Cora Hedrick scores fourth highest points at Gazette Relays
Bruce McKean
Contributing Writer
The Pocahontas County High School Track teams headed to the last two of their regular season schedule of six meets (no home meets due to track condition at PCHS) before heading to Charleston twice for the regional and state meets. The two Warrior squads returned to the 82nd Gazette-Mail/Friends of Coal Relays, after an absence in recent years. The meet was held April 28 and 29. Fifteen Class A schools, including Ironton, Ohio, sent athletes to the 2017 meet. Eleven Class AA and 18 AAA schools also sent athletes, so 83 teams total and 1,300 athletes competed in the six meets.
When the final points were totaled for the class A girls top-five scorers at the Gazette Relays meet, PCHS junior Cora Hedrick’s 23.5 points effort was tied for fourth place with Sydney Smith, of Buffalo. In individual events Hedrick won two seconds and one third plus a third in the 4x800m. Freshman Rita Guamis was PCHS second high scorer with 13.5 points.
The two high PCHS scorers were seniors Connor Pyles and Kyle Lester with 16.5 and 12.5 points respectively.
Just before the lunch break the meet was delayed for a short while by a swarm of bees that landed on some hurdles. The hurdles were moved, and a beekeeper was called to remove them.
The PCHS (WV unranked) and Ravenswood (WV #8 ranked) boys teams each scored 54 points and tied for #4 of the 15 entered Class A boys teams. The other four of the top-six squads were: #1 Doddridge (WV #3 rank – tie) – 155 points, #2 Tyler (WV #3 – tie) – 103, #3 Buffalo (WV #10) – 67 and #6 Tygarts Valley (WV unranked) – 34. Scoring ranged from 24 down to only one point for the #7 through #13 scoring squads.
The PCHS (WV unranked) girls team scored 46 points and finished #5 of the 14 entered A girls teams. The other top-six squads were: #1 Doddridge (WV #1 ranked) – 176 points, #2 Buffalo (WV #6) – 90, #3 Charleston Catholic (WV unranked) – 65, #4 Tyler Consolidated (WV unranked) – 56, and #6 Ohio Valley Christian (WV unranked) – 36. Scoring ranged from 21 down to only one point for the #7 through #12 scoring squads.
High PCHS scorers in the PVC meet were junior Cora Hedrick with 26 points (four gold medals) and senior Ryan Irvine with 12 points. Rita Guamis scored 13.5 points.
The only PCHS athlete to place first at the relays in an individual event (20 throwers) was senior Ryan Irvine in the discus with a WV #4 ranked throw of 138-01. The only PCHS relay team to grab first (10 teams) was the boys 4x400m (seniors Logan Davis, Lester and Pyles plus sophomore Logan Wood-ruff – 3:44.50 – slower than their current WV #3 ranked 3:38.74 time).
Winning four second place medals were: Pyles (400m – 52.71 – WV #7 WV time – 20 runners), Hedrick (800m – 2:36.68 – WV #8 – 21 runners, and 3200m – 12:42.08 – WV #7 – 12 runners), and 4x200m team of Davis, sophomore Hunter Shafer, Lester and Pyles (1:38.99 – WV #9 – 12 teams).
Taking seven third place medals were: freshman Rita Guamis (100m – 13.59 – 27 runners, and 200m – 27.88 – 28 runners), Hedrick (1600m – 5:47.35 -14 runners), Lester (400m – 53.71 – 24 runners), 4x200m team of Rita Guamis, freshmen Laila Calhoun and Sage McLaughlin plus junior Lola Guamis (2:00.60), and 4x800m team of Lola Guamis, McLaughlin, Calhoun and Hedrick – 11:19.65 – earlier 11:07.96 time ranked #8 in WV).
Pyles placed fourth in the 800m – 2:13.– 9. Three individuals coming in fifth were: Davis (400m – 55.12), Lester (800m – 2:13.19), sophomore Elijah Robertson (110m hurdles – 17.85). Senior Danny Kimble placed sixth in two events (shot put – 38-03.50 – 22 throwers, and discus – 122-04 – 20 throwers).
Potomac Valley Conference
PCHS traveled to Keyser for the Class A Potomac Valley Conference meet May 1. Seven schools competed and all scored in both the boys and girls meets. The WV #10 ranked Union girls squad is currently the only state ranked PVC team. The finish in the girls meet was: #1 Tucker – 141 points, #2 Pocahontas – 78, #3 Union – 55, #4 East Hardy – 39. #5 Pendleton – 33, #6 Moorefield – 31 and #7 Paw Paw – 1. The finish in the boys meet was: #1 Tucker – 141 points, #2 Pendleton – 66, #3 Pocahontas – 58, #4 Moorefield – 55. #5 East Hardy – 36, #6 Union – 20 and #7 Paw Paw – 7. PCHS was disqualified in three relay events – the 4x100m, our #9 WV ranked 4x200m, and our #3 WV ranked 4x400m, so placing well in only one of those events would have moved PCHS up to #2 in the meet.
Placing first in eight individual events: Cora Hedrick (800m – 2:40.93, 1600m – 6:07.23, and 3200m – 12:49.03), junior Bridget Carroll (discus – 103-03), Kyle Lester (800m – 2:11.10), and Ryan Irvine (discus – 143-08). Two relay teams winning gold were: girls 4×800 – 11:31.72, boys 4x800m – 9:00.46.
Placing second in four individual events: Rita Guamis (400m – 1:05.00), Lola Guamis (800m – 2:48.45), Pyles (400m – 53.34), and Jacob Jones (300m hurdles – 44.69). The girls 4x400m relay team placed second (McLaughlin, Calhoun, Guamis and Guamis – 4:42.03).
Placing third in three individual events : senior Tessa Jordan (1600m – 7:00.02), Irvine (shot put – 40-08.00), and Kimble (discus – 124-01). The boys 4×110 shuttle hurdles team placed third (Jacob Jones, Woodruff, sophomore Hunter Shafer, and Robertson – 1:10.29).
Placing fourth in individual events: Rita Guamis (100m – 13.92 and 200m – 29.05), sophomore Irish Simmons (high jump – 4-02), and Davis (200m – 25.33). The girls 4x100m relay team placed fourth (Jordan, senior Mary Kelley, Simmons and freshman Sierra Rodriguez – 1:01.84).
Placing fifth in five individual events: freshman Cloey Sha (long jump – 12-08.00), Carroll (shot put – 24-09.50), Davis (400m – 56.26), junior Gus Foe (3200m – 12:01.23), and Brady Jones (shot put – 40-00.00). The girls 4x200m relay team placed fifth (Lola Guamis, Calhoun, McLau-ghlin and senior Brittany Sharp) – 2:07.03).
Placing sixth in two individual events: McLaughlin (400m – 1:08.96), and Robertson (3200m – 19.41).
The Class A Region 3 meet will be held on Wednesday, May 10, at Laidley Field, beginning at 4 p.m. The state track meet, also at Laidley Field, begins at 2 p.m. Friday, May 19, and at 9 a.m. Saturday, May 20.