By Carl Holcomb
Moorefield Examiner
The first track meet of the season in Baker featured a six-team gauntlet with Moorefield Boys swarming to the the top team honors along with Southern Garrett Girls taking the crown, while host East Hardy snatched the team silver medals in both divisions.
It was an impressive outing for the Hardy County squads combining for 63 Top-5 finishes.
The Hardy County Boys won the gold medal in all events, except for two by the Rams which were in the 4×800 relay and high jump.
Moorefield Boys Track garnered eight individual gold medal events and 26 total Top-5 positions, while the Cougars Boys were crowned seven times and gathered 14 Top-5 spots.
Yellow Jackets led the boys division with 173 points, followed by East Hardy with 117 points, Southern Garrett 90, Pendleton County 46, Paw Paw 10 and Timber Ridge 1.
The Yellow Jackets swarmed to glory starting in the mid-distance pursuits with a sweep of the Top-5 spots in the 400 meter run led by champion Matthew McDonald, followed by silver medalist Javi Acosta, bronze medalist Chernet Ansani, Bill Lewis-Nieves took fourth place and Hector Luna-Davy rounded out the sweep.
Ansani garnered the gold medal in the 800 meter run for the Yellow Jackets, while East Hardy’s Kane Persinger took the bronze medal proving his state cross country endurance made an impact and Moorefield’s Nathan Crites took fifth place.
East Hardy state cross country representative Jonathan Montgomery harnessed that energy for two gold medals in the one miler and two-miler events.
Moorefield’s Richard Huffman gathered the bronze medal in the one-miler.
East Hardy Boys Track sprinting contingent was undeniably fast as Evan Hamilton snatched gold medals in the 100 and 200 meter dash events, in addition to the 4×100 relay.
The Cougars sprinters kept pouncing as Nehemiah Graham took the silver medal in the 100 meter dash and joined Hamilton in the 4×100 relay championship along with Levi Price and Khristian Bauserman.
The Cougars quartet narrowly grabbed the gold medal in a time of 47.09, just edging out Moorefield’s silver medal finish of 47.13 with the team of Jordan Fields, Bill Lewis-Nieves, Javi Acosta and Matthew McDonald.
Moorefield’s Javi Acosta added to the medal haul with a silver medal in the 200 meter dash to complement his other bling.
Moorefield 4×200 relay quartet buzzed to the gold medal at 1:38.07 with Fields, Lewis Nieves, McDonald and Hector Luna-Davy.
The Yellow Jackets 4×400 relay took top honors in 3:53.98 with Ansani, Fields, Luna-Davy and McDonald.
The Yellow Boys shuttle hurdles team swarmed for a gold medal with Jackson Kerns, Jhon Paul, Chernet Ansani and Jackson Cullers.
The medal vibes in hurdles were bright for Moorefield as Kerns took top honors in the 300 hurdles at 47.79 and Paul grabbed the silver medal in the 110 hurdles.
East Hardy’s Gideon Good collected the gold medal in the 110 hurdles at 16.85.
Moorefield’s Bill Lewis-Nieves put his speed to the test for gold medal momentum flying in the long jump for a 19-10 landing.
East Hardy’s Angelo Loulis snatched the long jump silver medal and Moorefield’s Edgar Cambero took the bronze medal and the Yellow Jackets flying continued for fourth place by Jackson Kerns.
Moorefield’s Levi Davis hurled the discus for a gold medal distance of 108-08, followed by East Hardy’s Bodie Brill with the silver medal.
East Hardy’s Korbin Miller launched the shot put 37-07 for the gold medal.
East Hardy’s Gideon Good took the silver medal in the high jump, just above a three-way bronze medal tie for East Hardy’s Angelo Loulis and Moorefield’s Edgar Cambero and Levi Davis.
Hardy County is making great strides early in the year.
Southern Garrett Girls Track secured the team title with 163 points, followed by East Hardy with 81 points, Paw Paw 70, Pendleton County 61 and Moorefield 51.
The Rams Girls Track squad won six individual events (100, 400, 800, 1600, 4×400, 4×800).
Paw Paw Girls Track collected five gold medals as Shayla Tanouye took top honors in 300 hurdles, high jump and long jump; while Joselyn Smth toppled the competition in the discus and shot put.
Pendleton County Girls Track grabbed the championship experience in the 4×400 and 4×800 relays.
Hardy County Girls combined for four championships and 23 overall Top-5 finishes.
Moorefield Girls Track’s Parvatee Snyder won gold medals in the 200 meter dash and shuttle hurdles along with LeeAnne Coon, Sydney Lancaster and Jocelyn Wagner, plus added a silver medal in the 100 meter dash.
Defending Class A Girls Track 100 meter hurdles state champion Madison Kerr collected another top finish in that event at home in a time of 16.27 and snatched the bronze medal in the 300 hurdles.
East Hardy Cross Country state tournament representative Shaye Barb maintained pace for the two-miler crown and found bronze medals in the one-miler and 4×800 relay with Jaiden Gordon and fellow state cross country contenders Madison Cowgill and Brianna Hamilton.
Moorefield’s Chloe Leroux finished with the silver medal in the 3200 meter run.
East Hardy Girls Track’s Savannah Wilkins won the silver medal in the discus and complemented that accomplishment with a bronze medal in the shot put.
East Hardy Girls Track’s Morganne Miller collected bronze medals in the 100 and 200 meter dash events.
The Baker Den was hopping with Easter eggs being found around the track as the athletes found golden tickets to further success for the season.
This year’s medals are shining bright in the Den and the Hive with many more arising in the future.
