Calhoun’s 100m hurdles best time now ranked #1
Bruce McKean
Contributing Writer
For only the second time in the last five years, the Pocahontas County High School track teams competed in the annual Coalfield Conference Class A Track Meet April 30 at Richwood.
The girls team scoring was: #1 PCHS – 224 points; #2 Midland Trail – 89; #3 Greenbrier West – 63; #4 Richwood – 54; #5 Summers County – 36; #6 Meadow Bridge – 26; and #7 Fayetteville – 0.
The boys scoring was: #1 MTHS – 137; #2 PCHS – 122; #3 GWHS – 86; #4 RHS – 84; #5 SCHS – 45; #6 FHS – 32; and #7 MBHS – 14.
The PCHS girls also took first place in 2018 with 170 points (54 points less than this year). The PCHS boys also took second place in 2018 with 108 points.
Congratulations to the teams and Coaches Abe Rittenhouse, Aaron Pugh and Josh Abbott.
Freshman Cheylin Woodruff started the meet strong, winning gold in the 100m (13.27), and bronze in both the 200m (28.69) and 400m (1:05). Freshman Jayden Cover was right behind with a 100m fifth (14.5) and a 200m fourth (31.45). Junior Sage McLaughlin took silver in the 400m (1.03), .01 second from getting gold. Freshman Macaden Taylor won gold in three individual events, the 800m (2.49), 1600m (6.01) and 3200m (14.30). Freshman Makenna McKenney finished with silver in the 800m (3.01) and fourth in 1600m (6.49). Freshman Hazel Riley took fifth in the 1600m (7.38) and silver in the 3200m (17.11).
Senior Jacob Jones also started strong, winning gold in the 800m (2.13), and junior Dakin Rexrode finished third in the 800m (2.23.2). Freshman Sean Beverage grabbed bronze in both the 1600m (5.22) and 3200m (11.59). Freshman Iam Johnston and Mateus Stitzinger finished fifth (13.02) and sixth (13.31) respectively in the 3200m.
After the PCHS girls placed fifth in the 4x100m with McMillion, Calhoun, Wood-ruff and McLaughlin (1:01.0), they took four golds in the 4x200m – McMillion, Calhoun, Woodruff and McLaughlin (1.52), 4x400m – McMillion, Taylor, Bircher and Woodruff (4.4), 4x800m – Bircher, McMillion, Taylor and McLaughlin (11.34) and shuttle hurdles – Bircher, McMillion, Kiner and Calhoun (1.11). Also after a PCHS boys fifth in the 4x100m (51.26), they tallied two golds – 4x400m – Jones, Spencer, Kiner and Robertson (3.52) and 4x800m – Kiner, Robertson, Rexrode and Spencer (9.53) and one silver – shuttle hurdles – Kiner, Robertson, Jones and Rexrode (1.04).
Junior Laila Calhoun again took firsts in both the 100m hurdles (16.37) and the 300m hurdles (50.08). Junior Kira Bircher won silver in the 300m hurdles (52.88), and sophomore Tessa Kiner grabbed bronze in the 100m hurdles (18.56) and fourth in the 300m hurdles (55.64). Senior Elijah won first in the 100m hurdles (16.20) and fourth in the 300m hurdles (46.19). Senior Jacob Jones took gold in the 300m hurdles (42.72).
Junior Chloe Sharp placed first in both the long jump (13’9”) and high jump (4’8”), and senior Irish Simmons took sixth and second in those two event (11’2”) and (4’8”). Sharp nabbed third in shot put (24’8”) and second in discus (70’2”); junior Shayna Hammons took fifth and first in those two events (23’8”) and (71’2”); and Simmons earned sixth in discus (51’3”).
Senior Cody Kiner placed second in both the long jump (18’10”) and high jump (5’6”), and senior Colton Massey took fifth in the high jump (4’10”). Freshman Maxwell Ervine took second in the shot put (36’4”) and fourth in the discus (104’0”), while junior Thomas Smith and senior Taylor Tegtmeyer placed third and sixth in those two events (106’6”) and (98’4”).
The latest Class A girls RunWV Power Rankings for meets held by April 27 and received by April 29 saw only one team, PCHS, move back into the top-10 rankings, matching their #8 early season ranking. The Lady Warriors were the only ranked Coalfield A team, girls or boys, going into the Coalfield meet.
Calhoun’s 16.12 time in the girls Class A 100m hurdles event at the Gazette Relays is the current #1 Best Performance in West Virginia and breaks the school record again. Calhoun is ranked #4 in the 300m hurdles (49.24) also. The PCHS girls were ranked in nine events (four relays and five individual events) this week versus three for the boys (all three individual events).
Note: I missed reporting one event each for three girls last week who scored in the Gazette-Mail Relays: Macaden Taylor – #4 in 1600m (6:00.60); Tessa Kiner – #6 100m hurdles (19.00); and Kira Bircher – #4 300m hurdles (52.35).
The Class A Region III Track Meet starts at 4 p.m. Thursday, May 9, at Laidley Field in Charleston. The state track meet starts at 1:55 p.m. Friday, May 17, and at 9 a.m. Saturday, May 18, at Laidley Field in Charleston.