MORGANTOWN — More than 50 local track and field athletes will be making the trip to Charleston to compete in the WVSSAC state meet over the next few days.
Nearly every event in the AAA and A championships will be represented by an area athlete.
In Class A, 20 of the 21 events will have an athlete from Trinity.
Leading up to the state meet, the Warriors had a formidable showing at the Region II meet in Doddridge County. The boys placed second as a team and the girls placed fourth out of 13 teams.
“It was a great night for Trinity track and field,” head coach John Barnett said. “We set three school records, had five regional champions, and we’re sending 20 athletes to states in 21 events. We have a really competitive region, and we know we have to be our best. I’m excited for our athletes to compete at states. It’s a great accomplishment for them and for our program.”
The boys’ qualifiers are: Levi Teets (100 meter, 200); Kyle Knight (400); Josh Jorge (400); Simon Travis (110 hurdles, 300 hurdles); Chase Livengood (long jump, high jump); and all four relay teams (4×100, 4×200, 4×400, 4×800). The girls’ qualifiers are: Sofia Pancoast (200, 400); Jenna Barnett (800, 1600, 3200); Rylan Sharp (long jump); and all four relay teams (4×100, 4×200, 4×400, 4×800).
First-place finishers for Trinity’s boys at regionals were Knight in the 400; the 4×200 relay team of Knight, Ethan Jorge, Brady Summers and Levi Teets; and the 4×800 relay team of Robbie Kincaid, Ethan Tomlinson, Chase Livengood and Peyton Dixon. For the girls, Pancoast brought home first place in both the 200 and 400.
Also in Class A, Clay-Battelle is set for a competitive showing.
Individually for the C-B girls, Jalynn Park qualified in the 100, Ava Hall qualified in the 100 hurdles and Ashley Chisler qualified in pole vault. Park also qualified in the pole vault.
Chisler, Hall, Park and Keelee Rose will also be running in the 4×200 relay and shuttle hurdles.
“We always have a strong girls’ shuttle hurdles team and I expect them to be in the top five,” Clay-Battelle coach Eric Ammons said. “We are hoping that all of our hard work will pay off and the whole team will be successful at states.”
Individually for the C-B boys, Zac Hall and Carson Shriver qualified in the 100. Hall, Shriver, Gunner Hum and Adam Kolat will run in the 4×100; Hall, Shriver, Gum and Mason Chisler will run in the 4×200; and Chisler, Gum, Brady Ammons and Wyatt Sharpless will run in the 4×400.
“The team as a whole has overcome a lot of adversity but has worked super-hard to overcome it,” coach Ammons said. “The boys’ 4×1 team has been ranked second or third all year in the state and we are looking to continue that, but our goal is definitely to be the state champions.”
The events with the most local flair will be the AAA girls’ distance runs. Morgantown junior Irene Riggs earned the No. 1 seed in the 800-meter run (2:15.85), 1600 (4:56.64) and 3200 (10:42.19). The top five seeds in the 800 are locals with Morgantown senior Lea Hatcher, Morgantown sophomore Jennifer O’Palko, Preston senior Allie Martin and University freshman Adelyn Tager, following right behind Riggs.
Preston sophomore Ella White and PHS freshman Hallie Simmons are also competing in the 800.
The 1,600 features Riggs, Hatcher and Martin, along with Morgantown sophomore Anna Lester, University freshman Claire von Boetlicher and Preston junior Abby Nolan.
The 3,200 features Riggs, Martin and Von Boetlicher, along with Morgantown sophomores Amelia Summers and Madeline Gump.
The 400 also has a strong local showing with Preston sophomore Ella White, Morgantown senior Yelena Davidson, Morgantown sophomore Sasha Hunter and Morgantown freshman Belicia McKendall.
In sprints, University senior Sierra Lanham is the No. 1 seed with a qualifying time of 12:39. Morgantown junior Izayah Everett also qualified in the 100. Lanham and Everett will also run in the 200.
University freshman Paige Conrad qualified in the 100 hurdles and in field events, Morgantown junior Jonna Butcher qualified in the high jump, Morgantown junior Morgan Ryan qualified in the pole vault, Preston junior Sierra Davis and Morgantown freshman Grace Phares qualified in the discus, and Davis qualified in the shot put.
Lanham is also the No. 1 seed in the long jump at 18-5, well over a foot better than the second seed.
In relays, MHS, UHS and PHS all qualified in the 4×800. MHS also qualified in the 4×100 and 4×200.
The AAA boys field is also stacked.
Distance events are headlined by University senior Josh Edwards, who is the No. 1 seed in the 800 with a qualifying time of 1:53.46. and he is No. 1 in the 3,200 at 9:41.48.
Edwards also qualified individually in the 1,600. Joining him in the 800 are University senior Brock Price, Morgantown senior Preston Core, University junior Ryan Blohm and Morgantown sophomore Zachary Workman.
In the 1,600, UHS teammates senior Rocco DeVincent and sophomore Drew Zundell will also run.
The 4×800 team from University is the No. 1 seed with a qualifying time of 8:11.07.
In other relays, MHS and UHS qualified in the 4×400, while MHS will run in both the 4×100 and 4×200.
In sprints, Morgantown senior Marquis Mauney qualified in the 100 and 200 and University senior Colton Guthrie qualified in the 400. Guthrie will also participate in the 300 hurdles with Morgantown junior Alex Tadros. Morgantown freshman Hayden Casdorph will participate in the 110 hurdles.
In field events, Morgantown seniors Landon Young and Lucas Howell are the tops seeds at 13 feet, 6 inches.
University senior Daminn Cunningham will participate in the high jump and long jump. Morgantown junior Parker Eddy will participate in the high jump and Preston sophomore Jaxon Saucer will participate in the long jump.
University senior Isaac Wong and Morgantown junior Will McGahey qualified in the shot put and University senior Colin McBee qualified in the discus.
Class AAA competition begins Thursday at Laidley Field in Charleston. Class A gets underway Friday.
By MATTHEW PEASLEE
TWEET @DomPostSports
