Julian Spraggins
ran away with the first heat and was fast enough for 4th overall. South
Charleston's Steven Bane edged Jefferson's Eric Dorsey for 5th.
RunWV's Current Score: 32 of 42.
1600 Meter Run
Martinsburg's Brad Dodson barrelled through the last 100, managing
to overtake Hampshire's Jonathan Miller just meters before the finish
line. Both runners finished in under 4:30. Hurricane Sophomore Bobby
Johnson continued his impressive late-season showings in taking a strong
3rd. The Cabell Midland pair of Eric Cooper and Brandon Scarberr
grabbed 4th and 5th, respectively, and also made it 3 Sophomores in a row.
North Marion's Mike Sturm just slipped in for 6th. RunWV's Current
Score: 37 of 48.
Shot Put Two guys threw over 50' this year, distancing themselves from the field. It was Cabell Midland's Zak Morrison who came out on top, over twof feet further than his closest competitor with his toss of 53'10. Hedgesville's Ryan Moore was the other to exceed 50' with his toss of 51'3. Hedgesville made it back-to-back placers with the 3rd place finish of Alex Bennett. St. Albans' Darren Wilburn grabbed a 4th, just ahead of North Marion's Andrew Starsick. Parkersburg's James Brown claimed 6th. RunWV's Current Score: 42 of 54.
300 Meter Intermediate Hurdles
George Washington's Marty Barnes showed no fatigue from the 400 in
dominating the field, winning by over a second. Parkersburg's Aleka
Carr ran an aggressive race, and it paid off with a 2nd place finish.
Close behind was Hurricane's Matt McDaniel. Buckhannon-Upshur's
Sloan Baisden edged Cabell Midland's Chad Jordan for 4th.
Hedgesville's Chad Grant finished up the scoring. RunWV's Current
Score: 48 of 60.
110 Meter High Hurdles
This was expected to be a duel between Hurricane's Matt McDaniel
and Cabell Midland's Chad Jordan. It was McDaniel who was able to
come away with the victory, running an impressive 14.43. Jordan was also
under 15 seconds. Parkersburg's Aleka Carr turned in another impressive
performance in nipping Woodrow Wilson's James Hairston for 3rd.
Jefferson's Jason Grammo scored a 5th and Aaron Willis scored
a 6th for George Washington. RunWV's Current Score: 52 of 66.
100 Meter Dash
Buckhannon-Upshur's Sloan Baisden was apparently warmed up well
from the 300 Hurdles. He pulled away from the field in the last 15 meters
to secure a state title in 10.89. Huntington Sophomore Gordon Newsome
also ran under 11 seconds. Riverside's Rusty Taylor just edged
Parkersburg South's Seth Amos for 3rd. Jefferson's Jeremy Maley
nailed down 5th, and Morgantown's Josh Durham rounded out the scoring.
All 6 placers ran under 11.30. RunWV's Current Score: 58 of 72.
4x200 Meter Relay
George Washington took home a relatively close victory, pullng away from
University in the last 100 Meters. Parkersburg South was a close 3rd.
Martinsburg just edged South Charleston for 4th. Jefferson ran away with
the first heat and was fast enough to take 6th overall. RunWV's Current
Score: 64 of 78.
Discus
St. Albans' Chris Boggs was the only thrower to go over 150' with
his toss of 156'8. Martinsburg Sophomore Nate Sowers scored a 2nd
with his 145'8, just over a foot ahead of North Marion's Andrew Starsick.
Starsick's teammate, Sophomore Ray Parrish finished 4th. Parkersburg
South's Scotti Wilkinson edged Hedgesville's Alex Bennett by
7" for 5th. RunWV's Current Score: 67 of 84.
4x100 Meter Relay
The speed brigade of Jefferson came through, winning the event by nearly
four tenths of a second. Parkersburg South held off George Washington
for 2nd. Cabell Midland managed to get by Huntington, and Huntington
nipped Martinsburg by 0.05 for 5th. RunWV's Current Score: 73 of 90.
800 Meter Run
Surprisingly, no one was able to crack the 2:00 barrier, and only two were
able to go under 2:02. Hedgesville's Daniel Rodgers made his final
move a little earlier than Martinsburg's Brad Dodson and was able
to hold him off for the 0.24 second victory. Preston Sophomore Eric
Ryan, who we were told would be one to watch before the season even
started, picked up a 3rd, just getting past Capital's Jeff Jones.
University's Julian Spraggins outleaned Cabell Midland's Brandon
Scarberry for 5th. RunWV's Current Score: 78 of 96.
200 Meter Dash
Cabell Midland's John Saunders made it a double by following up
his 400 victory with a 200 title. A pair from Jefferson, Eric Dorsey
and Freshman Josh Brown grabbed 2nd and 3rd. Huntington's Gordon
Newsome grabbed 4th. Jefferson made it three scorers in the event with
Jeremy Maley's 5th place finish. Morgantown's Josh Durham
completed the scoring. RunWV's Current Score: 83 of 102.
4x400 Meter Relay
Jefferson used a 50 second leg by Eric Dorsey to hold off the impressive
anchor legs of University and Cabell Midland. Jefferson nipped University
by 0.05 and Cabell Midland was less than a second back. Martinsburg was a
solid 4th, nearly two seconds behind 3rd but over 2 seconds ahead of 5th.
South Charleston grabbed 5th, and Hedgesville took 6th. RunWV's Final
Score: 89 of 108.
The final score of 89 of 108 means that 82.4 % of the people picked to place did indeed place. Congratulations to those that proved us wrong.
Exceeding Predictions
The following athletes exceed our predictions by 3 or more places and
deserve special mention.
Julian Spraggins, University -- 400 M (not picked, got 4th)
Eric Ryan, Preston -- 800 M (not picked, got 3rd)
Bryan Hooten, Preston -- 3200 M (not picked, got 2nd)
James Hairston, Woodrow Wilson -- 110 HH (not picked, got 4th)
University (Ko Kuwabara, Yu Kuwabara, John Heydon, Julian Spraggins) -- 4x400 (picked 5th, got 2nd)
Capital (Jerome Hill, Derek Pennington, Mark Price, Daniel White) -- Shuttles (not picked, got 4th)
Matt McDaniel, Hurricane -- High Jump (picked 6th, tied for 3rd)
Chris Reese, Huntington -- Long Jump (not picked, got 3rd)
Brian Williamson, Parkersburg -- Pole Vault (not picked, got 3rd)
Andrew Starsick, North Marion -- Discus (not picked, got 3rd)
The following teams deserve kudos for scoring seven points or more higher than we predicted.
Class AAA Boys Preston +18 Jefferson +11 North Marion +10 Parkersburg + 9 Hedgesville + 7 University + 7