Class AAA Boys Individual Event Predictions

100 M	1. Brant Hammer		Elkins
	2. Gordon Newsome	Huntington
	3. Jason Forrester	Parkersburg
	4. Andrew Lewis		Jefferson
	5. Marcus Perdue	Princeton
	6. Josh Durham 		Morgantown
Hammer has been under 11 4 times this year including regionals. 
Newsome took 2nd last year and has experience at the state meet so
we gave him the edge over Forrester who has also gone under 11.
Lewis has the next best time and series of times.  Perdue was
given the edge over regional winners Durham (6th last year) and
George Washington's Daniel Barnes due to the quick regional 
qualifying time.  Jeremy Maley of Jefferson took 5th in the event
last year so he is obviously someone to watch as well.

200M	1.  Brant Hammer	Elkins
	2.  John Saunders	Cabell Midland
	3.  Jason Forrester	Parkersburg
	4.  Joe Farry		Nitro
	5.  Daniel Barnes	George Washington
	6.  Marcus Perdue	Princeton
Hammer has more times under 22.6 than anyone this year.  Saunders
is the defending champion who overcame early season injury to
win his regional.  Forrester is the only runner other than 
Hammer to have at least 5 times under 23.  Farry has the 3rd
fastest time this year. Barnes won his regional and has 4 times
under 23.  Perdue also had a strong regional and a good series of
times.  Chris Wolf of South and D.J. Porter of Martinsburg have
also gone under 23 this year.  Maley of Jefferson was 5th in the
event last year so the potential is obviously there.  

400M	1.  John Saunders	Cabell Midland
	2.  Julian Spraggins	University
	3.  Eric Ryan		Preston
	4.  Kyle Buzzell	Martinsburg
	5.  Derek Keeton	Cabell Midland
	6.  Paul Merkel		Parkersburg
Defending champion Saunders won his regional and looks to be the
favorite in this event.  Spraggins took 4th last year and has the
two best marks in the state so far this year.  Ryan is the only
other runner under 51 this year.  Buzzell and Keeton both have 
4 marks under 51.65 with Buzzell's series being better at each of
the first 4 marks.  Merkel has the next best time and only other
runner with 3 marks under 52.  Midland's Ryan Johnson and regional
winner Matt Bruner of George Washington could grab places as well.

	
800M	1.  Scott Gemberling	Preston
	2.  Eric Ryan		Preston
	3.  Julian Spraggins	University
	4.  Kyle Buzzell	Martinsburg
	5.  Ryan Johnson	Cabell Midland
	6.  Brandon Scarberry	Cabell Midland
Gemberling has cracked 2:00 3 times this year
and no one else has gone that fast yet this year but Gemberling
will have to fight off the effects of an afternoon 1600 and 
Friday's 3200, and almost everyone chasing him has excellent 400
speed.  Ryan took 3rd last year and and has the 2nd best
time (but also has the 1600 meter earlier in the day).   Spraggins
took 5th last year, has the 3rd best time this year and has the
speed to challenge for the win.  Buzzell is the only other runner
under 2:02 this year.  Johnson has the next best time of the group
and won his region.  Scarberry took 6th last year.  Wheeling Park's
Mike Wakim (who will have also run the mile) and Preston's Josh
Mullenax could also easily place.  You could make a pretty good
arguement for at least nine guys to place and the sapping 1600
could really jumble the field.

1600M	1.  Scott Gemberling	Preston
	2.  Eric Ryan		Preston
	3.  Andy Franklin	Jefferson
	4.  Eric Cooper		Cabell Midland
	5.  Mike wakim		Wheeling Park
	6.  Corey Waybright	Ripley
Last year's AA champ Gemberling should go under 4:20 and no one
else has gone under 4:33.  Ryan has the next fastest time and 
great 400 speed.  He showed an ability to come back from the 400
at the Gazette Relays.  Franklin has the next best time but Cooper took
4th in last year's meet and will be in the top 3 mix as well.  
Wakim has good 800 speed and he and Waybright have the next best 
times.  Regional winner Adam Hensley of Woodrow Wilson isn't far
back and should be in the running. 

	
3200M	1.  Scott Gemberling	Preston
	2.  Andy Franklin	Jefferson
	3.  Eric Cooper		Cabell Midland
	4.  Chad Hooton		Preston
	5.  Bryan Hooton	Preston
	6.  Adam Hensley	Woodrow Wilson
Again, AA champ Gemberling seems to be way ahead of the field.  
Franklin and Cooper (last year's champ) are the only other runners
under 10:00 more than twice this year.  The Hooton's should duel
it out with Chad having run better this year, but Bryan took 2nd
last year at the state meet.  Hensley won his region and has the
next best time.  Ripley's Waybright's mile speed could make things
interesting. 
	
110H	1.  Josh Boone		Preston
	2.  Matt McDaniel	Hurricane
	3.  Aaron Hoard		University
	4.  James Hairston	Woodrow Wilson
	5.  Joe Farry		Nitro
	6.  Daniel White	Capital
Boone has the best series of times this year and is the only runner to have
gone under 15 more than once (3 times).  If defending champion McDaniel was
healthy, he would be heavily favored but is still battling the effects of 
injuries.  Hoard has the best single time this year.  Hairston took 4th last
year had a good regional qualifying time.  Farry won his regional, but 
has not yet gone under 15 as the 4 above him have.  White was also a
regional winner.  Cabell Midland's Darwan Pursoo, Jefferson's Jason Grammo 
(5th last year) and John Marshall's Cody Jarrett are also top contenders.

300H	1.  Matt McDaniel	Hurricane
	2.  Joe Farry		Nitro
	3.  Chad Grant		Hedgesville
	4.  Scott Ransom	Hurricane
	5.  Josh Abbott		Parkersburg South
	6.  James Hairston	Woodrow Wilson
McDaniel took 3rd in the event last year and could easily go under 40 if
healthy.  Farry has the best series of times among all runners in this event
and has been consistently good.  Grant and Ransom tie for the best time 
among all runners with Grant's positive results in states last year (5th)
giving him the edge.  Abbott has been under 41 3 times.  Hairston won his
regional with a season best time to grab our attention for 6th place.  
Aaron Hoard of Univeristy and Matt McCourt of Buckhannon Upshur also have
times in the low 41's and will be in the fast heat.

	
4x100	1. Cabell Midland
	2. Hedgesville
	3. Parkersburg South
	4. Huntington
	5. Jefferson
	6. George Washington
Cabell Midland is the only team under 44 (twice) so far this year.  
Hedgesville is very close and has the next best series of times in the 
state.  Parkersburg South edged Huntington in regional action with a 
Jefferson team consistently under 45 being tabbed next.  GW won their 
regional to secure our final placing pick.  Parkersburg has had more times
under 44.94 than any team this year and could easily grab a spot. 

4x200	1.  Hedgesville
	2.  George Washington
	3.  Cabell Midland
	4.  Jefferson
	5.  Parkersburg South
	6.  Morgantown
Hedgesville is the only team under 1:31 this year.  George washington is
the only team under 1:32 twice.  Jefferson is only other team to go under
1:32 this year.  Cabell Midland has the next best time and won their 
regionals and could easily move up.  Parkersburg South is always strong
in this event so we gave them the edge over regional winner Morgantown.  
Wheeling Park has the next best time and Elkins has Hammer as the closer
so it should be fun to watch.  

4x400	1.  Cabell Midland	
	2.  Martinsburg
	3.  Preston
	4.  Hedgesville
	5.  Parkersburg
	6.  Jefferson
When it comes to the relays, we try to guess who will be running 
since teams often load up at states for possibly the first time 
all year.  That is often why you will see picks that seem to 
be out of order with regional and best times.  With that said, 
Cabell Midland seems to have the deepest stable of horses.  Martinsburg
ran a regional time nearly as fast as Cabell Midland's and Preston should
be able to run under 3:30 as well.  Parkersburg and Jefferson round out 
our place picks, but Huntington, South and University aren't far back.

4x800	1.  Preston
	2.  Cabell Midland
	3.  Martinsburg
	4.  Parkersburg South
	5.  East Fairmont
	6.  Parkersburg
See the 4x4 above for comments about loaded teams vs. regional times,
etc.  Preston and Cabell Midland should be able to run times in the low
8's.  Martinsburg and South look to be a few seconds back from the front
two.  East Fairmont ran away with their region and should be able to trim
several seconds off their time.  Parkersburg is the only other team under
8:30 this year.  Wheeling Park seems the most likely to step up and take
a spot of the remaining teams.  

Shuttle	1.  Cabell Midland
	2.  Parkersburg South
	3.  Hedgesville
	4.  John Marshall
	5.  Capital
	6.  Parkersburg
This event is always tough to call.  Each team has four chances to
foul and has to jump 110 meters of hurdles each along the way.  Every 
year, major competitors get gunned down for false starting, leaving to 
early or someone crashes into a heap.  Midland got a hurdle ahead at the
regional meet and are the heavy favorites.  South was close behind and has
the next best series of times.  Hedgesville won regionals and could also
go under 58.  John Marshall is the only other team under 59 this year.  
Capital won their region easily and should be able to chop some more time
off.  Parkersburg and North Marion have similar times with Parkersburg 
being more consistent this year.  Buckhannon Upshur has also been in low
59's,

H Jump	1.  Josh Boone		Preston
	2.  Timmy whitehair	Parkersburg South
	3.  Allen Byard		John Marshall
	4.  Josh Gains		Parkersburg South
	5.  Rick Sell		North Marion
	6.  Deron Keeton	Cabell Midland
Boone (2nd last year has gone 6'4 at least 5 times this year including a
6'6 regional.  Whitehair has cleared that height 3 times with only 
defending champion Byard clearing it more than once this year.  Gains is 
the only other jumper to clear 6'4 this year.  Rick Sell took 3rd last 
year so he has good experience at the state meet venue.  Keeton is the only
other jumper over 6'2 at least twice this year.  South's Seth Townsend 
(6th last year) and Andrew Donato of Fairmont Senior have also cleared
6'2 this year.  

L Jump	1. Bryan Miller		Hedgesville
	2. Carl Williams	Jefferson
	3. Seth Townsend	Parkersburg South
	4. Alex Lee		Hampshire
	5. David Fortney	Wheeling Park
	6. Dustin Jones		Cabell Midland
Defending champion Miller has the best jump in the state this year but Carl
Williams (4th last year) is close behind and has more jumps over 21' than 
any jumper this year.  Townsend registered the best regional jump to put 
his name in the list of top contenders.  Lee can also go over 21' when
healty.  Fortney has the best series of jumpers not yet over 21.  Jones
came out of nearly nowhere in the regional meet and could move way up the 
list.  Zack Metheny of Preston, Chris Reese of Huntington (3rd last year), 
Deron Keeton of Capital and Rick Sell of North Marion (5th last year) all
are very solid in the event. 

P Vault	1. Felix OsunoCotto	Parkersburg South
	2. Cody Norman		Parkersburg South
	3. Aaron Dunlap		Nitro
	4. Justin Famosa	Wheeling Park
	5. Brian Floyd		Parkersburg South
	6. Cam Lemley		Parkersburg
OsunoCotto's best jump is 1 1/2 feet over anyone else's best.  Norman is 
only other jumper to go over 13 (twice).  Dunlap is only other jumper over
12'6.  Famosa is only remaining vaulter over 12 more than once this year
and Floyd is only remaining person to hit 12.  Lemley is only remaining
jumper with two marks over 11'6 this year.  A host of other jumpers have
hit that mark once this year.

Discus	1. Chris Boggs		St. Albans
	2. Ray Parrish		North Marion
	3. Doug Legursky	Woodrow Wilson
	4. Allen Reynolds	Jefferson
	5. Nate Sowers		Martinsburg
	6. Bobby Morris		Parkersburg South
Defending champion Boggs is more than 15 feet better than the rest of the 
field so far this year.  Parrish took 4th last year and had a great regional
throw.  Legursky and Reynolds are only other throwers over 150 more than
once this year.  Sowers took 2nd last year and is the 2nd best 5th throw
in the field so he could easily move up.  Morris had a good regional and
has the next best series of throws.  South's Scott Wilkinson took 5th in
the event last year.   

Shot	1. Allen Reynolds	Jefferson
	2. Doug Legursky	Woodrow Wilson
	3. Isaiah Hayes		South Charleston
	4. Nate Sowers		Martinsburg
	5. Parrish Kittinger	Cabell Midland
	6. Trevor Washburn	Huntington
Reynolds has two marks over 50 and 4 over 49.  Legursky has gone over 51
and has also been over 49 two other times.  Hayes has been over 49 3 times.
Sowers has the 2nd best throw and next best series of throws.  Kittinger
has also gone over 50 feet.  Washburn is only other thrower ovver 48 feet
in this field.  


High Point Predicitons
1. Scott Gemberling	Preston		32.5
2. Eric Ryan		Preston		23.5
3. John Saunders	Cabell Midland	23
4. Josh Boone		Preston		21.5
5. Brant Hammer		Elkins		20