Messenger file photo by Chris McCarthy
By Chris McCarthy, Publisher/Editor
Carl Henry and Emma Drinkard didn’t just perform under pressure this past track and field season.
They thrived in the spotlight.
Henry, a Westbrook Christian senior, and Drinkard, an Ashville High junior, earned MVP honors on 2022 All-Messenger track and field teams.
Henry set a state record in the shot put event at the Class 2A state meet while picking up another two medals in the bronze category for the discus and javelin. His record-brea-king throw in the shot put was more than eight feet longer than his 2021 gold-medal toss. Henry also won the gold medal in the shot put at the 2022 indoor state meet in February.
At the Class 2A Section 4 meet in April, Henry took home gold medals in the shot put and discus while earning a silver in the javelin.
“Carl is always at his best when the pressure is on,” said Westbrook track and field head coach Seth Ford in an earlier interview. “He doesn’t get rattled. He’s one of those kids that’s a gifted natural athlete along with being mentally tough. He can dig down and find that little bit of extra when he needs to. Carl just goes out and performs, which you really appreciate as a coach. He’s definitely a gamer.”
Since picking up the discus shortly before his junior season, Henry has been nothing short of dominant in the event. He went this past season, winning all eight of his events. Going back to the 2021 season, Henry is 13-0 in the shot put and has never finished below third place in the event.
Drinkard (pictured above) put on a performance for the ages at the Class 4A Section 2 meet, capturing the gold in the 100, 200 and 400-meter dash events while serving as the anchor leg of the Lady Bulldogs’ first place 4×800-meter relay team. At the state meet in Gulf Shores in early May, she was a member of Ashville’s state runner-up 4×800-meter relay and won a bronze medal in the 100-meter dash. She also finished fourth in the state in the 400-meter dash.
Competing in the 100, 200 and 400-meter dash events this past season, Drinkard won 13 gold medals, one silver and three bronze. She did not finish lower than fifth out of 28 events.
Coach of the Year honors went to Hokes Bluff’s Taylor Morgan for the girls and Westbrook’s Seth Ford for the boys. Morgan guided the Lady Eagles to their first Etowah County Schools title in five years, while Ford helped the Warriors finished seventh out of 36 teams at the state meet.
2022 All-Messenger girls track & field team (Note: times listed are season PRs)
100-meter dash
Emani Morgan, Gadsden City: 12.20
Karleigh Sheffield, Gadsden City: 12.54
Emma Drinkard, Ashville: 12.61
200-meter dash
Emani Morgan, Gadsden City: 25.12
Karleigh Sheffield, Gadsden City: 25.92
Kyla Price, Gadsden City: 26.46
Emma Drinkard, Ashville: 26.46
400-meter dash
Emma Drinkard, Ashville: 59.26
Zoie Menk, Southside: 103.99
LaShaya Satcher, Gadsden City: 1:05.39
800-meter run
Taylor Knight, Ashville: 2:29.44
Katie Giles, Glencoe: 2:30.54
Kathleen McCarthy, Ashville: 2:33.36
1600-meter run
Taylor Knight, Ashville: 5:23.05
Katie Giles, Glencoe: 5:40.83
Alexis Valentine, Southside: 6:06.88
3200-meter run
Taylor Knight, Ashville: 11:51.15
Katie Giles, Glencoe: 12:20.33
Sarah Ponder, Glencoe: 12:53.66
100-meter hurdles
Aaliyah Richard, Gadsden City: 19.65
Taylor Meador, Westbrook: 20.00
Jimia Murray, Gadsden City: 20.70
300-meter hurdles
Lydia Northam, Ashville: 51.92
Aaliyah Richard, Gadsden City, 53.63
Iliana Huff, Gadsden City: 54.00
4×100-meter relay
Emani Morgan, Kyla Price, Karleigh Sheffield, Mariah Ragland, Gadsden City: 48.40
Zoie Menk, Abbie Owens, Lexi Thompson, Lauren Henderson, Southside: 51.05
Faith Countryman, Maggie Morgan, Clare Goodwin, Gracie Hyfield, Westbrook: 52.53
4×400-meter relay
Emani Morgan, Kyla Price, Karleigh Sheffield, Mariah Ragland, Gadsden City: 4:20.13
Lizzy Harrison, Alli Jo Amos,, Chloe Douglas, Katie Giles, Glencoe: 4:25.13
Maggie Morgan, Clare Goodwin, Kenna Stephens and Ella Frost, Westbrook: 4:39.71
4×800-meter relay
Taylor Knight, Emma Thompson,, Kathleen McCarthy, Emma Drinkard, Ashville: 10:31.17
Alli Jo Amos, McKinley Kay, Anna Grace Ponder, Sarah Ponder, Glencoe: 10:54.69
Mallory Tucker, Sara Burger, Adalyn Phillips, Lacey Rich, Southside: 11:46.70
Long jump
Iliana Huff, Gadsden City: 18-1
Mariah Ragland, Gadsden City: 16-4
Lexi Thompson, Southside: 16-0
Triple Jump
Lexi Thompson, Southside: 30-1
Taylor Meador, Westbrook: 30-1
Lydia Northam, Ashville: 29-9
High jump
Lydia Northam, Ashville: 4-10
Chloe Rule, Hokes Bluff: 4-8
Haley Kate Wellingham, Hokes Bluff: 4-6
Allie Jo Amos, Glencoe: 4-6
Shot put
Sara Helms, Sardis: 30-6
Gracie Countryman, Westbrook: 28-1
Mya Beason, Ashville: 27-6
Javelin
Kinley Morrison, Sardis: 99-8.5
Isabella Self, Sardis: 97-11
Chloe Dodd, Hokes Bluff: 96-1
Discus
Gracie Countryman, Westbrook: 96-3
Sara Helms, Sardis: 72-7
Abby Watkins, Hokes Bluff: 68-10
2022 All-Messenger boys track & field team (Note: times listed are season PRs)
100-meter dash
Clyde Curry, Gadsden City: 10.64
Sanjay Wright, Southside: 11.29
Jordan Bradley, Hokes Bluff: 11.31
200-meter dash
Sanjay Wright, Southside: 22.55
Cameron Rolley, Gadsden City: 23.14
Garrett Burns, Sardis: 23.18
400-meter dash
Sage Robertson, Westbrook: 52.19
Ashton Vann, Ashville: 52.66
Cameron Rolley, Gadsden City: 52.85
800-meter run
Ashton Vann, Ashville: 2:02.81
Wyatt Knight, Ashville: 2:02.82
Luke Holcombe, Southside: 2:03.28
1600-meter run
Jackson Griggs, Southside: 4:27.50
Tanner Rice, Gadsden City: 4:32.35
Joe Stevens, Ashville: 4:36.66
3200-meter run
Jackson Griggs, Southside: 9:35.96
Tanner Rice, Gadsden City: 9:37.27
Dhruv Patel, Gadsden City: 9:41.02
110-meter hurdles
Dylan Johnston, Hokes Bluff: 17.14
Avery Carrol, Sardis: 17.66
Duncan Van Ling, Southside: 18.14
300-meter hurdles
Sanjay Wright, Southside: 41.11
Avery Carrol, Sardis: 42.76
Josh Graham, Etowah: 42.44
4×100-meter relay
Cameron Rolley, Zyan Gibson, Clyde Curry, Braylen Starks, Gadsden City: 42.84
Omarian Finch, Corey Duncan, Josh Graham, Jarvis Hardwick, Etowah: 44.39
Kane Lawson, Braxton Teal, Avery Carrol, Garrett Burns, Sardis, 45.37
4×400-meter relay
Ashton Vann, Greyson Simpson, Travis Smith, Kanyon White, Ashville: 3:42.38
Cameron Rolley, Braydon Mayes, Caleb Davis, Clyde Curry, Gadsden City: 3:44.09
Cason Arther, Carter Cothran, Owen Beason, Conner Cothran, Glencoe: 3:45.84
4×800-meter relay
Luke Holcombe, Hayden Tucker,, Ryan Maudsley, Jackson Griggs, Southside: 8:30.68
Clayton Knight, Wyatt Knight, Joe Stevens, Ashton Vann, Ashville: 8:32.88
Dhruv Patel, Tanner Rice, Braydon Mayes, Cameron Rolley, Gadsden City: 8:41.56
Long jump
D’Javi Byers, Gadsden City: 20-5
Trent Bothwell, Etowah: 20-2.75
Sage Robertson, Westbrook: 19-8
Triple jump
Garrett Burns, Sardis: 40-5.25
Greyson Simpson, Ashville: 39-6
Jake Alewine, Sardis: 39-6
High jump
Jake Alewine, Sardis: 5-10
Duncan Van Ling, Southside: 5-8
Paul Amrien, Hokes Bluff: 5-8
Shot put
Carl Henry, Westbrook: 54-9.5
Ian Stinson, Hokes Bluff: 47-11
Aaron Richard, Gadsden City: 46-11.75
Javelin
Kodie Bogle, Gaston: 165-10
Will Shirley, Southside: 152-5
Jose Ponce, Sardis: 151-8
Discus
Carl Henry, Westbrook: 152-8
Isaiah Taylor, Gadsden City: 135-11
Tony Patterson, Sardis: 130-0
Pole Vault
Greyson Simpson, Ashville: 10-6
Sage Robertson, Westbrook: 10-6
Garrett Spears, Ashville: 9-6