The last race at the West Virginia State Cross Country Championships was expected to be the wildest race of the day. It was the boys’ AA-A race. It didn’t disappoint.
Going into Saturday’s AA-A girls’ race, all anybody wanted to talk about was the showdown between Charleston Catholic’s Sami Harris and St. Mary’s Maggie Drazba.After the race, people were talking about Drazba’s complete domination of the Cabell Midland course.
Nothing should be assumed or predicted in the A-AA boys race. It appears to be the wild card of all the races on Saturday. Cross country will get a special treat because it will be the last race of the day.
It’s the classic individual, head-to-head cross country rivalry. Maggie Drazba versus Sami Harris.
Shady Spring senior Sarah Phillips captured the girls’ AA-A Region III title. Richwood’s Andrew Shaffer ran 17:02 to take the victory in the boys race.
Philip Barbour Ladies Favored to Repeat as State Champions
On the girls’ side of things in the AA-A classes, there’s good news and bad news. The good news is Sarah McCauley graduated and will be running at WVU this fall. The bad news is that Philip Barbour returns the other six runners that blew the away the second place Shady Spring by 58 points at the state meet.
The Colts may have another runner take home the individual crown. Last year, then-sophomore Briana Waybright finished fifth and freshman Katie Mahoney finished ninth.
However, when talking about the individual title, the conversation starts with St. Mary’s Maggie Drazba and Charleston Catholic’s Sami Harris.
Defending AAA Champion Jacob Burcham Nearing the Finish Line Last Year
For anyone that has followed running in the state of West Virginia over the last few years, the names are familiar: Brandon Doughty, Cody Pelliccioni and Dayton McVicker.
The threesome has now graduated and are beginning their collegiate careers--Doughty and McVicker at the University of Oklahoma and Pelliccioni at North Carolina State.
A new wave of running talent is eager to leave their legacy in West Virginia cross country history. The up and coming talent is headlined by rising Cabell Midland junior Jacob Burcham the defending West Virginia AAA cross country champion.
Greensboro, N.C.--While West Virginia is known nationally for its ability to produce outstanding distance runners, it was a sprinter that stole the show at New Balance Outdoor Nationals.
Harpers Ferry-native and current Jefferson star Dante Price won the Boys’ Emerging Elite 200-meter dash with a time of 21.95 seconds. Price, who is one of only two West Virginia sprinters to break 22 seconds in the event this year, missed his season personal best by .01 seconds.
Price also ran in the Boys’ Emerging Elite 100-meter dash clocking a time of 11.03 seconds, but failed to qualify for finals.
Heading into state meet as many as eight teams had a legitimate shot at winning the AA girls team title.
After the smoke cleared on Saturday afternoon, Berkeley Springs walked away with the championship as they snuck past Tyler Consolidated and Oak Glen. Much like the Doddridge boys and their quest for the team title, Berkeley Springs had just one individual champion as junior thrower Harlie Stotler captured titles in both shot put and discus. Berkeley Springs’ depth was the deciding factor.
Doddridge County winning the 4 x 100m relay.
Heading into the state meet Doddridge County and St. Marys was expected to go head-to-head in several pivotal events that would ultimately decide the state championship between the Little Kanawha Conference rivals.
Doddridge lived up to the expectations as they claimed their second team championship in the last three years. Meanwhile, St. Marys fell back to fourth place as Charleston Catholic claimed state runner-up and Williamstown rounded out the top four.
Doddridge won despite not having a single individual champion. However, Doddridge did claim victories in the 4x100-meter relay and Shuttle Hurdles. They also picked up a pair of second place finishes from Daniel Plaugher in 110-meter high hurdles and 300-meter intermediate hurdles.
Magie Drazba winning one of her 3 titles
Over the last two years, a rivalry has seemed to bloom between St. Mary’s Maggie Drazba and Charleston Catholic’s Sami Harris.
After her strong performance at the state meet, Drazba now has five individual state titles--three this year and two last year--to her name, while Harris only has one.
Drazba broke two state records in the 1600-meter and 3200-meter records. She also tied the 800-meter run record with a time of 2:24.32.
Triple State Champion Godwin
Knabenshue- Double State Champion
Led by strong performances from sophomore Emily Godwin and senior Karissa Knabenshue, the Buckhannon-Uphsur girls was able to squeak past Martinsburg by one point for the team title.
Burcham edges Doughty by .02 to earn the trifecta. (Lance McDaniel photo)
Going into the boys AAA State Track Meet, much hype surrounded the 800-meter, 1600-meter and 3200-meter runs.
It’s safe to say that all three events lived up to that hype.
Franklin Repeats As High Point Champ
Brandon Franklin
Last year, Liberty Harrison’s Brandon Franklin edged former Sherman star Jake Rollo for the high point by a mere four points. This year--from the beginning--there was little doubt who was going to be high point champ. On Friday night, Franklin won long jump by over a foot.
Finishes 36th
Cody Pelliccioni nearing the finish at Foot Locker Nationals
For Cody Pelliccioni--the lone West Virginian to qualify for Foot Locker Nationals—it was a tough day as he finished 36th in a field of 40 runners at Balboa Park in San Diego Saturday morning.
Pelliccioni with his "ticket" to San Diego
Foot Locker Nationals Video Pre-Show: South Boys
When Morgantown High senior runner Cody Pelliccioni closes out his decorated high school career Saturday in San Diego, he will be doing something only four other West Virginia runners have done before him.
One of the Best AAA Boys Races West Virginia has ever seen!
Propst winning her third individual state title
The AAA boys kicked off the afternoon in Ona, WV.
Some people were calling it the most exciting race of the day. Others called it the fastest state meet in recent history.
Woodford on his way to the AA-A Boys Victory
McCauley making her move at the 2 mile mark
Under clear, sunny skies, the AA-A boys kicked off things in Ona, WV at the West Virginia Cross Country State Championships.
