Class AAA Girls
4x800 Meter Relay
This highly anticipated meet opener had two teams that had run in the low
9:50's and at least three others capable of going under 10:00. The expected
top two, Preston and Morgantown, had taken charge, with Morgantown's
Monica Chase clocking a 2:23 to give Morgantown a 1 second lead.
Morgantown stretched its lead out to two seconds on the second leg. Preston
closed back to within a second on the 3rd leg. The anchor legs saw a
furious battle between Preston's Karly Hamric and Morgantown's
Ahna Lewis. Hamric was able to muster a 2:22 leg and pull away
from Lewis (who clocked a 2:24) to give Preston the title. Preston's
9:50.29 will mark them 7th on the All-Time Class AAA list.
Morgantown's 9:51.07 will slot them in 10th on the All-Time Class
AAA list. Elkins pulled away late for 3rd. Jefferson nabbed the 4th
spot. Capital ran a surprising 5th, setting the table for a very
successful weekend. North Marion just edged out Martinsburg for 6th.
RunWV's Current Score: 4 of 6.
Long Jump
Jefferson's Shardal Twyman duplicated her victory of a year ago,
dominating the field in winning by a full twelve inches. Her jump also
gave her claim to the 9th best Class AAA State Meet Jump of All-Time.
Buckhannon-Upshur freshman Chelsea Carrier took 2nd, by less
than 2 inches over Cabell Midland's Robin Rogers. Hedgesville's
Jennifer Hoffman had a season-best jump to claim 4th. Lara
Stone or Morgantown, a placer last year, also had a season-best
jump to take 5th. Brooke's Nicole DeStefano continued the
season-best trend in claiming 6th. The top 7 girls all jumped over
16'. The 7th place finisher was North Marion's Latriece Weatherspoon.
RunWV's Current Score: 8 of 12.
High Jump
Parkersburg South's Kendra Bloomer was the only competitor to
clear 5'4, which will include her in a massive tie for the 10th best
All-Time Class AAA State Meet Jump. Capital's Julie Tawney
duplicated her 2nd place finish of a year ago, providing some important
bonus points for her team along the way. Wheeling Park's Betsy
Kaminsky was the only other competitor to clear 5'2. 6 competitors
cleared 5'0. Wheeling Park's Breanne Kosar and Robert C. Byrd's
Lauren DeMarco accomplished the feat on their 1st attempt to
tie for 4th. Stephanie Kisner and Mariah Freeman, both
of Preston, cleared the bar on their second attempt to tie for 6th.
RunWV's Current Score: 14 of 18.
Note: The 6th place tie allowed for 7 placers.
Shuttle Hurdle Relay
The always volatile Shuttle Hurdles seemed to be especially cruel to
teams this year. False Starts, Disqualifications, and Falls were the
order of the day. Parkersburg South was one of the teams to come through
unscathed. Their 1:05.94 was over 2 seconds faster than the runner-up.
Hurricane overcame a fall to take 2nd place. Capital ran in what was
supposed to be the slowest heat, but they showed that the title of
"slow heat" at the State Meet can be very misleading. Parkersburg edged
Jefferson by 0.05 for 4th. University took 6th by a mere 0.03 over Preston.
RunWV's Current Score: 18 of 24.
3200 Meter Run
As is her usual strategy, Morgantown's Claire Berryman laid back
in the field early in the race. She had caught the lead pack by the
end of the 3rd lap, and placed herself in good position at the mile mark
as the trio of Berryman, Amber Riley of Preston, and Diane
Kenaston of Parkersburg came through in 5:44. Berryman started to
take control at the end of the 5th lap. Then on 6, 7, and 8, she left
no doubt, pulling away to win by over 16 seconds. Berryman ran negative
splits, opening in 5:24 and closing in 5:20. Kenaston pulled away from
Riley on lap 7 and increased that lead on the final lap. Riley held
on for 3rd. Morgantown's Maria Dalzot ran solidly for 4th. A
pair of freshmen, Fairmont Senior's Emily Corley and Jefferson's
Brooke Boening capped the scoring and gave freshmen three of the
top 6 places.
RunWV's Current Score: 22 of 30.
Pole Vault
When competition resumed on Saturday, Capital's Jennifer Hansen
set the All-Time Best State Meet Mark with her 12'0 vault.
Hurricane's Kristen Loughry will claim the 3rd Best All-Time
State Meet Mark with her 11'0 vault. A pair of competitor's cleared
9'6. There were University's Anna Burdette in 3rd, and Parkersburg
South's Deanna Cline in fourth. Another pair cleared 9'0. They
were Morgantown's Johnna Petitte and Parkersburg's Danielle
Fontaine.
RunWV's Current Score: 26 of 36.
400 Meter Dash
Buckhannon-Upshur's Chelsea Carrier claimed a victory in her
first state meet in running down and away from the competition down the
stretch of the 400. Martinsburg's Katie Hoeck held on for 2nd,
and Nitro's Jennifer Cooperrider charged in for 3rd. Ashley
Blaney of Woodrow Wilson held on for fourth. Capital's Randi
Cary churned out a time in the first heat good enough for 5th.
George Washington's Caroline Price snared the final spot. All
6 placers clocked in at under 60 seconds.
RunWV's Current Score: 31 of 42.
1600 Meter Run
Morgantown Freshman Ahna Lewis pulled away from Parkersburg's
Diane Kenaston in the last 50 meters to claim the title. Both
girls came in under 5:20. Ripley's Alison Spiker claimed the
3rd spot in just over 5:20. Preston's Amber Riley claimed 4th.
Nitro's Jennifer Cooperrider came off her 3rd place in the 400
and managed to score a 5th in the 1600. She also made it three Freshmen
in the top 5. Preston's Karly Hamric used a strong kick to move
into 6th.
RunWV's Current Score: 37 of 48.
Shot Put
Four girls in the field had hit 40' throws during the season, making
each of them a candidate to win. None of the group hit 40' during the
meet, and only Fairmont Senior's LaShawna Black managed a 39'
toss. Hurricane's Rachel Blankeship was the only other thrower
to surpass 38'. Cabell Midland Freshman Ashley Morrow and Capital's
Fawn Washington threw over 37' to claim 3rd and 4th, respectively.
Martinsburg's Ashley Winston and Cabell Midland's Megan Scites
rounded out the scoring.
RunWV's Current Score: 42 of 54.
300 Meter Low Hurdles
Hurricane's Kristen Loughry was dominant in winning by a full
second. Jefferson's Ebonee Winfrey was strong over the last two
hurdles to take 2nd. Parkersburg's Danielle Fontaine was 3rd,
well ahead of the next competitor. Jefferson's Maggie Smith
claimed 4th out of the first heat. Hedgeville's Miranda Reed
scored a narrow 5th, just ahead of John Marshall's Andrea Turner.
RunWV's Current Score: 47 of 60.
100 Meter High Hurdles
Hurricane's Kristen Loughry narrowly missed setting the record,
falling only 0.06 short. Regardless, her performance ranks as the
2nd Best All-Time State Meet run. Capital's Julie Tawney
ran an impressive 2nd. Parkersburg South's Deanna Cline continued
her strong morning by taking 3rd, just ahead of Jefferson's Ebonee
Winfrey. Ripley's Jennifer Whyte was just behind in 5th.
The three girls were separated by only 0.07. Hedgesville's Miranda
Reed claimed the final spot.
RunWV's Current Score: 52 of 66.
100 Meter Dash
Bang! Bang! And favorite Shardal Twyman of Jefferson was gunned
down for a false start, truly opening the event up. Huntington's
Denise Gregory was able to pull away for a 0.11 victory. Woodrow
Wilson's Terryn Webb edged Buckhannon-Upshur freshman Chelsea
Carrier for 2nd. Parkersburg's Miranda Richards gapped the
remainder of the field for 4th. South Charleston's Nicole Young
nipped Capital's Jerrika Johnson by 0.02 for 5th.
RunWV's Current Score: 56 of 72.
Discus
As with last year, this was one of our bomb-out events, with only three
of our six expected placers finishing among the top 6. Coming into
the meet, only two girls had thrown 120' this season. Only one of
them could duplicate the feat at the State Meet. Capital's Fawn
Washington's toss of 120'1 was enough to win by over 2 feet.
Parkersburg South's Amber McCartney continued her history of strong
State Meet performances with her 2nd place effort. Woodrow Wilson's
Yolanda Anthony claimed 3rd. The top three girls threw over
110'. University's Jennifer Pell scored a narrow 4th over Hedgesville's
Shawna Faulkner. Parkersburg's Megan Pratt took the final
point in the event.
RunWV's Current Score: 59 of 78.
4x200 Meter Relay
Woodrow Wilson's Terryn Webb held off Capital's Randi Cary
for the 4x200 Meter title. George Washington was close behind. Jefferson
finished only 0.31 behind for 4th. Parkersburg claimed the 5th position
just ahead of Martinsburg.
RunWV's Current Score: 64 of 84.
4x100 Meter Relay
Woodrow Wilson added the 4x100 to their 4x200 title. Not only did they
add a title, they did it in impressive fashion, scoring the 6th Best
State Meet Performance of All-Time. Jefferson, using an achor leg
by Shardal Twyman easily claimed the 2nd spot. Capital was a
solid 3rd. Brooke barely edged out Hedgesville and Wheeling Park for 4th.
RunWv's Current Score: 68 of 90.
800 Meter Run
Another tight finish saw Preston's Karly Hamric snag the title
that barely evaded her last season. She edged past North Marion's
Keri Bland in the last 40 meters to claim the title. Both ran
under 2:19. Hamric's time was fast enough to land her as the 8th
Fastest All-Time in the State Meet, and 6th fastest in AAA. Preston's
Kaylyn Christopher showed why Preston's 4x800 is so dangerous
by giving them two of the top three, just getting past Elkins'
Heather Saffel for 3rd. Morgantown's Monica Chase matched
her 4x800 run to take 5th. Nitro's Jennifer Cooperrider completed
her long but impressive day with a 6th place finish.
RunWV's Current Score: 73 of 96.
200 Meter Dash
Shardal Twyman of Jefferson took out her 100 Meter frustrations
on the field with a time that will mark her as the 6th fastest ever
at the State Meet. Buckhannon-Upshur's Chelsea Carrier edged past
Capital's Randi Cary for 2nd. Shay Law of Woodrow Wilson
held off 100 Meter Champion Denise Gregory for 4th. North Marion's
Latriece Weatherspoon grabbed the final point.
RunWV's Current Score: 78 of 102.
4x400 Meter Relay
George Washington put on a show, recording the 5th Best State Meet
Performance of All-Time and winning by over 2 1/2 seconds. Martinsburg
slipped in ahead of Jefferson and Morgantown. Capital claimed 5th out
of the 1st heat. Woodrow Wilson grabbed the final scoring spot.
RunWV's Final Score: 83 of 108.
The final score of 83 of 108 means that 76.9 % 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.
Miranda Richards, Parkersburg -- 100 (not picked, got 4th)
Jennifer Cooperrider, Nitro -- 400 (not picked, got 3rd)
Kaylyn Christopher, Preston -- 800 (picked 6th, got 3rd)
Capital -- Shuttles (not picked, got 3rd)
(Mallory Wright, Maureen Gagnon, Magi Smith-Shimer, Julie Tawney)
Jennifer Hoffman, Hedgesville -- Long Jump (not picked, got 4th)
Kendra Bloomer, Parkersburg South -- High Jump (picked 5th, got 1st)
Betsy Kaminski, Wheeling Park -- High Jump (not picked, got 3rd)
Jennifer Pell, University -- Discus (not picked, got 4th)
Deanna Cline, Parkersburg South -- Pole Vault (not picked, got 4th)
The following teams deserve kudos for scoring seven points or more higher than we predicted.
Class AAA Girls Parkersburg South +16 Capital +13 Morgantown +10 Parkersburg + 8
Class AAA Boys
4x800 Meter Relay
The real question going into this event was not who would win, but whether
or not Preston could crack the 8:00 barrier. Eric Ryan got them
off to a rousing start with a 1:58.0 lead leg. Bryan Hooton
followed that with a 2:02.9 leg. Josh Mullenax followed with a
2:00.4 leg. That meant Scott Gemberling would have to run under
1:59 to accomplish the feat. Not a problem. Gemberling turned a 1:55.9
leg to give Preston a 7:57.30 and the 4th Best State Meet Performance
of All-Time. Cabell Midland claimed the 2nd spot with a very respectable
8:13. Parkersburg claimed 3rd. Parkersburg South just edged Martinsburg
at the line for 4th. East Fairmont grabbed the final spot.
RunWV's Current Score: 6 of 6.
High Jump
Preston's Josh Boone easily outleaped the field with his 6'6
jump. No ther jumper went higher than 6'2. Five jumpers did clear
6'2. Parkersburg South's Seth Townsend and Josh Gains
were 2nd and 3rd, respectively, followed by Riverside's Sam Crosby
and Parkersburg South's Tim Whitehair. Fairmont Senior's
Andrew Donato claimed 6th place.
RunWV's Current Score: 10 of 12.
Shuttle Hurdle Relay
Cabell Midland dominated the event, winning by nearly 2 seconds in 56.10,
which now stands as the 7th Best Performance All-Time in the State
Meet. The event was riddled with disqualifications and falls. Capital
claimed 2nd out of the 2nd heat. Hedgesville snared 3rd. Parkersburg
finished 4th. The top four were under 59 seconds. Preston and Jefferson
rounded out the scoring.
RunWV's Current Score: 14 of 18.
Pole Vault
Felix Osuna-Cotto of Parkersburg South was the only person to
clear 13'. A trio of vaulters cleared 12'6. In 2nd was Wheeling Park's
Justin Famosa, followed by Aaron Dunlap of Nitro and
Wade Midkiff of Cabell Midland. Parkersburg South's Brian
Floyd was the only other vaulter over 12'0. Martinsburg's Michael
Brown finished 6th.
RunWV's Current Score: 18 of 24.
3200 Meter Run
Preston's Scott Gemberling had a four second lead after the first
lap, and it continued to grow throughout the race. His time ranked as the
8th Best All-Time Class AAA State Meet Performance. Jefferson's
Andy Franklin used a 66 second last lap to claim 2nd place.
Woodrow Wilson's Adam Hensley used a strong kick in the last 100
Meters to take 3rd, less than a second ahead of Cabell Midland's Eric
Cooper. Ripley Freshman Corey Waybright finished strong for
5th, just ahead of Parkersburg South's Curt Ruble.
RunWV's Current Score: 22 of 30.
Shot Put
Jefferson's Alan Reynolds was one of three throwers to exceed
51' during the season. He was the only one of the three to match that
distance during the meet. Huntington's Trevor Washburn also
heaved the shot over 51'. Woodrow Wilson's Dough Legursky just
missed 51' in finishing 3rd. Martinsburg's Nate Sowers and
South Charleston's Isiah Hayes also threw over 50' in taking 4th
and 5th, respectively. Cabell Midland's Scott Workman claimed
the final placing spot.
RunWV's Current Score: 27 of 36.
400 Meter Dash
Defending Champion John Saunders of Cabell Midland barely held
off a charging Julian Spraggins of University to defend his title.
Both runners were under 50 seconds. Cabell Midland's Derek Keeton
gave Midland two of the top 3 as he just held off Preston's Eric Ryan.
Martinsburg's Kyle Buzzell edged Parkersburg's Paul Merkel
for 5th.
RunWV's Current Score: 33 of 42.
1600 Meter Run
Preston's Scott Gemberling grabbed his second title of the weekend.
He opened and closed in 62 in finishing just over 4:19, which qualifies
as the 9th Best Class AAA State Meet Performance ever. Jefferson's
Andy Franklin scored his second 2nd place finish in holding off
Preston's Eric Ryan. Both were under 4:29. Wheeling Park's
Mike Wakim finished strong to claim 4th. Hedgesville's Mike
Bowers finished at the front of a tight pack that saw 4 runners
finish within 2.28 seconds. Woodrow Wilson's Adam Hensley
rounded out the scoring by being the second finisher in that group.
RunWV's Current Score: 37 of 48.
Discus
St. Albans' Chris Boggs came in as the prohibitive favorite and
did not disappoint as he won the event by nearly 6'. Parkersburg South's
Bobby Morris had a season best by nearly 7' in taking 2nd. North
Marion's Ray Parrish and South Charleston's Isiah Hayes
each exceed 152' in taking 3rd and 4th, respectively. Woodrow Wilson's
Doug Legursky edged Martinsburg's Nate Sowers by 7" for
5th.
RunWV's Current Score: 42 of 54.
300 Meter Intermediate Hurdles
Hurricane's Matt McDaniel overcame a season-long lingering injury
to take the event by a mere 0.02 over Parkersburg South's Josh Abbott.
University's Aaron Hoard was close behind in 3rd. Nitro's
Joe Farry edged Woodrow Wilson's James Hairston for 4th. John
Marshall's Cody Jarrett blew away the field in the first heat and
was fast enough for 6th.
RunWV's Current Score: 46 of 60.
110 Meter High Hurdles
Matt McDaniel of Hurricane showed few signs of the hamstring
problem that had hindered him throughout the season in taking the event
in 14.62. Nitro's Joe Farry was the only other hurdler in the
field to go under 15 seconds. Cabell Midland's Darwan Pursoo
edged University's Aaron Hoard and Woodrow Wilson's James
Hairston for 3rd. Capital's Daniel White took the final
place.
RunWV's Current Score: 51 of 66.
100 Meter Dash
We knew this event was going to blow our predictions out of the water
when one of our placers didn't run the event and another didn't finish it.
Elkins Sophomore Brant Hammer came through for us, though, by
taking 1st by over a tenth of a second. Princeton's Marcus Perdue
was a very solid 2nd, and George Washington's Daniel Barnes was
solidly 3rd. Morgantown's Josh Durham edged out John Marshall's
Tanner Yuhase and Capital Freshman William Edwards for 4th.
RunWV's Current Score: 54 of 72.
4x200 Meter Relay
Cabell Midland ran away with the event, winning by 0.7 seconds. Hedgesille
claimed 2nd by over a half-second over Morgantown. Parkersburg ran away
from the other teams in the first heat and was fast enough to take 4th
overall. Parkesburg South just edged Jefferson for 5th.
RunWV's Current Score: 59 of 78.
Long Jump
A strong long jump field saw 5 jumpers exceed 21'0. Hedgesville's
Bryan Miller was the top dog on the day, going 21'9.75. Jefferson's
Carl Williams and Hampshire's Alex Lee made it a 1-2-3
finish for the Eastern Panhandle. Cabell Midland's Deron Keeton
was just 1/2" off Lee, and teammate Dustin Jones was only 3/4"
off Keeton. Riverside's Sam Crosby rounded out the scoring. In
all, nine jumpers exceeded 20'0.
RunWV's Current Score: 63 of 84.
4x100 Meter Relay
Cabell Midland continued its relay dominance of the meet by taking the
4x100 by nearly seven tenths of a second. Hedgesville snared 2nd place.
Parkersburg and Wheeling Park battled it out in the 1st heat and ran
their way into 3rd and 4th place, respectively. Morgantown was only
0.02 off Wheeling Park's time in taking 5th. Martinsburg was close on
the heels of Morgantown.
RunWV's Current Score: 66 of 90.
800 Meter Run
A year after we had no one go under 2:00, we managed to get three of them.
Preston's Scott Gemberling overcame an early stumble to cruise
to his 3rd title of the weekend, winning by over 1.5 seconds. University's
Julian Spraggins matched his 2nd place finish in the 400 in taking
2nd in the 800. He barely held off a late charge by Preston's Eric
Ryan, who finished only 0.28 behind. Cabell Midland's Ryan Johnson
slipped past Preston's Josh Mullenax for 4th. Mullenax's finish
gave Preston 3 of the top 5. Think their 4x800's any good? Cabell
Midland's Brandon Scarberry claimed the final spot.
RunWV's Current Score: 71 of 96.
200 Meter Dash
A very tight race saw Elkins' Brant Hammer edge out fellow Sophomore
Jason Forrester of Parkersburg for the win. Defending champion
John Saunders of Cabell Midland held on for 3rd. He'll be back
next year as well. Parkersburg South's Chris Wolf ran strong for 4th.
Nitro's Joe Farry grabbed 5th, with Princeton's Marcus Perdue
taking the final spot.
RunWV's Current Score: 76 of 102.
4x400 Meter Relay
Cabell Midland was strong from start-to-finish and won by over a second.
Martinsburg and Preston duplicated their regional finish in taking 2nd
and 3rd, respectively. University ran an excellent race in taking 4th.
Hedgesville claimed 5th, and Parkersburg grabbed the final place.
RunWV's Final Score: 81 of 108.
The final score of 81 of 108 means that 75.0 % 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.
Daniel Barnes, George Washingon -- 100 M (not picked, got 3rd)
Chris Wolf, Parkersburg South -- 200 M (not picked, got 4th)
Adam Hensley, Woodrow Wilson -- 3200 M (picked 6th, got 3rd)
Joe Farry, Nitro -- 110 HH (picked 5th, got 2nd)
Josh Abbott, Parkersburg South -- 300 IH (picked 5th, got 2nd)
Aaron Hoard, University -- 300 IH (not picked, got 3rd)
Wheeling Park -- 4x100 M (not picked, got 4th)
(David Fortney, James Burress, Brett Clough, Kyle Namack)
Morgantown -- 4x200 M (picked 6th, got 3rd)
(Tyler Kirk, Douglas Hilling, David Randolph, Josh Durham)
Parkersburg -- 4x200 M (not picked, got 4th)
(Justin Akers, Joey Lindamood, Alex Stanley, Paul Merkel)
University -- 4x400 M (not picked, got 4th)
(Aaron Hoard, Ben Waldron, Christopher Morrow, Julian Spraggins)
Parkersburg -- 4x800 M (picked 6th, got 3rd)
(Brian Falck, Cam Lemley, Landry Boggess, Martin Wagoner)
Capital -- Shuttles (picked 5th, got 2nd)
(Jerome Hill, Mark Price, Joshua Smith-Shimer, Daniel White)
Deron Keeton, Cabell Midland -- Long Jump (not picked, got 4th)
Seth Townsend, Parkersburg South -- High Jump (not picked, got 2nd)
Sam Crosby, Riverside -- High Jump (not picked, got 4th)
Trevor Washburn, Huntington -- Shot Put (picked 6th, got 2nd)
Bobby Morris, Parkersburg South -- Discus (picked 6th, got 2nd)
Isiah Hayes, South Charleston -- Discus (not picked, got 4th)
Wade Midkiff, Cabell Midland -- Pole Vault (not picked, got 4th)
The following teams deserve kudos for scoring seven points or more higher than we predicted.
Class AAA Boys Cabell Midland +15 Parkersburg +11 Morgantown +10 University +10 Capital + 7