CHARLESTON Ƶ Field events took center stage on the second day of the TudorƵs Biscuit World Charleston Relays on Saturday at University of Charleston Stadium at Laidley Field.
Cabell MidlandƵs Michael Lunsford broke Randy BarnesƵ all-time West Virginia shot put record with a throw of 68 feet, 6 inches to easily win the Class AAA boys title in that event.
LunsfordƵs throw dented the wooden board that marks the back boundary of the Laidley Field shot-put pit.
It surpassed BarnesƵ record of 66-9.5 set during the same event in 1985, then known as the Gazette Relays.
ƵI work day in and day out, and it feels good knowing that hard work paid off,Ƶ Lunsford said.
Lunsford said he was shocked the throw went as far as it did, given what he said was a lack of height on the release.
Cabell Midland coach Chris Parsons, who coached the state meet record holder, Gavin Beverage, now at the University of Georgia, said Lunsford competed in the Penn Relays on Friday, where he had a throw of 62 feet.
ƵHeƵs just a solid young man,Ƶ Parsons said.
Still ahead is BeverageƵs state meet record of 65-10.5 set at the 2019 state meet.
Lunsford wasnƵt the only one who drew attention in the field events.
Nitro senior Isabella Cowger set a personal best in the girls Class AA discus with a distance of 122-3 to take first in that event. The toss surpassed her previous best of 121-11 set on April 19 in a meet at Winfield and is the best in the state this year.
After placing at state last year in the discus, Cowger said her eye is on a state championship at Laidley Field on May 17-18.
ƵIƵve just got to get more reps, but definitely need to focus on my technique,Ƶ Cowger said.
At a distance of 123 feet, Cowger would have broken a Nitro school record, Wildcats coach Chrystal Legros said. That record was set by Melissa Harrison in 1988.
ƵShe was throwing 130 [feet] in warm-ups,Ƶ Legros said. ƵI think in the heat of competition, she starts thinking about it too much. ThereƵs so much muscle memory involved in it, I know that thereƵs a 140 in there somewhere.Ƶ
CowgerƵs throw was short of the meet record of 155-0 set in 1989 by South Point (Ohio)Ƶs Teresa Sherman.
PocaƵs Kendra Dunbar prevented Cowger from sweeping the girls Class AA throwing events. DunbarƵs mark of 33-9 in the shot put edged CowgerƵs 33-4.
Other results from Saturday included the finals in the boys Class AA discus, where the DotsƵ Anthony Belcher claimed the title with a mark of 152-1.
BuffaloƵs Gunner Fertig set a new personal best in the boys Class A high jump at 6-4, the best mark in West Virginia so far this season.
Charleston CatholicƵs Layla Carter set a personal best of 15 feet in the Class A long jump to edge Doddridge CountyƵs Audrey Smith, who posted a 14-07.
Smith edged CatholicƵs Mary Rushworth in the Class A high jump with a mark of 4-8. Rushworth finished with a 4-6.
Carter also won the girls Class A pole vault with a height of 6-6. Meanwhile, Mya Phalen of Ripley won Class AAA with a height of 9-6 and Maylie Bland of North Marion won the Class AA at 9 feet.
Sage Landis and Fertig battled in the boys Class A pole vault, with the Doddridge County senior winning at a height of 14-6. Fertig made an even 14 feet to best a pair of Doddridge County competitors, who topped out at 10 feet.
Eli Littlejohn won the boys Class AA long jump with a leap of 20-5.75.
Landon Coleman of Poca won the Class AA boys high jump with a mark of 6 feet.
CapitalƵs Kevin Vanmeter won the boys Class AAA discus with a distance of 130-1.
Kendra Steele of Nitro won the girls Class AA long jump at 16 feet.
HuntingtonƵs Mac Markun won the girls Class AAA shot put with a throw of 33-10.
In the finals of the track events, George WashingtonƵs Crawford Goldman (51.52) won the boys Class AAA 400 meters. PocaƵs Jacob Lemle won Class AA with a time of 53.06, while Doddridge CountyƵs Landis posted the fastest time at 50.42 to win Class A.
Annie Whited of Greenbrier East won the girls Class AAA 400 meter dash with a time of 58.55. Adalie Besedich (1:05.00) of North Marion won girls Class AA. Doddridge CountyƵs Payton Trent won Class A with a 1:02.78.
Tristan Blatt participated in his first event of the season in the boys Class AAA 1600 meters and won the event with a time of 4:22.79 to best RiversideƵs Skylar Hudnall (4:25.88).
Roane CountyƵs Noah Bragg (4:55.52) won Class AA, while Nicholas Pitchford (4:23.16) won the Class A for Buffalo.
In the girls 1600, RipleyƵs Ellie Hosaflook (5:24.43) won Class AAA, HooverƵs Jenna Brown at (5:31.58) won Class AA and Doddridge CountyƵs Destiny Berryman (5:18.62) won Class A.
HuntingtonƵs Cam Veazey ran a 41.11 to win the Class AAA boys 300-meter hurdles. Jaunti Evans (42.81) claimed the Class AA title for Sissonville, while Gunner Kimball (43.94) won Class A for Doddridge County.
Mallori Dunn-Martin of Huntington won the Class AAA girls 300-meter hurdles, posting a season best 46.84. Joscelyn Cox of Roane County won the Class AA in 49.09 and CatholicƵs Hannah Fisher with a 49.73 won Class A.
Huntington also earned a win in the 100-meter hurdles with Milleah JohnsonƵs time of 15.51 to win Class AAA over St. AlbansƵ Bethany Farry, who ran a 16.06. North MarionƵs Isabella Richards (17.93) won Class AA and Doddridge CountyƵs Hannah Rymer (16.94) won Class A.
In the boys 110-meter hurdles, HuntingtonƵs Tayveon Wilson (15.50) won Class AAA, Roane CountyƵs Lane Watson (16.30) won AA and BuffaloƵs Fertig (16.67) won Class A.
In the 100-meter dash, Myles Meadows of Cabell Midland posted a time of 11.88 to take the Class AAA boys over three Huntington Highlanders. NitroƵs Michael Wines ran the event in 11.54 to win Class AA, while Doddridge CountyƵs Jerod Trent posted an 11.39 to win Class A.
For the girls, Ama Ackon-Annan of Woodrow Wilson ran the 100 meters in 12.87 to win AAA, NitroƵs Kendra Steele (13.37) won AA and Payton Currey of Doddridge County won Class A in 13.68.
GW claimed the boys Class AAA 4-by-200. James Carter, Landen Parker, Jayden Johnson and Alexander Petersen ran a time of 1:31.93 to capture the win. NitroƵs Littlejohn, Jens Byrd, Andrew Thomas and Michael Wines won Class AA with a 1:34.58. Doddridge CountyƵs quartet won Class A with a 1:35.28.
Woodrow Wilson won the girls 4x200 with a time of 1:46.17. HooverƵs Alana King, Keaghan Pittman, Carlee McGraw and Emma Cottrell won AA with a time of 1:59.92, a season best for the Huskies. Doddridge CountyƵs time of 1:54.86 won Class A over Buffalo.
In the 4x100-meter relay, HuntingtonƵs Keagan Slack, Tayveon Wilson, Zah Trelio Jackson and Michael Johnson won with a time of 42.92. NitroƵs team of Littlejohn, Byrd, Thomas and Wines won Class AA with a 45.42 and Doddridge County claimed A with a 45.66.
In the girls 4x100 relay, HuntingtonƵs Audrey Flynn, Dunn-Martin, Johnson and Siraye Harper won Class AAA with a 48.66. Class AA went to PocaƵs Shayna Burnside, Olivia Eads, Katherine LeRose and Maya Wick, who combined for a time of 54.81. Doddridge County won Class A with a 53.22.
In the 800, Goldman claimed Class AAA for GW with a 1:58.58, while Lemle (2:10.33) came through again for Poca. Pitchford pulled out the win for Buffalo in Class A with a time of 1:58.84.
For the girls in the 800, Neena McClintic won for Greenbrier East in Class AAA with a 2:17.15. HooverƵs Brown set a personal best 2:26.64 to claim AA, while Destiny Berryman turned in a 2:23.01 to win Class A for Doddridge County.
In the 200-meter dash, Myles Meadors ran a 22.84 to claim Class AAA for Cabell Midland, while Wines posted a 23.86 to win again for Nitro. Landis won for Doddridge County in 22.94 to claim Class A.
On the girls side, Ackmon-AnnanƵs 25.86 won Class AAA for Woodrow Wilson, while Steele posted another win for Nitro in AA with a 26.97. Doddridge CountyƵs Currey (28.09) claimed Class A.
The TudorƵs Biscuit World Charleston Relays concluded with the 4x400 relay.
HuntingtonƵs Carmello Sheffield, Sean Andrews, Matthew Morrow and Cam Veazey combined for a time of 3:33.57 to win the Class AAA boys over GW. Lemle, William Carroll, Preston Bonnett and Peyton Cook ran a 3:46.67 to win Class AA for Poca, while Doddridge County sealed Class A with a time of 3:40.30.
Ripley won the Class AAA girls race with a time of 4:14.79, North Marion got the AA title with 4:50.62 and Doddridge County took Class A with a 4:37.65.
The final team standings gave Huntington the Class AAA boys title with 195 points, while GW came in second with 115. Cabell Midland scored 111, Bridgeport 87, Woodrow Wilson 72, Capital 30, Riverside 29, St. Albans 26, Ripley 23 and Greenbrier East 12.
Nitro claimed its first Charleston Relays title when its boys posted 136 points to edge Poca (130) for the Class AA title. Roane County followed with 114.5, Clay County 87.5, North Marion 85, Hoover 53, Sissonville 46, Independence 12 and Wayne 5.
Doddridge County took Class A over Buffalo 274-256 while Catholic had 60, Sherman 36 and Calhoun 3.
Woodrow Wilson edged Huntington 144-143 to win the Class AAA girls team title. Ripley finished with 84 for third place, Bridgeport had 68.5, Cabell Midland 64.5, Greenbrier East 59.5, GW 52.5, St. Albans 45, Riverside 21 and Capital 8.
In Class AA, North MarionƵs 155 carried it past NitroƵs 115. Hoover finished third with 114, Poca 93, Roane County 66, Clay County 46, Sissonville 40 and Wayne 10.
Doddridge County took Class A with 288, Buffalo had 129, Catholic 102, Sherman 30 and Calhoun County 12.
