AHSAA indoor track: State champions crowned in 7A, 4A/5A
Hoover continued its indoor track dominance by winning the boys and girls indoor track championships in Class 7A on Saturday at the 53rd AHSAA State Indoor Track and Field Championships held at the Birmingham CrossPlex.
In Class 4A/5A, Scottsboro’s boys won a fourth state indoor track title in the past five years and Lawrence County won its first girls indoor championship.
Hoover has won three of the past four girls indoor championships, while the boys have won six of the past seven. Hoover’s boys scored 134 points to beat runner-up Vestavia Hills’ 61 and the girls had 111.5 points to runner-up Chelsea’s 81.
Hoover senior Gabrielle Washington won the Class 7A 60-meter dash in 7.62 seconds and the 400-meter dash in 55.81 seconds. She also was part of the winning 4×200 and 4×800 relay teams.
Scottsboro scored 69.5 points to win the Class 4A/5A boys championship after winning in Class 6A last season. The Wildcats also won Class 4A/5A titles in 2019 and 2020. Arab was runner-up in Class 4A/5A boys and girls.
Lawrence County freshman Katie Mae Coan played a key role in the Red Devils winning their first girls indoor track title in Class 4A/5A. She won the 1,600 meters in 5:16.92, won the 3,200 meters in 11:30.83 and ran on the championship 4×800-meter relay team.
Lawrence County scored 47 points, with runner-up Arab scoring 40.
Demopolis senior Shonedra Richardson delivered a strong all-around performance, as she won the Class 4A/5A triple jump with a winning leap of 36 feet, 4¼ inches and also won the long jump at 36 feet, 4¼ inches. She had the fastest time in the 60-meter dash preliminaries at 7.69 seconds and won the final in 7.72. She scored all 30 of Demopolis’ points.
Chelsea senior Cady McPhail also won three individual titles, winning the 800-, 1,600- and 3,200-meter running events in 7A. She set new 7A girls indoor state records in the 800-meter and 1,600-meter events as Chelsea finished runner-up to Hoover.
The Class 7A boys 1,600-meter event ranked as the top race of Saturday’s action.
Spain High School senior Keith Warner broke the Class 7A indoor state meet record in the 1,600 meters competition, but he finished fourth. The competition was stronger than ever with Vestavia Hills senior Alex Leath clocking 4:10.94 to win the event. Auburn senior Maxwell Hardin crossed the finish line at 4:12.24 to finish second and junior Henry Strand of Vestavia Hills was third at 4:15.99.
All four runners beat the old record held by Mountain Brook’s Drew Williams since the 2016 state indoor meet. The boys 7A 1,600 set the pace at Saturday’s final day of the 2023 State Indoor Championships.
Several records also fell Friday on Day 1 of the state meet that featured Class 6A and 1A/3A.
Chelsea’s Cady McPhail set the 7A 1,600 meters record at 4:57.68. Scottsboro senior Evan Hill also set a new 4A/5A state meet record in the 1,600 meters with a time of 4:21.47.
Chelsea’s McPhail won the 7A 800-meter run championship with an AHSAA indoor state championships 7A state-record 2:11.63 time. While she did not break the AHSAA all-time state record of 2:08.63, she set in a regular-season meet earlier this season, she did beat 7A state-meet record of 2:12.15 established by McGill-Toolen’s Claire Frazier Bolton in 2020.
McPhail set the all-time AHSAA state meet record of 2:10.720 last season while competing in Class 6A. She now holds the two fastest times in AHSAA history in the state meet and the fastest high school time in the regular-season and in CrossPlex history thanks to her Jan. 16 race.
McPhail and Huntsville’s Ava McIntosh each surpassed the 7A indoor 1,600-meter state record (4:58.68) set by Vestavia Hills’ Crawford West at last year’s meet. The Chelsea senior won the event Saturday with a record winning time of 4:57.68. On her heels was McIntosh, also a senior. She crossed the finish line 33/100th of a second behind McPhail, who holds the CrossPlex record with a 4.44.93 time on Jan. 7 during the regular season.
McPhail also won her third individual title of the day with a time of 10:56.86 in the 3,200-meter run.
Other top performances Saturday included:
– Auburn sophomore T.J. Autrey captured the 7A high jump title by clearing a 7A indoor state meet record 6 feet, 9¼ inches to break the previous record (6-09) set by Oak Mountain’s Trey Allen at the 2019 state meet. Allen set the overall state record during the 2019 regular season by clearing 7 feet.
– In one of the day’s final events, Scottsboro senior Maddox Hamm cleared 17 feet to set new Class 4A/5A and all-class state indoor meet records in the pole vault.
– Senior Adam Taylor of Priceville won a highly competitive 4A/5A boys 800-meter race with a 1:56.25 time. Three others were bunched right behind him – Scottsboro’s Evan Hill (1:58.17), John Carroll sophomore Sebatian Guerrero (1:58.43) and John Carroll junior Arthur Langley (1:57.78).
– Scottsboro’s Evan Hill rebounded in a big way in the Class 4A/5A boys’ 1,600-meter finals. He ran the distance in 4:21.47 to set a 4A/5A state indoor record. The old mark was established by Matthew Estopinal of Randolph at the 2018 state indoor meet.
– Arab junior Bryant Beuoy staved off a strong finish by Ramsay junior Curtis Lewis to win the 400-meter dash race in 4A/5A. His winning time was 50.11 and Lewis was right behind at 50.36.
– In the 7A girls’ 400-meter dash race, Hoover finished 1-2 with senior Gabrielle Washington winning with a 55.81 time. Runner-up freshma Daisy Luna recorded a time of 56.21 time, just 2 seconds off the state record with three years of competition remaining.
– Hoover’s boys also took 1-2 in the 400-meter dash with junior Dallas Beck winning the event with a 49.09 time and sophomore DeMarcus Gardner finishing second at 49.12 – 3/100ths of a second off his teammate’s pace.
– Auburn’s Patrick Sweeney won the ambulatory shot put with an indoor state meet record 22 feet, 8 inches. He set the original record in 2022 with a 21-foot toss.
– Hoover broke the girls 4×200-meter relay record with a time of 1:39.35. It set a 7A and all-classification record, which had been set by Hoover in 2016 with a time of 1:40.91. The record-setting time was run by the team of Taylor Canada, Daisy Luna, JeBreiya Chapman and Gabrielle Washington.
– Vestavia Hills broke the 4×800-meter relay record with a time of 7:57.02, besting the all-class record of 7:57.91 set by Smiths Station in 2007 and the 7A record of 7:47.923 run by Mountain Brook in 2016. The record-setting time was run by the team of David Howard, Max Armstrong, Mitchell Schaef and Alex Leath.
– Hoover took 1-2 in the Class 7A 60-meter dash with Jay Avery winning with a 6.96 time. The senior edged out fellow senior teammate Khaalid Ruffin, who crossed the finish line with a 6.98 time.
Avery also won the triple jump with a leap of 47 feet, ¾ inches and was runner-up in the long jump.
Complete results for both days’ competition can be found at this link on the AHSAA website.
Saturday’s event winners:
INDIVIDUAL EVENT STATE CHAMPIONS
CLASS 7A GIRLS
60-METER RUN: Gabrielle Washington, Hoover, Sr. (7.62)
60-METER HURDLES: Tori Mack, Hewitt-Trussville, Jr. (8.92)
400-METER DASH: Gabrielle Washington, Hoover, Sr. (55.81)
800-METER RUN: Cady McPhail, Chelsea , Sr. (2:11.63) – 7A state indoor meet record
1,600-METER RUN: Cady McPhail, Chelsea, Sr. (4:57.68) – 7A state indoor meet record
3,200-METER RUN: Cady McPhail, Chelsea, Sr. (10:56.86)
4×200-METER RELAY: Hoover, 1:39.35) – 7A state indoor meet record (Taylor Canada, Daisy Luna, JeBreiya Chapman, Gabrielle Washington)
4×400-METER RELAY: Hoover, 3:55.28 (M. Blackledge, D. Luna, T. Canada, G. Washington)
4×800-METER RELAY: Chelsea (9:31.80) (M. Dunavant, T. Cason, T. Griffith, C. McPhail)
LONG JUMP: Zi’morah Foster, Foley, Fr. (17 feet, 9½ inches)
TRIPLE JUMP: Dasya Harold, Hoover, Fr. (47 feet, 1¼ inches)
HIGH JUMP: Nyel Settles, Hoover, Fr. (5 feet, 4 inches)
SHOT PUT: Akasha Dudley, Thompson, Soph. (37 feet, 8 inches)
POLE VAULT: Kennedy Moreland, Vestavia Hills, Soph. (12 feet)
CLASS 4A/5A GIRLS
60-METER RUN: Shonedra Richardson, Demopolis, Sr. (7.72)
60-METER HURDLES: Ivy Teachey, Wenonah, Sr. (9.46)
400-METER DASH: Lexi Foshee, Westminster Christian, Sr. (58.69)
800-METER RUN: Aubrey Zuberi, Fultondale, Jr. (2:20.43)
1,600-METER RUN: Katie Mae Coan, Lawrence County, Fr. (5:16.92)
3,200-METER RUN: Katie Mae Coan, Lawrence County, Fr. (11:30.83)
4×200-METER RELAY: Wenonah (1:48.18) (T. Lewis, I. Teachey, D. Haywood, J. Dortch)
4×400-METER RELAY: Arab (4.14.16) (L. Wright, G. Posten, J. Stapler, E. Moore)
4×800-METER RELAY: Lawrence County (10:09.69) (K. Coan, K. Dumas, S. Williams, T. Williams)
TRIPLE JUMP: Shonedra Richardson, Demopolis, Sr. (36 feet, 4¼ inches)
HIGH JUMP: Lily Zlab, Gulf Shores, Sr. (5 feet, 4 inches)
SHOT PUT: Lydia Reno, Gulf Shores, Sr. (35 feet 11¾ inches)
POLE VAULT: Libby Chance, Arab, Jr. (10 feet)
CLASS 7A BOYS
60-METER RUN: Jay Avery, Hoover, Sr. (6.96)
60-METER HURDLES: Bradley Franklin, Thompson, Sr. Jr. (8.00)
400-METER DASH: Dallas Beck, Hoover, Jr. (49.09)
800-METER RUN: Alex Leath, Vestavia Hills, Sr. (1:53.41)
1,600-METER RUN: Alex Leath, Vestavia Hills, Sr. (4:10.94) – 7A state indoor meet record
3,200-METER RUN: Maxwell Hardin, Auburn, Sr. (9:22.13)
4×200-METER RELAY: Hewitt-Trussville (1:29.04) (H. Bates, C. Wadsworth, M. Johnson, M. Cazeau)
4×400-METER RELAY: Hoover (3:22.89) (D. Beck, Z. King, C. Pate, C. Crowder)
4×800-METER RELAY: Vestavia Hills (7:57.02) – 7A state indoor meet record) (David Howard, Max Armstrong, Mitchell Schaaf, Alex Leath)
LONG JUMP: Michael Igbinoghene, Hewitt-Trussville, Soph. (22 feet, 8¾ inches)
TRIPLE JUMP: Jay Avery, Hoover, Sr. (47 feet, 0¾ inches)
HIGH JUMP: T.J. Autrey, Auburn, Soph. (6 feet, 9¼ inches) – 7A state indoor meet record
SHOT PUT: Bobby Gray, Sparkman, Sr. (52 feet, 10 inches)
SHOT PUT (AMBULATORY): Patrick Sweeney, Auburn (22 feet, 8 inches) – State indoor record)
POLE VAULT: Gavin Horton, Thompson, Sr. (15 feet, 5 inches)
CLASS 4A/5A BOYS
60-METER RUN: Amon Lane, Moody, Sr. (7.03)
60-METER HURDLES: Cameron Ossler, Elberta, Sr. (8.73)
400-METER DASH: Bryant Beuoy, Arab, Jr. (50.11)
800-METER RUN: Adam Taylor, Priceville, Sr. (1:56.26)
1,600-METER RUN: Evan Hill, Scottsboro, Sr. (4:21.47) – 4A/5A state indoor meet record
3,200-METER RUN: Evan Hill, Scottsboro, Sr. (9:24.88)
4×200-METER RELAY: Moody (1:32.90) (K. Talley, B. Burke, C. Kitts, A. Lane)
4×400-METER RELAY: Bibb County (3:32.57) (G. Jordan, C. Collums, J. Simmons, J. Cash)
4×800-METER RELAY: Springville (8:24.62) (H. Colley, C. Broome, E. Denard, D. Robles)
LONG JUMP: Gabe Norton, Arab, Sr. (21 feet, 8¼ inches)
TRIPLE JUMP: Gabe Norton, Arab, Sr. (46 feet, 6¼ inches)
HIGH JUMP: Cameron Ossler, Elberta, Sr. (6 feet) – won in a jump off
SHOT PUT: Royce Baucom, Guntersville, Jr. (45 feet, 4 inches)
POLE VAULT: Maddox Hamm, Scottsboro, Sr. (17 feet) – 4A/5A and all-class state indoor meet record