Hoover, Homewood, Scottsboro Sweep Team Competitions at Alabama Indoor State Meet

By Arthur L. Mack for DyeStat

BIRMINGHAM, Ala.— It was a weekend for sweeps and records in the Alabama High School Athletic Association’s Indoor Track & Field Championships held at the Birmingham Crossplex on February 7-8.

RESULTS

Here’s a recap of the action:

CLASS 7A: Once again, Hoover ruled the roost as it swept the boys and girls team titles. The boys won their fourth straight title, defeating Alabaster Thompson 114.50-89, while Central-Phenix City was third with 50. The girls won their sixth title in seven years, defeating Auburn 102-50-63.50, with Hewitt-Trussville third (45).

“The girls didn’t like losing last year, and I’ve some talented seniors,” Hoover coach Devon Hind said. “I just try to keep them healthy for the starting line and the long jump pit.”

Key performers for Hoover’s boys were J’Marri McCall and Jonathan Martin, who finished 1-2 in the 60-meter dash, with McCall taking it in 6.96 seconds. Martin also won the 400 (48.70) while Julian Fore was third (49.70). McCall and L.J. Hill were 1-2 in the long jump (23 feet even and 22-10), while John Watkins and Hill were 1-2 in the triple jump (US#3 48-10.50 /46-8.25). Hill also was second in the 60-meter hurdles (8.19).

Hoover also ran 1:28.50 for a US#2 this season.

For the girls, Chakiya Plummer won the 400 (56.65) and the 60-meter hurdles (8.73), while Kayla Jemison was second in the high jump (5-4). Hoover also won the 4x400 (3:58.52), and finished second in the 4x200 (1:43.83) and 4x800 (9:46.10).

“We scored from everywhere,” Hind said. “We even got some points in the distances. It was a good all-around performance by the team.”

Three records were broken during the weekend. Jayden Gilbert of Madison’s Bob Jones tied the girls state meet record high jump record (5-6) which was set in 2018 by Hoover’s Genesis Jones. Thompson’s Jace Jones broke a record in the boys 3,200 (9:22.73), and also won the 1,600 (4:21.63), and was second in the 800 (1:57.07).

In addition, Claire Frazier Bolton of Mobile’s McGill-Toolen Catholic shattered the girls 800-meter record, running 2:12.15, and followed it up with a victory in the 1,600 (5:01.80).

“I was a little tired (after the 800),” Bolton said. “It was going to be my last time running indoors at state, so I wanted to leave it all on the track.”

Bolton said she knew it was going to come down to a battle with Crawford West of Vestavia Hills.

“I knew we were going to battle it out,” she said. “I knew I had speed for my last 400, and that helped. I was entered in the 400 (earlier today), but I decided at the last minute, but I wanted to save my strength for the 1,600. It was worth it. This time where I’m at now is a lot better than last year.”

Class 6A: The Homewood boys, led by Carson Bedics and Crawford Hope, defeated Opelika 84.50 to 76 to win the team's third straight title, with Tuscaloosa Northridge third (50). Bedics and Hope finished 1-2 in the 1,600, with Bedics running a state meet record 4:19.27 and Hope running 4:23.69. Earlier, the two reversed places in the 3,200, with Hope running 9:23.20 and Bedics 9;24.13.

Walker Smith was another Homewood athlete breaking a state meet record, as he cleared 15-7.25 to win the pole vault.

Northridge was led by Edwin Rainey, who won the long jump (22-10.50) and triple jump (48-0.75)

Other notable boys performances came from Dothan’s Nathan Cooper, who won the shot put (59-9), and T.J. Funches of Helena, who won the high jump (6-6).

On the girls side, Homewood, led by Lainey Phelps, won with 111 points. Northridge and Pelham were tied for second (51), while Mobile St. Paul’s Episcopal scored 50 points.

Phelps won the 3,200 (11:01.23) as well as the 800 (2:15.76) and 1,600 (5:06.88) and said that with all the events she ran over two days, she was just concentrating on getting as many team points as possible. 

“I didn’t have that drive for a fast time going into the 1,600, and I felt pretty tired,” she said.

Homewood also got big points in the pole vault, as Alex Brooks (12-0) and Brooke Walden (11-0) went 1-2, and in the shot put, as Maggie White won with 38-1.50.

The lone 6A record came in the high jump, where St. Paul’s Episcopal’s Olivia Beard tied the Crossplex facility record by jumping 5-7. What was even more remarkable was that she had calf problems the day before, and was not able to compete.

Beard missed on her first attempt at 5-0, which gave her cause for alarm, but she settled down later in the competition.

“I couldn’t understand why I missed 5-0,” she said. “I couldn’t understand what went wrong, so I changed my steps and had to rely on my speed. I honestly don’t know how I did it.”

CLASS 4A-5A: As with Homewood, Scottsboro swept the boys and girls titles. The boys scored 86 points to defeat a pair of Birmingham schools, Ramsay (51) and Parker (46). The girls edged Jasper by one point, 64.50 to 63.50, while Montgomery’s Brewbaker Tech was third (40).

Scottsboro’s boys were led by Rex Green, who won the 800 (1:57.14), along with Cooper Atkins and Hayden Judge. Atkins and Judge were 1-2 in the 1,600 (4:25.65/4:26.43), and reversed positions in the 3,200 (9:31.36/9:31.53). The Wildcats also set a new meet record in the 4x800 (8:12.16).

Birmingham Briarwood Christian’s Jake Nunn broke the meet record in the 400, running 48.56, and finished second in the 800 (1:57.86).

Scottsboro’s girls won only one event — the 4x800-meter relay (10:20.16), but scored enough points in other events to secure the team title. Meanwhile, the top individual performances came from Brewbaker Tech’s Chanice Spicer, who won the 60 (7.65) and ran a meet record 56.09 in the 400.

CLASS 1A-3A: This was the year that Daphne’s Bayside Academy broke through and won a blue map.

The Admirals were led by Patrick Daves, who had three big wins in the 60-meter hurdles (8.32), high jump (6-0) and triple jump (42-5.25). He also finished third in the 400 (51.92) as Bayside defeated Dothan’s Providence Christian 85-56. Winfield City High was third (50).

The top individual performance came in the boys shot put, where Mobile Christian’s Josiah Harry smashed a 35-year-old meet record of by nearly five feet with a toss of US#2 62-6.50, breaking the Crossplex facility record.

Harry fouled on his first throw in the qualifying round, and barely kept his second throw inside the sector, but nailed the record on his third attempt. He then had a throw of over 63 feet in the finals, but fouled.

“I was just trying to settle my nerves at first, and aim my position and try to get comfortable,” he said. I finally got into my positions and got some good distances. I felt pretty good breaking the record because there have been some good throwers coming through here. I felt pretty good about myself. I was just trying to go for broke on the last throw, but I got a little out of control on that one.”

Ohatchee broke the state meet record in the 4x200, running 1:34.43; while Geraldine’s Collin Mayfield won three events — the 800 (2:02.64), 1,600 (4:38.06), and 3,200 (9:54.58).

Montgomery St. James, led by Presley Miles, defeated Whitesburg Christian 120-99 to win the Class 1A-3A girls’ division. Miles won the 400 (59.06), 800 (2:22.25), 1,600 (5:21.23), and 3,200 (11:09.10). The Trojans also got a first-place finish from Margaret Anne McNeill in the triple jump (35-6.50).

Winfield City was third in team standings with 46 points.

One record was broken during the weekend — Pike Road School’s Kaan Oliver set a new record in the girls’ 60-meter hurdles, running 9.05.