Lady Tigers’ Brenwalt wins state title in 100 hurdles
Submitted photo Elkins High School freshman Marissa Brenwalt captured the state title in the 100-meter hurdles Saturday at University of Charleston Stadium at Laidley Field.
Submitted photos Elkins’ 4x800 relay team won the state title on Friday evening. Shown, from left, are Trevor George, Gavin Brown, Bobby Valentine and Josh Bodkins.
Elkins High School senior DeMarcus Franklin received his diploma from boys coach Shane Richardson during the state meet.
The Lady Tigers’ Emilia Tenney, left, and Julia Biola combined for 39 points in the distance events during the two-day state meet.
Elkins High senior Kat Hinchman placed fifth in the discus with a throw of 107-11.
Submitted photo Elkins High School freshman Marissa Brenwalt captured the state title in the 100-meter hurdles Saturday at University of Charleston Stadium at Laidley Field.
Submitted photos Elkins’ 4x800 relay team won the state title on Friday evening. Shown, from left, are Trevor George, Gavin Brown, Bobby Valentine and Josh Bodkins.
Elkins High School senior DeMarcus Franklin received his diploma from boys coach Shane Richardson during the state meet.
The Lady Tigers’ Emilia Tenney, left, and Julia Biola combined for 39 points in the distance events during the two-day state meet.
Elkins High senior Kat Hinchman placed fifth in the discus with a throw of 107-11.
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CHARLESTON -- Elkins High School's track & field program racked up 29 medals en route to a fourth-place finish by the girls and a sixth-place finish by the boys as the state meet concluded Saturday at University of Charleston Stadium at Laidley Field.
After netting 10 medals on Friday, Saturday's scoring began for Elkins with a fifth-place finish by Kat Hinchman in the discus (107-11).
"Kat's performance was by far our biggest surprise of the meet," said EHS girls coach Scott Biola. "She exceeded her personal best by over 10 feet and showed tremendous composure after graduating in Elkins the night before."
Like Hinchman, Maddie Belan, Mallory Bennett, Andres Masten, Chris See, Gavin Brown and Johnathan Dean also partook in graduation in Elkins on Friday and the state meet.
Their Class of 2025 classmate DeMarcus Franklin graduated at Laidley Field and received his diploma from EHS boys coach Shane Richardson.
Soon after Hinchman's success in the discus, Saturday's scoring continued for the Lady Tigers with Emilia Tenney's (second, 5:08.81) and Julia Biola's (fourth, 5:23.92) combined effort for 13 more points in the 1,600-meter run.
Shortly afterward, Marissa Brenwalt embarked on a busy stretch for EHS in which she took third in the 300 hurdles (48.14), fifth in the long jump (15-8), seventh in high-jump (4-10) and first in the 100 hurdles with a new personal best time of 15.20.
"Our performances at the state meet solidified and validated the work we put in this season," said Richardson. "Two state championships (the boys won the 4×800 on Friday afternoon and Brenwalt's win in the 100H) and 29 medals proves our kids can compete with the best. We look to build upon this success next season."
Brenwalt's season-best marks in the high jump (5-4) and 100H qualify her for the freshman division of New Balance's prestigious Outdoor Nationals competition in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, this June.
The EHS girls season concluded with Tenney (second, 2:18.84) and Biola (eighth, 2:27.63) capturing two more medals in the 800.
In total, the EHS girls scored 68 points and narrowly missed a podium finish.
Williamstown took the team crown with 90.5 points, followed by Herbert Hoover's 69.33 and East Fairmont's 69.
Saturday's medal count for the Tiger boys began with Trevor George's (4:27.21) and Josh Bodkins' (4:28.93) respective fourth- and sixth-place finishes in the 1,600.
After the frustration of a dropped baton in the 4×200, the EHS boys rallied in the 4×100 meter relay with JJ Cepeda, Masten, See and Franklin successfully passing the stick to place third in 44.06.
Tiger scoring wrapped up with Bobby Valentine's sixth-place finish in the 800 (2:02.45) and fifth place in the 4×400 meter relay (Dean, Bodkins, Ben Tenney and Masten) in a time of 3:34.39.
In total, the Elkins boys tallied 40 points.
Point Pleasant won the boys team championship with 113 points, while Frankfort earned runner-up recognition with 66.
Philip Barbour's Kayla Baker was eighth in Saturday's 1,600 (5:30.27), Patrick Webster eighth in the high jump (5-10) and Isaiah Starks ninth in the 400 (52.13).
The PB boys placed 22nd in Class AA with 11 points.
In the Class A portion of the meet on Saturday, Tucker County's Lela Wright was second in the 100 (12.65), Nate Ricottilli fourth in the 400 (51.92), Mayah Gross sixth in the 400 (1:04.12), the 4×200 relay (Luke Barb, Oliver Archuleta, Ricottilli and Reid Kisamore) sixth in a time of 1:35.39 and Estoria Chase eighth in the 1,600 (5:52.52).
Harman's Jessie Heavner placed seventh in the 400 (1:04.23) and East Hardy's Madison Kerr captured the 100 hurdles (15.49).
The Tucker County boys placed ninth as a team with 27 points.
The Lady Mountain Lions were 16th with a total of 14 points.
State champions for the boys were University (Class AAA) and Doddridge County (A), while Morgantown (AAA) and Doddridge County (A) took the girls titles.