[caption id="attachment_12359" align="alignleft" width="300"]<a href="http://pocahontastimes.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/25/2016/05/Tyler-Owens-and-Connor-Pyles.web_.jpg"><img src="http://pocahontastimes.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/25/2016/05/Tyler-Owens-and-Connor-Pyles.web_-300x200.jpg" alt="Pocahontas County High School senior Tyler Owens, left, passes the baton to junior Connor Pyles as they compete in the boys 4x800 race at the Cline Stansberry/Mister Bee Potato Chips Invitation April 22. The team, including freshman Jacob Jones and junior Kyle Lester, took second place in the race. Photos courtesy of Samantha Collins" width="300" height="200" class="size-medium wp-image-12359" Bruce McKean Contributing Writer Thirteen girls and 12 boys teams, all in Class A or AA, traveled to Doddridge County April 22 to compete in the Cline Stansberry/Mister Bee Potato Chips Invitational. Thirteen of the 25 squads were ranked in the top-10 teams in their class and/or ranked in the top-10 at the state meet last year. The two Keyser teams are both ranked #1 in Class AA while the Doddridge teams are both ranked #2 in Class A. The Ritchie County and the Doddridge boys are the defending state champs respectively in classes AA and A. Williamstown was also at the meet, and their two teams are ranked #3 in Class A and the two squads finished #2 (boys) and #4 (girls) at states last year. This meet had to be cancelled following the girls 4x200, due to lightning, with only 11 girls and 11 boys events completed. Eighteen events are the normal number for most big meets. With several of our athletes moving up in the rankings in events that had to be cancelled, it was a big disappointment for them to not be able to compete and improve their times this week. Pocahontas County High School sophomore Cora Hedrick had another great effort and took first in the 3200 (12:24.42 which was the #7 ranked time in WV Class A as of April 23 meets). Hedrick improved on her #8 time last week by 31.82 seconds. The Doddridge meet record is 11:15.45 set by state champion Margaret Drazba of St. Marys on april 19, 2013. Hedrick beat runner-up Keyser sophomore Kyleena Purvis on Friday by 3.52 seconds, and Purvis’s time was #6 in WV Class AA. Senior Melissa Murphy placed fifth in the event in a time of 13:04.13, and that ranked #10 in WV Class A. The PCHS girls 4x800 – Hedrick and seniors Megan Galford, Melissa Murphy and Michelle Murphy – also grabbed gold in a time of 10:39.06 which is still #3 ranked in West Virginia. The Lady Warriors improved their best time by 6.08 seconds. Charleston Catholic (10:30.68) is now #1 in West Virginia, and Magnolia (10:38.06) is #2 and only one second faster than the PCHS time. Hedrick’s previous times in the 800m (2:37.74 - dropped from #8 to #9 in West Virginia this week) and the 1600m (5:46.74 - showed up late in the rankings at #6 in West Virginia). Hedrick is now ranked in four events in the state. The girls #7 time last week in the 4x400 – junior Bryce Kranc, Hedrick, Melissa Murphy and Galford – of 4:37.84 dropped to #8 this week with no running of that event to improve their time. Melissa is ranked in three events in the state. The PCHS boys 4x800 – senior Tyler Owens, junior Connor Pyles, freshman Jacob Jones and junior Kyle Lester – just missed gold when Class AA Ritchie County won by .96 of a second (8:51.97 - #1 RCHS and 8:52.93 - #2 PCHS). The PCHS boys’ time is also ranked #3 in the state, only 1.24 second behind #2 Charleston Catholic (8:51.69). Wirt County is #1 in West Virginia with a time of 8:31.00. Pyles did not run in the 400 on Friday, but he is ranked #10 in West Virginia this week (53.84). The 4x400 – Lester, freshman Kyle Cohenour, Jacob Jones and Pyles – was cancelled, but their Nicholas meet time of 3:44.24 is ranked #6 in the state. Pyles is ranked in three events. Twelve girls teams (five AA and 7 A) scored, and PCHS placed seventh (22 points). Twelve boys teams (five AA and 7 A) scored, and PCHS placed ninth (8 points). The top six girls teams were: #1 Doddridge A - 57 points, #2 Liberty Harrison AA - 39.5, #3 Keyser AA - 38, #4 Williamstown A - 35, #5 Ohio Valley Christian A - 30 and #6 Ritchie County AA - 26. The top six boys teams were: #1 Keyser AA - 71, #2 Ritchie AA - 48, #3 St. Marys A - 46, #4 Williamstown A - 30, #5 Doddridge - 29 and #6 tie Gilmer County A - 26 / Robert C. Byrd AA - 26. PCHS willvtravel to Keyser May 4 for the PVC Meet that begins at noon, and then to Oak Hill High School on Friday, May 6, for the Lions Club Meet that starts at 3:30 p.m.
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