Morgantown girls finish 2nd in team standings
CHARLESTON — The 2024 WVSSAC state track and field meet concluded on Saturday at Laidley Field in Charleston with all five local-area schools aiming to make some movement in the team standings while also fighting for an individual state title.
The Morgantown girls’ team entered day two with a 17-point lead over second-place Jefferson through six of 18 completed events.
Entering the final three events, Morgantown and Jefferson were tied with 65 points. The Cougars took first in the 800 while MHS took third for a four-point difference. Entering the final girls’ event of the meet, the 4×400 relay, the Cougars held a six-point advantage, 77 to 71. To end the girls’ competition, Jefferson wrapped up the team title with first place. MHS finished in third in the relay to seal the runner-up spot in the standings.
University High finished in fifth in the team standings with 51 points.
After setting two state-meet records on Friday in the 100- and 200-meter preliminary sprints, Trinity Christian freshman Elecia McCurrie carried her momentum over to Saturday. She began by capturing the state title in the Class A 400-meter dash, setting a new state-meet record of 55.70. She then improved her 100-meter preliminary time of 12.27 with a time of 11.98, also setting a new state-meet record. McCurrie is only the fourth girl ever in the state of West Virginia to run a time of under 12 seconds in the 100-meter dash. She finished as runner-up in the long jump.
Her third individual state title came in the 200-meter dash as she finished in 25.06.
“I didn’t feel a ton of pressure coming into the weekend being a freshman,” she said. “Being able to come to the state track meet and accomplish the goals that I’ve worked so hard toward means so much. I come out and run races that only take a short amount of time but the amount of time spent to train and prepare for those moments isn’t always seen or noticed. I’m so happy to see hard work pay off.”
McCurrie finished as the high-point winner for Class A with 38 total points as the Trinity Christian girls finished in third in the overall team standings for the weekend with 59 points. TCS concluded the meet taking third overall in the 4×400 relay.
Preston senior and recent WVU signee Ella White collected the AAA title in the 400-meter dash with a time of 58.24. She also took second overall in the 800-meter race.
“It was all mental for me today and I knew coming in that was my biggest challenge,” White said. “Once I got myself through that mental block it’s all about finishing. This season has been so fun and I’m trying to enjoy every second I have. It’s always a fun weekend down here.”
Clay-Battelle freshman Maggie Lemley took third overall in the 300-meter hurdles with a time of 48.98.
Trinity Christian senior and Glenville State signee Jenna Barnett took third overall in the Class A 1600-meter run with a time of 5:23.15.
MHS held three of the top ten spots in the girls’ 1600-meter run, led by senior Jennifer O’Palko who finished in third with a time of 5:09.27. O’Palko also earned third in the 800-meter race. University junior Adalyn Tager took second place with a time of 5:06.95. Her teammate Abigail Rogers finished fifth in the race.
For the boys, the University Hawks were well represented in the 1600-meter run, with three of the top seven spots. Drew Zundell took second overall with a time of 4:11.53. The race earned UHS 15 points toward the boys’ team total.
The Hawks finished fifth in the overall standings in Class AAA. Morgantown placed ninth at the state meet.
C-B senior Zac Hall finished in second place in the Class A 100-meter dash with a time of 11.20, then took runner-up in the 100 as well at 22.46.
Chase Livengood from Trinity Christian captured the state championship in the long jump on Friday with a jump of 21-10.50 and fifth overall in the high jump on Saturday. His teammate Simon Travis took 11th overall in the 300-meter high hurdles.
TCS took ninth overall in the Class A boys’ standings with 27 points.
