Photo: The Hokes Bluff girls track and field team gather for a photo following the Lady Eagles’ first-place finish at the Etowah County Schools track and field meet on April 13 at Gadsden City High School. Pictured, kneeling, from left: Hannah Mayhall, Aja Aaron, Haylen Marbut, Jenna Bradley, Addie Robertson, Mary Davenport, kami Williamson, Rylee Hill, Ella Shaw. Standing, from left: assistant coach Jake Ingram, Emma Doss, Chloe Rule, Haley Kate Wellingham, Hope Thomason, Abby Watkins, Elizabeth Edge, assistant coach Vann Edge, Chloe Dodd, Ella Kate Shields, head coach Taylor Morgan. (Alex Chaney Photography)
By Chris McCarthy, Publisher/Editor
The Southside boys and Hokes Bluff girls won the Etowah County Schools track and field meet on April 13 at Gadsden City High School.
The Panthers earned eight first-place medals, including three by meet MVP Jackson Griggs in the 800, 1600 and 3200-meter run events. Southside also captured two of three relay events in the 4×800 and 4×400, with Griggs a member of the former team.
The Hokes Bluff girls, who won their first county title since 2017, came up short to Southside in the gold medal count, 3 to 7, but the Lady Eagles accumulated 19 total medals to the Lady Panthers’ 13, including a 9 to 4 advantage in second-place silver.
Hokes Bluff track and field coach noted that several girls placed fourth through seventh to help clinch the championship.
“All of our varsity girls all did their part, but we also had a lot of middle schoolers who stepped up and got points for us, which was huge,” he said. “Chloe Dodd has hardly been in any jumping events, and she ended up getting second in the high jump and in the javelin.”
Morgan said the battle for first place against Southside went down to the wire.
“I was running around between the field and track events, so it was hard to keep up, and I knew that Southside would be up there. I felt pretty good going into the last event (the 4×400 relay), but I just didn’t know how close it was.”
Tops in girls’ individual medals was Glencoe’s Katie Giles, who won the gold in the 800, 1600 and 3200. The meet MVP, she was also a member of the Lady Yellow Jackets’ first-place 4×400 team.
Listed are the top three finishers in each event.
Girls 4×800-meter relay
1. Southside A team of Mallory Tucker, Sara Burger, Adalyn Phillips and Lacey Rich: 11:57.88
2. Glencoe High School A team of Lizzy Harrison, McKinley Kay, Anna Grace Ponder and Sarah Ponder: 12:27.15
3. Hokes Bluff A team of Ella Shaw, Ella Kate Shields, Hannah Mayhall and Aja Aaron: 12:38.38
Boys 4×800-meter relay
1. Southside A team of Luke Holcombe, Hayden Tucker, Ryan Maudsley and Jackson Griggs: 9:32.59
2. Sardis A team of Johnny Lusk, Zion Delgado, Landon Maroney and Blade Devin: 9:40.45
3. Glencoe A team of Cason Arther, Carter Cothran, Owen Beason and Conner Cothran: 10:13.06
Girls 100-meter hurdles
1. Haley Powers, Southside: 20.43
2. Emma Doss, Hokes Bluff: 22.36
3. Kami Williamson, Hokes Bluff: 22.76
Boys 110-meter hurdles
1. Dylan Johnston, Hokes Bluff: 17.95
2. Avery Carrol, Sardis: 18.23
3. Dincan Van Ling, Duncan Southside: 18.69
Girls 100-meter dash
1. Abbie Owens, Southside: 12.91
2. Lauren Henderson, Southside: 12.93
3. Haley Kate Wellingham, Hokes Bluff: 13.36
Boys 100-meter dash
1. Jordan Bradley, Hokes Bluff: 11.31
2. Kane Lawson, Sardis: 11.67
3. Garrett Burns, Sardis: 11.68
Girls 1600-meter run
1. Katie Giles, Glencoe: 6:02.48
2. Alexis Valentine, Southside: 6:16.83
3. Hope Thomason, Hokes Bluff: 6:29.25
Boys 1600-meter run
1. Jackson Griggs, Southside: 4:50.34
2. Ryan Maudsley, Southside: 4:54.17
3. Luke Holcombe, Southside: 4:55.41
Girls 4×100-meter relay
1. Southside A team of Zoie Menk, Abbie Owens, Lexi Thompson and Lauren Henderson: 52.08
2. Hokes Bluff A team of Haylen Marbut, Addie Robertson, Rylee Hill and Mary Davenport: 56.16
3. Glencoe A team Ellie Ginn, Ella Hines, Chloe Douglas and Alli Jo Amos: 58.00
Boys 4×100-meter relay
1. Southside A team of Everett Grizzard, Sanjay Wright, Cody Roberts and Koal Garrett: 45.51
2. Sardis A team of Kane Lawson, Braxton Teal, Avery Carrol and Garrett Burns: 45.70
3. Hokes Bluff A team of Dylan Johnston, Noah Monday, Blaine Barron and Jordan Bradley: 45.96
Girls 400-meter dash
1. Haley Kate Wellingham, Hokes Bluff 1:05.91
2. Zoie Menk, Zoie Southside:1:06.30
3. Lizzy Harrison, Glencoe: 1:11.02
Boys 400-meter dash
1. Conner Cothran, Glencoe:57.41
2. Everett Grizzard, Southside: 57.87
3. Alex Oden, Southside: 59.05
Girls 300-meter hurdles
1.Ella Kate Shields, Hokes Bluff: 1:05.24
2. Kami Williamson, Hokes Bluff:1:05.55
3. Lori Barnes, Sardis 1:08.86
Boys 300-meter hurdles
1. Sanjay Wright, Southside: 41.77
2. Duncan Van Ling, Southside: 44.43
3. DylanJohnston, Hokes Bluff: 46.20
Girls 800-meter run
1. Katie Giles, Glencoe:2:49.71
2. Hope Thomason, Hokes Bluff:2:55.85
3. Elizabeth Edge, Hokes Bluff: 2:59.48
Boys 800-meter run
1. Jackson Griggs, Southside: 2:15.81
2. Luke Luke Holcombe, Southside: 2:16.64
3. Ryan Maudsley, Southside: 2:17.17
Girls 200-meter dash
1. Abbie Owens, Southside: 26.57
2. Haley Kate Wellingham, Hokes Bluff: 27.76
3. Zoie Menk, Southside: 27.91
Boys 200-meter dash
1. Sanjay Wright, Southside: 22.58
2. Garrett Burns, Sardis: 23.18
3. Jordan Bradley, Hokes Bluff: 23.30
Girls 3200-meter run
1. Katie Giles, Glencoe: 13:06.59
2. Sarah Ponder, Glencoe: 13:27.56
3. Alexis Valentine, Southside: 13:38.71
Boys 3200-meter run
1. Jackson Griggs, Southside: 11:21.80
2. Luke Holcombe, Southside: 11:22.01
3. Ryan Maudsley, Southside: 11:22.22
Girls 4×400-meter relay
1. Glencoe A team of Lizzy Harrison, Anna Grace Ponder, Chloe Douglas and Katie Giles: 5:07.48
2. Southside A team of Mallory Tucker, Sara Burger, Adalyn Phillips and Lacey Rich: 5:17.60
3. Hokes Bluff A team of Jenna Bradley, Kami Williamson, Rylee Hill and Mary Davenport:
5:31.86
Boys 4×400-meter relay
1. Hokes Bluff A team of Noah Monday, Ethan Patterson, Eli Heath and Alexander Moland: 3:57.86
2. Sardis A team of Johnny Lusk, Canyon McGee, Zion Delgado and Blade Devin: 3:58.85
3. Southside A team of Alex Oden, Pedro Alvarez, Jayden Sweeten and Everett Grizzard: 3:59.96
Girls long jump
1. Lexi Thompson, Southside: 14-10.50
2. Haley Kate Wellingham, Hokes Bluff: 14-03.50
3. Lily Lewis, Gaston: 13-08.50
Boys long jump
1. Jake Alewine, Sardis: 19-00.50
2. Jordan Bradley, Hokes Bluff: 18-06.00
3. Canyon McGee, Sardis: 17-08.50
Girls shot put
1. Sara Helms, Sardis: 30-00.00
2. Kinley Morrison, Sardis: 25-07.00
3. Hayden Kittle, Sardis: 24-02.00
Boys shot put
1. Ian Stinson, Hokes Bluff: 44-10.00
2. Will Shirley, Southside: 43-02.00
3. Jacob Strunk, Southside: 39-07.00
Girls discus
1. Sara Helms, Sardis: 72-07
2. Shelby Waters, Gaston: 71-11
3. Abby Watkins, Hokes Bluff 68-10
Boys discus
1. Tony Patterson, Sardis: 123-08
2. Ian Stinson, Hokes Bluff: 110-08
3. Harrison Cummings, Hokes Bluff: 102-06
Girls high jump
1.Chloe Rule, Hokes Bluff: 4-04.00
2. Chloe Dodd, Hokes Bluff: 4-02.00
3. Allie Jo Amos, Glencoe: J4-02.00
Boys high jump
1. Jake Alewine, Sardis: 5-10.00
2. Duncan Van Ling, Southside: 5-06.00
3. Paul Amrein, Hokes Bluff: 5-04.00
Girls triple jump
1. Lexi Thompson: 30-01.00
2. Chloe Rule, Hokes Bluff: 29-02.00
3. Isabella Self, Sardis: 29-01.00
Boys triple jump
1. Sanjay Wright, Southside: 40-02.00
2. Jake Alewine, Sardis: 39-06.00
3. Garrett Burns, Sardis: 38-08.00
Girls javelin
1. Kinley Morrison, Sardis: 99-08.50
2. Chloe Dodd, Hokes Bluff: 94-02
3. Isabella Self, Sardis: 85-02
Boys javelin
1. Kodie Bogle, Gaston: 156-00
2. Will Shirley, Southside: 146-09
3. Kane Lawson, Sardis: 144-05