Photo by Josh Hughes The Parkersburg High boys track team celebrates after winning the Class AAA state championship Saturday at Laidley Field in Charleston.
- Photo by Jay W. Bennett Parkersburg South’s Levi Rice competes in shuttle hurdles at Saturday’s Class AAA state track meet at Laidley Field in Charleston.
The Big Reds received double gold from Justin Waybright in the throws, which included a 1-2-3 finish in the shot put, a 1-2 finish in the 800 as well as a 110 high hurdles championship from Aaron Kupfner, who finished in 14.86 to edge Riverside’s Carson Casto (14.98).
“It was awesome, just awesome,” said PHS boss Rod O’Donnell.
“Two things are important that come to mind. One is the fact that these guys stuck with it through a tough year. Two years ago we thought we had a team that could get here last year and set this up, but we didn’t have that opportunity. They stayed focused on it and there’s nine seniors on this team so that was great.
“In all my years of coaching, I may have had a team that peaked as well, but I never had a team that peaked any better than this group. Every event was on. I mean every one of them was on. That whole team. You hesitate to pointing anything out because every one of them had an impact on the program.”
Photo by Josh Hughes Parkersburg’s Keegan Barnette, right, edges teammate Franklin Angelos in the 800 meter run Class AAA state championship Saturday at Laidley Field in Charleston. The Big Reds finished first and second, respectively, in the 800.
Kupfner, who finished third in the 300 intermediate hurdles, finally got his elusive individual state championship.
“I mean it feels great,” he said. “I actually like it close because then it makes you feel like you earned it. If you lose you don’t really get upset because you gave it your all and that’s all you can really do. I had a hamstring problem at the MSAC that kept me out a week of practice. I lost a little conditioning, but that’s OK.
“I was more concerned about Carson. He’s beat me once, but that’s when I hurt my hamstring at the MSAC. I knew if I ran my race I had a good shot at winning today. It’s something special. I’ve been working at this since sixth grade. I wasn’t really good at it. To come all the way from that and win state, it’s just amazing.”
One of the keys to the Big Reds’ first state crown since coach O’Donnell’s initial season as head man back in 2014 was getting the 1-2 finish in the 800 from Keegan Barnette (1:59.34) and Franklin Angelos (1:59.68).
Barnette also was runner-up in the 1600 (4:21.07) with Angelos placing a strong fourth (4:22.90). The duo also had the same placement during Friday night’s 3200 with respective times of 9:18.72 and 9:23.07.
Photo by Jay W. Bennett Parkersburg’s Justin Waybright, pictured here in the shot put at Saturday’s Class AAA state track meet, not only won the event with a heave of 48-8.5, but he also stood atop the podium in the discus after throwing 164 feet, 5 inches.
“I mean I sat here all day,” expressed Barnette following his 800 victory. “It was a long day, sitting there and worrying. I mean I was grouchy to everybody, even my best friends and my family. I didn’t mean to be, just nervous for the mile and the 800 and to finally get out and do that 800 like that, one-two like that, is amazing.”
Although Waybright and Charlie Bauman were expected to finish 1-2 in the shot put, Casey Mahoney decided to join the podium party.
Waybright won the event with a throw of 48-8.5 with Bauman following at 47-1.5 and Mahoney coming in at 45-3.5.
In the discus, Waybright threw 164 feet, 5 inches, Bauman took third after throwing 146 feet and 1 inch while Mahoney also picked up a point with a sixth-place showing after throwing 142 feet, 7 inches.
“It’s been a journey,” Waybright said shortly after being announced to the crowd as a double-winner.
Photo by Josh Hughes Parkersburg’s Aaron Kupfner competes in the 110 meter hurdles Class AAA state championship Saturday at Laidley Field in Charleston. Kupfner placed first in the event with a time of 14.86 seconds.
“From all the stuff we did last year during the winter and everything getting shut down, I learned instead of the glide, I switched to the spin in shot put. All the stuff we did before junior season and getting shut down and then I ended up doing the exact same thing this year during the winter and ended up being able to have the season and it paid off. It’s just been an insane journey. Casey really showed up big, a first-year thrower, and he showed up really big placing in both events.”
When asked if he thought the trio would take the top three spots in the shot put he replied, “no, we really didn’t think that. We knew 1-2 with me and Charlie, and Casey was either seventh or eighth, something going in.
“He made it in for finals, sitting seventh and wasn’t even supposed to place and out of nowhere comes up and throws a great one and we ended up getting first, second and third.”
Ethan Rutherford, who placed third on Friday night in the 400 with a time of 50.23, also ran the anchor leg on the Big Reds’ fourth-place 4×4 team alongside Gabe Ray, Angelos and Barnette.
“Coach always told us it always was. He told us every day to get it into our heads to be state champs,” Rutherford said. “We always believed in ourselves.
Photo by Jay W. Bennett Ripley’s Jake Harvey clears 6 feet in the high jump at Saturday’s Class AAA state track meet, which was good for runner-up honors.
“We believed in our team and everyone done their part. I’m so happy for my team and for all the Big Reds fans out there. Go Big Reds!”
The only other placer for the Big Reds was Bryson Singer, who finished sixth in the long jump after going 19 feet. 11 inches.
Aside from the Big Reds, Ripley junior Jake Harvey tied his personal record of 6 foot in the high jump, which was just behind the 6-2 of champion Doryn Smith of Martinsburg and ahead of the fourth-place showing of Parkersburg South’s Levi Rice, who cleared 5 feet, 10 inches.
“It’s been a great year,” said the Viking, who cleared 6-0 for the fourth time this season. “I didn’t perform very well at regionals. I was not feeling the best. I was battling a back injury. I just came in with the mindset I’ve done all the training I can do up to this point. I just came here to perform my best. It was a good meet. I’ll be looking forward to see what happens next year. I’m going to try and become a state champion.”
Rice, who finished sixth in the 100 (11.37) and fourth in the 200 (22.25), also anchored the Patriots’ fourth-place shuttles team that included Zachary Parsons, Miciah Jones and Jackson Dearth, who finished sixth in the 300 high hurdles with a time of 41.56.
Photo by Jay W. Bennett Parkersburg South’s Levi Rice competes in shuttle hurdles at Saturday’s Class AAA state track meet at Laidley Field in Charleston.
Contact Jay Bennett at jbennett@newsandsentinel.com
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Parkersburg boys bring home Class AAA state track title - Parkersburg News
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