By Chris McCarthy, Publisher/Editor
Kodie Bogle had plenty of room to spare while winning the state javelin championship for the second year in a row.
The Gaston High sophomore’s gold-medal-winning throw of 174-06 was more than 22 feet farther than the best effort of the state runner-up at the Class 2A state track and field meet last week.
It was Bogle’s second straight state championship. He bettered his 2022 gold medal throw by more than nine feet. Bogle (pictured above) was state runner-up in the event on 2021. He also placed sixth in the triple jump at 41-05.00.
The other local medalist in the Class 1A-3A meets in Cullman was Coosa Christian’s Kailah East, who captured the 1A girls second-place silver in the shot put with a toss of 32-10.00. East also finished sixth in the 800-meter run at 2:49.54. Maryanne Wright had a fifth-place finish in the 800-meter run at 2:49.47.
For the Coosa boys, Yawo Joseph Sika placed fourth in the 3200-meter run at 11:08.87 and sixth in the 1600-meter run at 5:11.57.
In the Class 2A meet for West End, Kane Lawson placed fourth in the boys javelin at 145-06, Karlee Tarpley came in sixth in the girls 800-meter run at 2:40.32, Paten Battles finished sixth in
girls 3200-meter run at 12:55.72 and the girls 4×800-meter relay team of Battles, Kaylee Tarpley, Karlee Tarpley and Toree Chaney placed 10th at 11:47.22.
In the Class 3A state meet, Glencoe senior Katie Giles capped her high school career with three top finishes. She came in fourth in the 1600-meter run at 5:30.60, sixth in the 800-meter run at 2:30.10 and seventh in the 3200-meter run at 12:26.84.
The Lady Yellow Jackets’ 4×800-meter relay team of Chloe Douglas, Allie Jo Amos, Palin Cook and McKinley Kay 12 came in sixth at 11:37.84.
Hokes Bluff’s Haley Kate Wellingham had a pair of top 10 individual events and another in a relay event. She, Jenna Bradley, Addison Simmons and Mary Davenport came in fifth in the 4×100-meter relay with a time of 52.67. Wellingham finished sixth in the long jump at 14-09.00 and 10th in the 400-meter dash at 1:04.80.
Also placing in the top 10 for Hokes Bluff were the boys 4×800-meter relay team of Ethan Patterson, Brenten Hale, Alexander Moland and Bryer Morrison (sixth, 9:05.87); Mary Davenport in the girls 200-meter dash (seventh, 27.52); Chloe Dodd in the girls javelin (seventh); Ethan Patterson in the boys 800-meter run (ninth, 2:06.61); Alexander Moland in the boys 400-meter dash (ninth, 53.29); Bryer Morrison in the boys 3200-meter run (10th,
10:54.02); Conner Wellingham in the boys javelin (10th, 127-07) and the boys 4×400-meter relay team of Eli Heath, Brenten Hale, Ethan Patterson and Alexander Moland (10th, 3:49.88).