CHARLESTON, W.Va. — In the first four-class Girls Track & Field State Championship, Wheeling Central Catholic took the team title in Class A. The Maroon Knights scored 113.5 points and secured the crown on the 18th and final event of the competition by winning the 4×400 meter relay. Central also picked up four other race victories on Saturday. The Maroon Knights won the 4×100 meter relay and the 4×200 meter relay. Individually, Central’s Loni Kusic won the 400 meters and Alexa Loy won the high jump.
St. Marys finished as the team runner-up, 10.5 points behind the Maroon Knights. The Blue Devils picked up three event victories on Saturday. Laney Watkins swept the top two sprint races by winning the 100 meters and the 200 meters. Anna Bennett crossed the line first to win the 800 meter run.
Other winners in Class A are Charleston Catholic’s Bella Boggs in the 1600 meter run, Clay-Battelle’s Magnolia Lemley in the 300 meter hurdles, East Hardy’s Madison Kerr in the 100 meter hurdles, Valley’s Laken Dawson in the long jump and Madonna’s Rylee Birkhimer in the shot put.
In Class AA, Williamstown won their 13th state title and seventh in a row in comfortable fashion. The Yellowjackets scored 115 points and they took home titles in the 4×200 meter relay and the 4×100 meter relay. Also, Grace Boone won the pole vault.
Lincoln earned team runner-up honors. Raley Cochran won the 800 meter run and Kaylin Sipher took home the title in the long jump.
Double winners in Saturday events were Roane County’s Josie Cox, she won both hurdle events in the 100 and 300 hurdles. Sissonville’s Makinley Britton took the sprint titles in the 100 meter run and the 200 meter run. Other event winners on Saturday are Frankfort’s Bailey Ferguson in the 1600 meter run, Buffalo’s Cami Samples in the 400 meter run, Weir in the 4×400 meter relay and Tyler Consolidated’s Ayo Buerger in the high jump.
In Class AAA, Greenbrier East won their first girls state track title by scoring 125 points. The Spartans won six events on Day 2 of the meet. Three of those victories belonged to sprinter Annie Whited. She crossed the line first in the 100 meter run, the 200 meter run and the 400 meter run. East also claimed victory in the 4×100 meter relay, the 4×400 meter relay and Emma Erskine won the 100 meter hurdles.
Winfield finished as runner-up. Ava Macko won the pole vault for the Generals. Herbert Hoover’s Maysen Fletcher went 3-for-3 in winning all of her individual races. She won the 1600 meter run and the 800 meter run on Saturday. Other event winners in Class AAA are Paislee Babiczuk of John Marshall in the discus. She tossed a personal-best of 139 feet, 6 inches. Carly Manchin of East Fairmont won the 300 meter hurdles and Fairmont Senior crossed the line first in the 4×200 meter relay.
The Class AAAA team competition came down to the final race and the Huntington Highlanders were able to hold off Jefferson to bring the title back to Cabell County. HHS finished with 83 points. Milleah Johnson had the lone event victory in the 110 hurdles for the Highlanders on Saturday but Huntington used depth throughout the lineup to win their sixth team championship.
Jefferson won five races on Saturday. Three titles were claimed by Elecia McCurrie as she swept the 100, 200 and 400 meter runs. McCurrie also ran the anchor leg on the victorious 4×400 meter relay team. Also for the Cougars, Elizabeth Riordan won the 800 meter run.
Other event winners in Class AAAA are Musselman’s Sadie Yates in the 1600 meter run, Spring Mills in the 4×200 meter relay, Washington in the 4×100 meter relay, Wheeling Park’s Molly Brinker in the 300 meter hurdles, Riverside’s Cianna Groom in the discus and Hurricane’s Jenna Geter in the shot put.