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By Carey Reeder | Managing Editor

Chilton County area high schools were well represented at the 2024 AHSAA Track and Field State Championships at Cullman and Gulf Shores High Schools on May 2-4 with over 25 athletes competing. Chilton County High School traveled to Gulf Shores for the Class 4A-7A state meet from May 2-4, while Billingsley, Isabella, Maplesville and Thorsby High Schools took their talents to Cullman for the Class 1A-3A state meet.

The five schools combined for 21 top-10 finishers at the two meets combined, and added a handful of top-15 finishers as well. Isabella and Billingsley both had athletes land medals on the podium to lead the charge for the Chilton County area schools.

 

Isabella High School

J.R. Sosa took home the silver medal in the boy’s 2A javelin with a throw of 162 feet, five inches to make it back-to-back seasons placing in the top three in the event for the sophomore. Seniors DreVon Lee and Bucky Smith both took home top 10 finishes in the 2A long jump and discus, respectively. Lee’s best leap of 18 feet, 11 ½ inches slotted him 10th, and Smith’s throw of 121 feet put him ninth.

Other Mustang athletes that competed at the state meet included Kaeden Abbott, Makenzi Barrett and Darus Molette all placing in the top 15 of their events. The Isabella boy’s team combined to take 26th in the team rankings at the state meet as well.

 

Billingsley High School

The Bears made their presence known at the Class 1A-3A state meet with athletes competing in 23 different events, and only five of them finishing outside the top 15. The Billingsley girl’s track team finished tied for ninth place in the 1A team rankings at the state meet, and they were boosted by medal performances by Ariyana Motley, Derrica Motley, Caydin Hornady and Zara Estrict. Ariyana Motley won silver in the girl’s 1A 100-meter dash, and she joined Derrica Motley, Hornady and Estrict on the 4×100-meter relay team that won silver as well.

Solid performances from Hornady in the girl’s 1A 800-meter run of seventh place with a 2:47.44, and the girl’s 1A javelin with another seventh-place finish with a throw of 91-feet, 11 inches, and Estrict with sixth place in the girl’s 1A 100-meter hurdles contributed heavily to the team’s point total. Sophomore Alana Jones also contributed with a pair of top-10 finishes — seventh in the girl’s 1A 300-meter hurdles and eighth in the girl’s 1A 400-meter dash. Amber Johnson rounded out the girl’s top-10 finishers with eighth place in the girl’s 1A high jump.

Kyle Boice captured a bronze medal in the boy’s 1A long jump with a leap of 20 feet, 2 inches, and added a fifth-place finish in the boy’s 1A 4×400-meter relay with a time of 3:48.48 alongside Edward Dennis, Colton Lawrence and Turner Motley. Dennis had a strong showing individually falling just short of the podium in fourth place in the boy’s 1A 300-meter hurdles. He added a sixth-place finish in the boy’s 1A 110-meter hurdles with a 17.74 after qualifying for the finals.

Colten Lawrence’s ninth-place finish in the boy’s 1A 800-meter run and 10th-place finish in the boy’s 1A 1600-meter run, and Turner Motley’s eighth place effort in the boy’s 1A discus rounded out the top-10 finishers for the Bears’ boy’s team that finished 14th in the team rankings.

 

Chilton County High School

The Tigers sent four athletes to compete amongst the largest high schools in Alabama in Gulf Shores, and junior Payton Shepherd led the charge finishing 11th in the boy’s 6A 300-meter hurdles with a 41.87. Sophomore Marcus Coleman qualified in the boy’s 6A shot put and discus events and placed 19th in both with throws of 40 feet, 10 ½ inches and 117 feet, 1 inch, respectively.

CCHS had two female athletes compete as well in freshmen Destiny Martin and Jayce Parker. Parker ran a 1:02.37 in the girl’s 6A 400-meter dash to finish 18th, and Martin tossed a throw of 78 feet, 8 inches to place 22nd in the girls’ 6A discus.

 

Maplesville High School

The Red Devils had four athletes compete in Cullman and were led by senior distance runner Will Harrison with a pair of 13th-place finishes in the boy’s 1A 800-meter and 1600-meter runs. Eighth grader Ethan Rencher captured a top-15 finish in the boy’s 1A 200-meter dash with a 24.18 to put him 14th. Two sophomore hurdlers competed for Maplesville in Luke Dutton and Cren Thornton. Dutton finished 15th in the boy’s 1A 110-meter hurdles with a 20 seconds flat time, and Thornton placed 20th in the 300-meter hurdles with a 48.55.

 

Thorsby High School

Freshman Ethan Rhea carried the banner for the Rebels in Cullman advancing to compete in the boy’s 2A 200-meter dash. Rhea clocked a time of 24.37 to place 17th at the state meet.

 

2024 AHSAA State Meets Results:

Chilton County High School

Girls Class 6A 400M Dash

-FR Jayce Parker finished 18th with a 1:02.37

Girls Class 6A Discus

-FR Destiny Martin finished 22nd with a throw of 78-08

Boys Class 6A 300M Hurdles

-JR Payton Shepherd finished 11th with a 41.87

Boys Class 6A Shot Put

-SO Marcus Coleman finished 19th with a throw of 40-10.50

Boys Class 6A Discus

-SO Marcus Coleman finished 19th with a throw of 117-01

 

Thorsby High School

Boys Class 2A 200M Dash

-FR Ethan Rhea finished 17th with a 24.37

 

Isabella High School

Girls Class 2A Javelin

-FR Makenzi Barrett finished 13th with a throw of 81-00

Boys Class 2A Long Jump

-SR DreVon Lee finished 10th with a jump of 18-11.50

Boys Class 2A Shot Put

-SO Kaeden Abbott finished 14th with a throw of 38-04.00

Boys Class 2A Discus

-SR Bucky Smith finished 9th with a throw of 121-00

-JR Darus Molette finished 16th with a throw of 105-07

-SO Kaeden Abbott finished 19th with a throw of 103-04

Boys Class 2A Javelin

-SO J.R. Sosa finished 2nd with a throw of 162-05

 

Maplesville High School

Boys Class 1A 200M Dash

-8th Grader Ethan Rencher finished 14th with a 24.18

Boys Class 1A 800M Run

-SR Will Harrison finished 13th with a 2:16.73

Boys Class 1A 1600M Run

-SR Will Harrison finished 13th with a 5:15.97

Boys Class 1A 110M Hurdles

-SO Luke Dutton finished 15th with a 20.00

Boys Class 1A 300M Hurdles

-SO Cren Thornton finished 20th with a 48.55

 

Billingsley High School

Girls Class 1A 100M Dash

-FR Ariyana Motley finished 6th with a 13.18 (prelims)

-FR Ariyana Motley finished 2nd with a 13.02 (finals)

Girls Class 1A 400M Dash

-SO Alana Jones finished 8th with a 1:06.28

Girls Class 1A 800M Run

-SR Caydin Hornady finished 7th with a 2:47.44

Girls Class 1A 100M Hurdles

-SO Zara Estrict finished 6th with a 19.36 (prelims)

-SO Zara Estrict finished 6th with a 19.23 (finals)

Girls Class 1A 300M Hurdles

-SO Alana Jones finished 7th with a 53.83

Girls Class 1A 4x100M Relay

(Derrica Motley, Ariyana Motley, Caydin Hornady, Zara Estrict)

-Billingsley finished 3rd with a 52.79 (prelims)

-Billingsley finished 2nd with a 52.45 (finals)

Girls Class 1A High Jump

-SR Amber Johnson finished 8th with a 4-04.00

-SO Kayden Bland finished 14th with a 4-00.00

Girls Class 1A Javelin

-SR Caydin Hornady finished 7th with a 91-11

Boys Class 1A 400m Dash

-SO Kyle Boice finished 13th with a 55.82

-JR Turner Motley finished 14th with a 56.41

-JR Edward Dennis finished 19th with a 58.60

Boys Class 1A 800M Run

-FR Colten Lawrence finished 9th with a 2:15.07

Boys Class 1A 1600M Run

-FR Colten Lawrence finished 10th with a 5:15.11

Boys Class 1A 110M Hurdles

-JR Edward Dennis finished 7th with a 18.01 (prelims)

-JR Edward Dennis finished 6th with a 17.74 (finals)

Boys Class 1A 300M Hurdles

-JR Edward Dennis finished 4th with a 44.13

Boys Class 1A 4x400M Relay

(Kyle Boice, Edward Dennis, Colton Lawrence and Turner Motley)

-Billingsley finished 5th with a 3:48.48

Boys Class 1A Long Jump

-SO Kyle Boice finished 3rd with a 20-02.00

-SR Colby Green fouled in his attempts

Boys Class 1A Discus

-JR Turner Motley finished 8th with a 127-04

-SR Colby Green finished 24th with a 71-03