Photo: Glencoe High’s Katie Giles (pictured at right) stands at the medal podium after finishing third in the Class 1A/3A 1600-meter run at the AHSAA State Indoor Track and Field Championships on February 3 at the Birmingham CrossPlex. Pictured with Giles is winner Elise Picard of Indian Springs (center) and runner-up Catherine Hinson of Indian Springs. (Submitted photo)
Two local high school athletes medaled and several others placed in the top 10 on February 3 and 4 at the AHSAA State Indoor Track and Field Championships at the Birmingham CrossPlex.
Glencoe’s Katie Giles and Ashville’s Emma Drinkard both earned bronze medals. Giles finished third overall and first in public schools in the girls Class 1A/3A 1600-meter run with a time of 5:38, while Drinkard placed third in the Class 4A/5A girls 400-meter dash at 1:00.02.
Giles posted two other top 10 efforts. She came in sixth in the 800-meter run at 2:29.49 and seventh in the 3200-meter run at 12:43.65. Teammate Ella Ginn placed fifth on the long jump at 14-4.25.
Ashville’s Joe Stevens set two school records on the way to a pair of top 10 efforts. The University of Mobile signee broke his own school mark in the 800-meter run with a time of 2:00.99, good for seventh place. He also eclipsed the school record in the 1600-meter run with a sixth-place time of time of 4:35.11. In addition, Stevens and teammates Ryan Matthews, Auggie Lemonds and Coby Caswell finished sixth in the boys 4×800-meter relay with a time of 8:44.20.
For the Ashville girls, Taylor Knight placed sixth in the 1600-meter run at 5:33.55 and seventh in the 3200-meter run at 12:24.34.
Southside’s Kathryn Webb and Evan Christopher both had seventh-place showings, the former in the Class 4A/5A girls high jump at 4 feet, 10 inches and the latter in the boys 1600-meter run at 9:55.62.
In local top 15 performances, Glencoe’s Cason Arther came in 11th in the Class 1A/3A boys 3200-meter run at 11:33.89, Glencoe’s Ella Hines finished 11th in the Class 1A/3A girls long jump at 12 feet, 10.5 inches and Southside’s Jackson Griggs finished 12th in the Class 4A/5A boys 1600-meter run at 4:38.22.