CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Gatorade selected Nitro’s Luke Nichols and Ripley’s Tori Starcher as the boys and girls track and field athletes of the year in West Virginia.
Nicholas, a 6-foot-2, 173-pound senior, won the Class AA high jump at the state track and field meet for a third straight year. Nichols’ twice cleared 6 feet, 10 inches in the high jump this spring—that height ranked No. 25 in the nation among prep competitors in 2018 at the time of his selection.
“Luke leapt six inches higher than the kid that finished second to him at the state meet,” said Lance Moore, head coach of Herbert Hoover High in the Gatorade release. “He dominated his event as much or more than any other athlete in the state.”
Nichols is a Louisville recruit.
Starcher, meanwhile, is also the state’s reigning Gatorade girls cross country runner of the year. The 5-foot sophomore swept the 800-meter run, the 1,600-meter run and the 3,200-meter run at the Class AAA state meet this past year, helping lead Ripley to a team state championship.
Starcher also took sixth in the 800 at the New Balance Nationals Outdoor this month, setting a state record with her time of 2:07.42, which ranked No. 8 in the nation among prep competitors at the time of her selection.
“I’m so honored,” Starcher said on Jackson Connection. “There are a lot of big names who also could have been chosen. Everyone put in so much hard work (this past track season at Ripley). Being able to come out on top (with the team championship) was so exciting.”
LAST FIVE GATORADE BOYS TRACK ATHLETES OF THE YEAR
2018: Luke Nicholas, Nitro
2017: Freddy Canary, South Harrison
2016:Tristan Slater, Capital
2015: Christian Buckley, Poca
2014: Christian Buckley, Poca
LAST FIVE GATORADE GIRLS TRACK ATHLETES OF THE YEAR
2018: Tori Starcher, Ripley
2017: McKenna Smith, Bridgeport
2016: McKenna Smith, Bridgeport
2015: Anacia Hines, St. Albans
2014: Amelia Paladino, University