By Carl Holcomb
East Hardy earned four WVSSAC Class A state track gold medals en route to 16 total bling accessories to bring home to the Baker Den, while the Yellow Jackets collected five WVSSAC Class AA state track medals to place in the Hive from a worthwhile trip to Laidley Field in Charleston this past weekend.
East Hardy Girls Track junior Madison Kerr jumped to back-to-back WVSSAC Class A state track gold medals in the 100 meter hurdles with a time of 16.01 and joined in the All-State placement by senior teammate Morganne Miller finishing with a sixth place medal.
Kerr had a season best time in the preliminaries through the rain finishing in the top spot in 15.84, then the weather cleared up on day two for a cruise to victory.
East Hardy Boys Track 4×100 relay quartet set a new track record during an epic gold medal handoff speed of 42.85 with Khristian Bauserman, Nehemiah Graham, Mason Hamilton and Evan Hamilton.
Graham’s bright green shoes looked like a blur with the quickness down the first stretch.
“It was cool knowing that we set a new record and even better because it was unexpected. We knew we had a chance at winning, but not at breaking the record. Shout-out to Khristian and Nehemiah, because a relay has four people. Nehemiah’s heart made the difference,” East Hardy Boys Track seniors Evan and Mason Hamilton commented.
The need for speed was quite evident in the Class A 100 meter dash as the Hamilton twins took the top two spots and Graham added a sixth place medal for the Cougars.
East Hardy’s Evan Hamilton won the 100 meter dash gold medal in a time of 10.99 and brother Mason grabbed the silver medal in 11.19 with Graham taking 6th in 11.65.
The Hamilton brothers swapped placements in the 200 meter dash going neck-to-neck with a difference of .06 at the finish line.
Mason Hamilton took the state championship in the 200 meter dash in a time of 22.41 just ahead of brother Evan at 22.47 earning the silver medal.
Evan and Mason were 1-2 during the trials and swapped as both finished their career in Charleston with three gold medals apiece.
“[State Championships] Yeah, it feels good,” exclaimed the Hamilton twins.
“The best part is adding to the ring collection. It feels good to win it with each other and that hard work pays off.”
East Hardy senior Korbin Miller entered the state meet with the second best performance in the discus just two feet shy of the leader, but the wet conditions caused wild throws to foul territory and no medal.
East Hardy junior Gideon Good collected a fifth place state medal in the discus at 117-02 and senior teammate Bodie Brill took 11th place at 99-07.
This trio encouraged one another along the way, but Good stayed the driest as the lone one with a poncho.
Brill and Good cheered on Miller in the shot put and the positive vibes created an 8th place state medal finish in 39-01, while Brill grabbed 11th place at 36-08.5.
Good kept the field medals rolling for the Cougars with a fourth place medal in the state high jump at 5-08.
East Hardy Boys Track managed one medal in each of the field events as Angelo Loulis leapt for a sixth place state medal in the long jump.
Good added a fifth place medal on the track for the state shuttle hurdles in a time of 1:06.11 along with Khristian Bauserman, Aiden Smith and Angelo Loulis.
Good notched a fifth place state medal in the Class A 110 meter hurdles.
East Hardy Boys Track 4×200 relay just narrowly missed out finishing in medal contention with 9th place at 1:39.15 with Bauserman, Graham, Silas Schetrom and Levi Price.
East Hardy Girls Track 4×100 quartet garnered a season best time of 53.95 for a fourth place state medal with Madison Kerr, Xavia Barber, Madilyn Funk and Morganne Miller.
The Cougars Girls Track 4×800 was just one place shy of a state medal in 9th place in 13:41.47 with Shaye Barb, Madison Cowgill, Jaiden Gordon and Brianna Hamilton.
East Hardy Girls Track’a Shaye Barb had a personal best time of 14:04.65 in the two-miler, but missed out on medaling in 11th place.
East Hardy Girls Track’s Morganne Miller had a personal best time of 51.28 in the 300 meter hurdles for 8th place state medal.
Angelo Loulis had a personal best time of 44.46 in the 300m hurdles for 9th place.
“I am so proud of our team. Each one of them gave tremendous performances at the state meet. It was truly an awesome experience to see them win gold medals in four separate events,” East Hardy Track coach Rachel Schetrom remarked.
Moorefield Girls Track sophomore Parvatee Snyder had the best overall finish for the team with a state silver medal in the 200 meter dash with a time of 26.55.
Snyder collected a fourth place state medal in the 100 meter dash with a time of 13.53.
The Moorefield Girls Track 4×100 relay squad shattered a 25-year old school record time finishing in 52.08 for a 5th place state medal with Madison Thompson, Schanica Barthelemy, Jocelyn Wagner and Snyder.
The previous school record time was 52.21 in 2001 by Kristen Fisher, Chrissy Stickley, Carrie Bierkamp and Lauren Moyers.
The MHS Girls 4×200 team took 9th place in 1:53.74 with Sydney Lancaster, Barthelemy, Wagner and Snyder.
Moorefield Boys Track senior Carter Sherman took a curtain call with a Class AA fifth place state medal in the 110 meter hurdles in 16.21.
Sherman set a personal best time in the 110 hurdles trials at 15.95.
Moorefield Boys Track freshman Bill Lewis-Nieves leapt for a 7th place medal in the Class AA long jump in a distance of 19-11.
“I’m so proud of them. I was glad Carter was able to finish his senior year with a medal in the 110 high hurdles with his brother watching. And Bill getting a medal in long jump just made my day. I’ve been trying to get someone in long jump ever since I started coaching. Bill has a great future in track. I’m still proud of the otters boys for making it to state. They may not have medaled, but they did a great job,” Moorefield Boys Track coach Linda Wright stated.
Moorefield Boys shuttle hurdles team was disqualified for going underneath a hurdle as the slippery conditions in the rain caused loose footing and knocking down a hurdle resulting in the tumbling.
East Hardy and Moorefield Track teams showed determination and perseverance to collect the state medals and championships to keep the programs growing with respect in the Mountain State.
The Cougars and Yellow Jackets found precious medals digging in Coal Country.
