Doddridge County’s Tommy Walters-Hickman crosses the end line within the 200 meter sprint. (Photo by Jordan Holland)
CHARLESTON — Tommy Walters-Hickman was the highest total particular person performer at this 12 months’s Class AA state observe meet, serving to lead the Doddridge County boys to their second consecutive state championship.
Walters-Hickman, a junior, completed the meet with 34 factors, higher than every other particular person athlete no matter class or gender.
“He’s an amazing athlete and a great young man,” mentioned Bulldogs head coach Bobby Burnside. “Works really hard. He missed a month to begin the season with the hamstrings and was able to come back. We broke two school records this weekend. The 400 was our record since 1994, and he broke his own long jump record. He’s just a really good athlete.”
Walters-Hickman was projected to end third within the lengthy leap, however utilized a brand new technique which helped him hit 21 toes, 10.5 inches.
“We moved me back to a nine-step instead of eight, so I had a little more speed going into it,” Walters-Hickman mentioned. “My last jump I just dipped low and got up high. I really wanted to win it because I couldn’t do it last year. They wouldn’t let me. I broke my wrist.”
Doddridge County’s Tommy Walters-Hickman gained the state championship within the lengthy leap. (Photo by Jay W. Bennett)
Along with these 10 factors, Walters-Hickman nabbed three runner-up finishes within the 100 (11.13), 200 (22.16) and 400 (48.92). Sissonville’s Connor Pritt was the winner in all three of these occasions.
Former Bulldog L.R. Sammons was the earlier holder of the 400 document, which lastly fell after greater than three a long time.
“I think I could’ve done a little better, but I was sore from the 4 still,” Walters-Hickman mentioned. “Times weren’t the best, but we’ll come back next year and do even better.”
Doddridge County cleared runner-up Independence by 44 factors (142-98), so Walters-Hickman was removed from the one contributor.
For the second 12 months in a row, the pole vault was an enormous occasion for the Bulldogs. Trey McDonough captured the state title at 13-6, whereas teammates Tristan Swiger and Nathanael Lloyd tied for second at 13 toes. Last 12 months, Swiger gained the occasion with McDonough ending second and Lloyd following in third.
Tyler Consolidated’s Amos Kimble celebrates after successful the 800 meter run. (Photo by Jordan Holland)
“That’s been our goal all year long,” McDonough mentioned. “We don’t care how we finish as long as we get 1-2-3.”
Burnside added, “It’s a great trio. The same three guys were 1-2-3 last year, just in a different order.”
McDonough had missed his first two tries at 13 toes earlier than clearing it on the third try. He was sitting in third at that time.
“I got on a new pole today from seven-step, so it felt pretty good,” he mentioned. “I haven’t been on it at all this whole season. I blew through the two poles I’m normally on, so they didn’t work, so I moved back to a seven-step, got on a 14-foot, 170 and hit it.”
McDonough, Jerod Trent, Brycen Eidel and Noah Bodkin teamed up to end third within the 4×4 (3:32.88) whereas Swiger, Will Adams, Lyric Blake and Jacob Riffle mixed for a third-place end within the 4×1 (44.26).
Doddridge County’s Nathanael Lloyd competes within the excessive leap. (Photo by Jordan Holland)
Swiger was additionally third in lengthy leap (20-8) whereas Eidel was third within the 110 hurdles (16.05) and Cory Swentzel was fifth within the 1600 (4:39.15) for Doddridge, which scored in all 13 occasions on Saturday.
“Team’s awesome,” Walters-Hickman mentioned. “It’s going to feel great. Just awesome. Everyone put in a lot of work to do it. Couldn’t do it without the whole team.”
After claiming the two-mile crown on Friday, Tyler Consolidated senior Amos Kimble grew to become the Mid-Ohio Valley’s solely triple-champion after successful the 800 and 1600 on Saturday.
Kimble gained the mile with a time of 4:29.21, with teammate Travis Moore not far behind in third at 4:33.15.
Then later within the day, Kimble discovered himself trailing Williamstown’s Vincent Zegrea with about 100 meters to go within the 800. Kimble kicked it into excessive gear, catching up to Zegrea and beating him by a nostril (2:00.30 to 2:00.35) to declare his third state title of the 12 months and fifth of his profession.
Williamstown teammates Vincent Zegrea, proper, and Chase Pickering run facet by facet within the 800 meter run. (Photo by Jordan Holland)
“I was just pressing the ground as hard as I could that last 100,” Kimble laughed. “I usually start making my move with about 100 meters to go. It worked out — barely worked out, but I’ll take it.”
The occasion had loads of native taste as Doddridge’s Colton Key was third (2:02.65) adopted by Williamstown’s Chase Pickering in fifth (2:04.09) and Moore in eighth (2:05.49).
“It’s my fifth track state championship and this one probably means the most,” Kimble mentioned. “I’ve always tried to be a good 800 runner. Vincent’s a great runner. He ran a great race. I ran a great race. I’m happy with it.”
Williamstown didn’t have a person winner on Saturday however nonetheless completed the weekend with 62 factors to place fourth as a workforce. The Silver Knights, led by Kimble’s 31.5 factors, got here in sixth with 53.
However, there merely was no touching Doddridge County this 12 months.
While ready to obtain the workforce trophy after the meet, Burnside was doused with water by a few of his athletes, describing the sensation as “chilly, however good.
“It’s real exciting. We felt like it was a really deep field. Some really great teams — Independence, Frankfort, Williamstown — a lot of teams and great competition. Across the board, it was an amazing weekend for us.”
Contact Jordan Holland at [email protected].