Twenty-one PCHS athletes qualify for state track meet
Bruce McKean
Contributing Writer
Twenty-one Pocahontas County High School athletes – four seniors, seven juniors, five sophomores and five freshmen – have qualified for the 105th state track meet in Charleston after both track teams worked hard to win it all at the Class A Region III Track and Field Championships May 9 at Laidley Field in Charleston.
Coaches Abe Rittenhouse, Aaron Pugh and Josh Abbott will travel to the state meet with 11 girls, who will compete in 16 of 18 events, and 10 boys, who will compete in 11 of 18 events.
Many would say that every member and coach of both PCHS track teams pulled off big upsets to do what has never been accomplished before at the Region 3 track meet.
The PCHS boys had not been ranked all year, and the Warriors scored 112 points and finished six points ahead of the second place (106) and #5 state ranked Webster County team. The Lady Warriors were #8 in the early rankings this season before they dropped out of the top-10, only to return the past three weeks with another #8 ranking and then dropped to #9. The PCHS girls scored an impressive 164 points and finished just three points ahead of the second place (161) and #6 ranked Charleston Catholic squad.
Every single point scored in all the events listed be-low, from freshmen to seniors, made this happen.
Junior Laila Calhoun led the girls’ scoring with 23 points Thursday and won three golds and one silver: #1 in 100 hurdles – 16.56, #2 in 300 hurdles – 50.30, #1 in 4×200 – 1:59.39, and #1 in shuttle hurdles – 1:09.51.
Cloey Sharp tallied 19 points, all in individual events, including one silver and one bronze: #2 in long jump – 14-05.25, #3 in discus – 75-01, #4 high jump – 4-04, and #6 shot put – 24-06.
Cheylin Woodruff scored 18.5 points with one gold, two silver and one bronze: #1 in 4×200, #2 in 4×400 – 4:28.70 and 100m – 13.58, and #3 in 200m – 28.55.
Macaden Taylor produced 18 points with three bronze medals in individual events: #3 in 800m – 2:42.85, 1600m – 6:06.14 and 3200m – 12:39.90.
Charity Warder stepped up with 16 points for two silver medals: #2 in shot put – 29-06.50 and discus – 87-05.
Sage McLaughlin totaled 14.5 points with one gold and three silver: #1 in 4×200 and #2 in 400m – 1:02.32, 4×400 and 4×800 – 11:50.22.
Tessa Kiner scored 12.75 points including a gold and a bronze: #1 in shuttle hurdles, #3 in 100 hurdles – 18.46. #4 in 300 hurdles – 54.54, and #6 in 4×100 – 1:00.66.
Kira Bircher accounted for 12.5 points and won gold, two silver and one bronze: #1 in shuttle hurdles, #2 in 4×400 and 4×800, and #3 in 300 hurdles – 53.01.
Savannah McMillion scored nine points with two gold and two silver in relays: #1 in 4×200 and shuttle hurdles and #2 in 4×400 and 4×800.
Senior Irish Simmons notched 8.25 points including one silver: #2 in high jump – 4-08.00 and #6 in 4×100.
Hazel Riley got two points for one silver: #2 in 4×800.
Makenna McKenney added six points: #4 in 800m – 2:50.64 and #5 in 1600m – 6:22.27.
Shayna Hammons added four points: #4 in discus – 68-08.
Jayden Cover and Rayna Smith each made .25 points: #6 in 4×100.
Seniors Jacob Jones and Cody Kiner led the boys’ scoring with 21.5 points each and each won one gold, two silver and one bronze: Jones: #1 in 300 hurdles – 42.39 and #2 in 800m – 2:09.04; Kiner: #1 in long jump – 19-05.25 and #2 in high jump – 5-08.00: and both: #2 in shuttle hurdles – 1:05.07 and #3 in 4×400 – 3:55.31.
Thomas Smith amassed 16 points and won one gold and one bronze: #1 in shot put – 39-10.00 and #3 in discus – 114-03.
Senior Elijah Robertson totaled 13.5 points including two silver and one bronze: #2 in 110 hurdles – 16.94, #2 in shuttle hurdles, #3 in 4×400 and #5 in 300 hurdles – 47.32. Sean Beverage scored 13 points including one gold and one silver: #1 in 3200m – 11:22.37, #2 in 4×800 and #6 in 1600m – 5:33.51.
Max Ervine totaled 10 points including one bronze: #3 in shot put – 36-04.00 #4 in discus – 110-10.
Dakin Rexrode compiled six points including two silver: #2 in 4×800, #2 in shuttle hurdles, and #5 in 800m – 2:28.69.
Silas Riley had three points including one silver: #2 in 4×800 and #6 in 800m – 2:30.86.
Iam Johnston scored three points including one silver: #2 in 4×800 and #6 in 3200m – 11:52.60.
Conner Spencer scored 2.5 points including one bronze: #3 in 4×400 and #6 in 400m – 59.32.
Senior Taylor Tegtmeyer tallied 2 points: #5 in discus – 100-05.
This year the boys placement and scoring in Region 3A was: #1 PCHS – 112 (#4 of 11 teams in 2018 Region 3A – 64
