62 performances met or exceeded the Milesplit National Silver Standard. (updated 5/27/09)
WV Athletes Achieving National Elite Performances
Numerous State meet records fell in the 2009 West Virginia State Championships.
State Meet Records Updated 5/23/2009
Meet Recaps:
AAA Boys
Hedgesville Senior High School easily took the boys AAA race by a 24 point margin over Jefferson 92 - 68. It was a total team effort as Jordan Reed claimed the only races for Hedgesville. Reed sprinted to the win in the 100m in 11.36 after posting a 10.85 in the preliminaries. Reed came back and slammed the field in the 200m with a time of 21.98. Reed gathered 24 points after earning points in Hedgesville’s runner-up relays in the 4 x 100m and 4 x 200m.
Zach Tennant a senior from North Marion was the outstanding performer as he broke West Virginia State meet records in the 1600m and 3200m. Tennant took 1st in the 1600m in 4:13.84 bettering the old record of 4:14.03 by Preston’s Eric Ryan in 2005. Tennant blistered the 3200m in 9:14.84 eclipsing the 29 year old record held by Mike Kominsky of Oak Hill in 1980 by 2 ½ seconds . Tennant was pushed in the 1600m race by 800m winner Craig Pritt a senior from Preston. Pritt’s time was 4:17.77. Pritt took first in the 800m in 1:55.02.
AAA Girls
The AAA girls broke 5 West Virginia State track meet records. Three were in relay events and two were by individuals. Taylor Brown a junior from Jefferson was involved with two of those records. Brown broke the State Meet record in the 300m hurdles with a clocking of 44.34. The previous record was held by Chelsea Carrier of Buckhannon-Upshur in 2006 in 44.57. Brown led Jefferson (66 pts.) to victory in a tightly contested meet with Woodrow Wilson with 61 points. Jefferson’s 4 x 100m relay team broke a 29 year old record of 49.20 held by the 1980 Wheeling Park ladies with a time of 48.58. Members of the new State Meet record relay team are: Chelsea Bryan, Taylor Brown, Chelsey Flinchum, and Brittany Carr.
Ari Kasprowicz, a senior from Preston, set the new standard in the 3200m in 10:49.15 by breaking her former teammate, Kaylyn Christopher, time of 10:55.52 that was set in 2006.
The Hurricane ladies smashed the 4 x 800m relay record by over 5 seconds with the new benchmark of 9:31.14. Preston held the previous record of 9:36.53 which was set in 2007. Members of the record breaking relay were: Sahara Assi, Alex Dent, Sarah Davis, and Josie Crouch
Wheeling Park ladies set the girls 4 x 102.5m shuttle hurdle relay State Record in 1:04.18. Members of the State Meet record shuttle hurdle relay are: Miranda Rios, Ashley Dolan, Alicia Bonar, and Hannah Gompers.
AA Boys
Keyser boys set two new State Meet records as they ran away from the field in the AA State Meet. In the relay events, Keyser put in a dominating display as they finished 1st in 4 of the 5 relay events and set two new State Meet records in the 110m shuttle hurdle relay (56.41) and the 4 x 200m relay (1:29.93). They also placed first in the 4 x 100m relay and the 4 x 400m relay. Members of the record holding 4 x 110m shuttle hurdle relay are: Jeremy Green, Matthew Wilmer, Kaison Rohrbaugh, and Jarell Ross. The previous AA record was set by Oak Glen in 2000 with a time of 57.34. The Keyser relay team broke a 20 year old record in the 4 x 200m relay. Members of the record setting 4 x 200m relay are: Taige Redman, Jeremy Green, Jarell Ross, and Matthew Wilmer. The previous record was set in 1989 by Dunbar in 1:30.37.
Nathan Rees, a senior, from Ravenswood was the most outstanding athlete in AA boys as he became a triple State individual champion in the middle and distance events winning the 800m in 2:00.57, the 1600m in 4:28.6, and the 3200m in 9:43.78. Rees was also on the State champion 4 x 800m relay team(8:19.92) to earn 4 State titles and 32.5 points.
Cullen Grover, a senior, from Tyler Consoliated was a double State champion in the hurdles. Grover ran a 14.80 in the 110m hurdles and clocked a 40.32 in the 300m hurdles.
Sophomore Mark Britton of Ritchie County became a double State champion in the throw events. Britton heaved the shot put 47’ 03”, and threw the discus 167’ 10”.
AA Girls
The Oak Hill ladies eased by the Philip Barbour ladies with a score of 80 – 68 to take the AA State Championship trophy. Shakilya Cosby with 24 points led the Oak Hill team with two individual first place finishes in the 200m (26.27) and 400m (57.68) and as a member of the winning 4 x200m relay team which posted a time of 1:48.99. Oak Hill also won the 4 x 100m relay.
Philip Barbour’s Marteney Jacobs was the outstanding athlete in the AA girl’s meet as she took three first place State titles back to Philippi. Jacobs while earning 30 points in individual events won the long jump in 17’ 10”, the 100m hurdles in 15.82, and the 300m hurdles in 45.69.
Demi Kirk, a junior from Sherman, was an honorable mention athlete in the AA girl’s meet as she collected 28 of Sherman’s 31 points. Kirk dashed to the title in the 100m with a time of 12.98, she took 3rd in the 200 (26.49), placed 3rd in the 400m (1:00.61), and leaped to a 3rd place finish in the long jump with a mark of 15’ 08”.
A Boys
In the closest and most highly contested competition of the meet, Doddridge County edged slightly favored Wheeling Central Catholic by 1 point to take the Single A State title by a score of 76-75. Trailing going into the last event of the day, the green and gold team from West Union pulled out the upset by taking 4th place n the 4 x400m relay as Wheeling Central Catholic had a disqualification. However, with an outstanding athlete with the fitting name of Edgell, Doddridge County “edgelled” the strong team from Wheeling.
Cuylor Edgell, a senior, led his team to victory with the outstanding performance of the meet. Edgell sprinted to the 200m title in 22.89, vaulted to the win in the pole vault (14’ 0”), leaped to a 2nd place finish in the long jump (20’ 01.25”), and dashed to a 3rd place finish in the 400m in 51.28 for a meet high of 34 points.
Davon Marion, a senior, from Mount Hope had an impressive day as well. Marion set the State meet record in the long jump with a remarkable 21’ 07” leap besting the previous State record by over 6”. Aaron Lantz of South Harrison had set the mark at 21’ 0.75” in 2007. Marion also claimed a State title in the 100m dash with a time of 11.67.
Senior Matthew Kiger of Williamstown was also a double winner and set the new State mark in the shot put by 6” with a shot of 52’ 02.25”. The former State record was set by Seth Butler of Gilmer County n 2004 with a throw of 51’ 06.25”. Kiger catured the other throw event by taking the State title in the discuss with a distance of 144’ 07”.
Jeffrey Fertig, a senior from Pocahontas County, broke the State Single A high jump record of 6' 04" with a jump of 6' 05". The previous mark was set in 2006 by Clint Wilson of Bishop Donahue.
Derrick Chaffin, a junior, from Richwood took the middle distance events in winning State titles in the 800m and 1600m runs. Chaffin’s times were 2:03.62 and 4:33.85.
A Girls
As expected, the strong team from Saint Marys, won the A State title in one of the most dominating showings ever. The ladies from Saint Marys gathered 166.5 points to 2nd place Williamstown’s 72. In a fitting finale, they set the new State record in the 4 x 400m relay with a time of 4:18.15. The previous best was set in 2005 by Charleston Catholic in a time of 4:18.87. Members of the record breaking 4 x 400m relay team are: Morgan Taylor, Lydia Powell, Rebecca Miller and Jennifer McFarland. Saint Marys won 3 different relay events in taking the 4 x 200m, 4 x 400m and 4 x 800m relays.
Senior Jennifer McFarland and Freshman Ali Johnson were double State individual champions for Saint Marys. McFarland claimed both middle distance events in wining the 800m in 2:25.15 and the 1600m in 5:31.54. She also was on the winning 4 x 400m and 4 x 800m relay teams. Johnson won the 300m hurdles in 47.08, took the long jump with a leap of 16’ 02.5”. Johnson was also a member of the winning 4 x 800m relay team with a team time of 9:53.72.
Cindy Hillberry, a senior from Mount Hope capped her career by becoming a double State champion in the throw events. Hillbery tossed the shot put 40’ 3” and threw the discuss 113’ 06” to claim the titles.
Lacey Hampton, a junior from Bishop Donahue, is a double State champion in the high jump (5’ 02”), and in the 100m hurdles with a time of 15.92. Her mark in the high jump tied the State meet record set by Niki Zickefoose of Doddridge County in 2003.
My congratulations to all athletes for a memorable and record setting 2009 West Virginia State Championships.
62 performances met or exceeded the Milesplit National Silver Standard. (updated 5/27/09)