CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Paced by one of the nation’s elite high school distance runners, University High School brought a state championship trophy back to Bakers Ridge Friday afternoon. The Hawks won three events Thursday and three more Friday to score 93 points, good enough to best Jefferson by five points in the Class AAA team competition.
Oregon signee Josh Edwards backed up his 3200 meter title yesterday with wins in the 1600 meters and the 800 meters on Friday. The Hawks also won the 4×800 meter relay and their third place finish in the 4×400 relay secured the title. UHS built a sizable lead after day one, thanks to field event victories from Daminn Cunningham in the long jump and Colin McBee in the discus.
“It was awesome,” said University head coach Ed Fronapfel. “We have been in this position before with great distance guys. But we would get nothing else. When you are getting great support from the field events — we got a point from shot put, discus won and long jump won.”
In his final individual race at UHS, Edwards made up a deficit in the final 100 meters to win the 800 meter run. The victory allowed him to share individual high point honors.
“It is an unmatched feeling,” Edwards said. “Going out and winning 1600 and 3200 is obviously great but when you are out there and it is the final moments of the race and it can be anyone’s, and you are the one taking it, that’s a feeling that will never leave you.”
Jefferson checked in with 88 points. 20 of their points were earned in relay victories Friday in the 4×100 relay and the 4×200 relay.
Edwards shares individual high point honors with Huntington senior Noah Waynick. On the meet’s final day, Waynick earned three victories in the 300 meter hurdles, the 110 meter high hurdles and he also cleared 6 feet, 4 inches to win the high jump.
Wheeling Park sophomore Jerrae Hawkins is a double-winner in the sprint events. He just missed out on a state meet record in the 100 meters. His winning time was 10.54 seconds. Hawkins also won the 200 meters.
Other individual event winners included Cabell Midland’s Michael Lunsford. He had the best throw in the shot put at 52 feet, 6 inches. Musselman won the shuttle hurdle relay and Buckhannon-Upshur put a wrap on the competition by winning the 4×400 meter relay.