Messenger files photos by Alex Chaney and Chris McCarthy
By Chris McCarthy/Publisher/Editor
A pair of local seniors went out with a proverbial bang in regard to their high school athletic careers.
Etowah’s NyNy Davis and Sardis’ Torin Bright dominated the competition in four events on the way to being named the 2021 All-Messenger boys track and field team Athletes of the Year.
Both went undefeated in their signature events. Davis (pictured above right) won all of nine 100-meter dash events while going 6-for-7 in the 200-meter dash. Bright captured all eight of his 300-meter hurdles events while going 8-for-10 in the 110-meter hurdles. Bright also went 6-for-8 in the long jump.
After winning both the 100-meter dash and 200-meter dash at the Class 4A Section 4 Meet at James Clemens, Davis capped his prep career by doing the same thing at the state meet in Gulf Shores.
The victories gave Davis four gold medals in state meet competition, as he won the 200 and finished runner-up in the 100 in 2019.
Bright (pictured above left) took first place in the 110-meter hurdles, the 300-meter hurdles and the long jump at the Class 5A Section 4 Meet at Guntersville.
The next week in Gulf Shores, he won the gold in the 300-meter hurdles and earned the silver in the 110-meter hurdles.
Both 2021 graduates will compete at the next level. Davis will play football and run track at Utah State, while Bright signed with Spring Hill College in Mobile.
Overall Coach of the Year honors went to Ashville’s Michele Rogers, who guided the girls program to its first sectional title in four years and saw the boys finish runner-up. Eighteen AHS athletes qualified for the state meet, where the Lady Bulldogs finished seventh out of 27 teams and the Bulldogs came in 10th out of 36 teams. Seven athletes medaled and eight broke personal records during the three-day meet.
Co-MVPs: NyNy Davis, Etowah; Torin Bright, Sardis
Coach of the Year: Michele Rogers, Ashville
Note: times listed are season personal records
First team
100-meter dash
NyNy Davis, Etowah: 10.59
Grayson Russell, Southside: 11.06
Nathan Whitt, Southside: 11.11
200-meter dash
NyNy Davis, Etowah: 21.35
Jaquan Woods, Gadsden City: 22.36
Grayson Russell, Southside: 22.51
400-meter dash
Ashton Vann, Ashville: 52.03
Kendall Blackwell, Gaston: 52:51
Grayson Russell, Southside: 53.22
800-meter run
Ashton Vann, Ashville: 2:07.20
Jackson Griggs, Southside: 2:07.61
Will Anglea, Southside: 2:07.81
1600-meter run
Jackson Griggs, Southside: 4:32.31
Will Anglea, Southside: 4:32.45
Luke Holcombe, Southside: 4:38.79
3200-meter run
Jackson Griggs, Southside: 9:53.43
Will Anglea, Southside: 9:55.38
Joe Stevens, Ashville: 10:02.85
110-meter hurdles
Torin Bright, Sardis: 14.73
Gabe Sawyer, Ashville: 16.32
Dylan Johnston, Hokes Bluff: 18.31
300-meter hurdles
Torin Bright, Sardis: 40.26
Josh Graham, Etowah: 44.45
Gabe Sawyer, Ashville: 44.71
4×100-meter relay
Christopher Butler, Nathan Whitt, Cody Roberts and Grayson Russell, Southside: 43.72
Alija Bell, D’Javi Byers, DeMarcus Macon and Jaquan Woods, Gadsden City: 43.82
Devin Wills, Max Ewing, Drew Whittemore and Sage Robertson, Westbrook: 46.53
4×400-meter relay
Da’Quandalon Daniel, DeMarcus Macon, Tanner Rice and Ja’Quan Woods, Gadsden City: 3:33.22
Daniel Cody, Luke Holcombe, Brayden Mayes and Sam Kilgo, Southside: 3:39.03
Kanyon White, Travis Smith, Gabe Sawyer and Ashton Vann, Ashville: 3:39.31
4×800-meter relay
Jackson Griggs, Ryan Maudsley, Luke Holcombe and Will Anglea, Southside: 8:26.45
Demarcus Macon, Tanner Rice, Cameron Rolley and Corion Holloman, Gadsden City: 8:45.30
Joe Stevens, Travis Smith, Clayton Knight and Ashton Vann, Ashville: 9:05.80
Long jump
Torin Bright, Sardis: 22-0.5
DeMarcus Macon, Gadsden City: 21-6
D’Javi Byers, Gadsden City: 21-2.5
Triple Jump
Jaquan Woods, Gadsden City: 39-0
Sam Kilgo, Southside: 38-6
Greyson Simpson, Ashville: 38-6
High jump
D’Javi Byers, Gadsden City: 6-0
Jake Alewine, Sardis: 6-0
Hayden Smith, Glencoe: 5-8
DeMarcus Macon, Gadsden City: 5-8
Pole Vault
Nick Spears, Ashville:12-5
Sage Robertson, Westbrook: 9-5
Clayton Knight, Ashville: 9-0
Garrett Spears, Ashville: 9-0
Shot put
Toby Camp. Etowah: 49-6
Carl Henry, Westbrook: 48-4
Aaron Richard, Gadsden City: 46-5
Brody Lowe, Sardis: 46-5
Javelin
Kodie Bogle, Gaston: 150-11
Toby Camp. Etowah: 146-4
Brody Lowe, Sardis: 144-8
Discus
Toby Camp. Etowah: 144-4
Brody Lowe, Sardis: 138-0
Carl Henry, Westbrook: 133-10
Second team
100-meter dash
Evan Delp, Coosa Christian: 11.22
Hayden Smith, Glencoe: 11.38
Cody Roberts, Southside: 11.41
200-meter dash
Nathan Whitt, Southside: 22.64
Evan Delp, Coosa Christian: 22.74
Sage Robertson, Westbrook: 23.14
400-meter dash
DeMarcus Macon, Gadsden City: 53.26
Jackson Martin, Westbrook: 53.56
Cameron Rolley, Gadsden City: 54.40
800-meter run
Jackson Martin, Westbrook: 2:07.88
Tanner Rice, Gadsden City: 2:09.30
Joe Stevens, Ashville: 2:10.50
1600-meter run
Joe Stevens, Ashville: 4:43.95
Tanner Rice, Gadsden City: 4:47.39
Sam Green, Hokes Bluff: 4:49.76
Asher Curp, Westbrook: 4:52.65
3200-meter run
Sam Green, Hokes Bluff: 10:22.84
Ryan Maudsley, Southside: 10:24.41
Clayton Knight, Ashville: 10:26.9
110-meter hurdles
Nick Spears, Ashville: 18.43
Avery Carrol, Sardis: 18.96
Sage Robertson, Westbrook: 19.89
300-meter hurdles
Avery Carrol, Sardis: 45.0
Dylan Johnston, Hokes Bluff: 45.25
Noah Monday, Hokes Bluff: 46.72
4×100-meter relay
Avery Carrol, Garrett Burns, Braxton Teal and Zion Delgado, Sardis: 47.20
Xavier Bothwell, Kanyon White, Travis Smith and Greyson Simpson, Ashville: 47.86
Noah Monday, Dylan Johnston, Ian Stinson and Jordan Bradley, Hokes Bluff: 48.04
4×400-meter relay
Ethan Johnson, Eli Heath, Alexander Moland and Sam Green, Hokes Bluff: 3:48.83
Jonathan Lusk, Jaxon Snead, Zion Delgado and Blade Devin, Sardis: 3:50.07
Sage Robertson, Drew Whittemore, Max Ewing and Jackson Martin, Westbrook: 3:52.53
4×800-meter relay
Alexander Moland, John Max Taylor, Cole Avant and Nolan Fletcher, Hokes Bluff: 9:09.17
Jonathan Lusk, Jaxon Snead, Zion Delgado and Blade Devin, Sardis: 9:10.38
Jackson Martin, Drew Whittemore, Dathan Curp and Asher Curp, Westbrook: 9:30.12
Long jump
NyNy Davis, Etowah: 21-2
Hayden Smith, Glencoe: 20-6.75
Sam Kilgo, Southside: 20-4.75
Triple jump
Amon Firestone, Southside: 38-2.75
Christian Williams, Gadsden City: 37-8
Kodie Bogle, Gaston: 37-6.5
High jump
Sam Kilgo, Southside: 5-6
Garrett Burns, Sardis: 5-6
Christian Williams, Gadsden City: 5-6
Shot put
Connor Rowland, Southside: 45-11
T.J. Peeples, Glencoe: 45-4.25
Javelin
Ian Stinson, Hokes Bluff: 143-7
Carl Henry, Westbrook: 143-3
Will Shirley, Southside: 137-6
Discus
Aaron Richard, Gadsden City: 131-5
Deacon Godfrey, Westbrook: 127-5
Hayden Robertson, Southside: 122-2.5