Boys placeﾠsecond andﾠgirls fourthﾠat Richwoodﾠmeet

The 2011 Pocahontas County High School Boys Track Team finished their season ranked #6 in West Virginia Class A, and eight of the 17 boys who competed in 16 events at the state track meet graduated last year. The 2011 boys scored a school record 202 points at regionals and regained the Region 3 crown after placing second to Richwood in 2010. Graduating seniors Tanner Graham (four medals) and Evan Rose (two medals) accounted for 14 and 12 points respectively at states. The Warriors finished eighth at states in 2011 with 35 points (23 teams scoring in Class A). Graham brought home a state championship in the 400m and joined fellow graduating senior Alex Rodriguez and juniors Curtis Pyles and William Kelley on the state championship 4x400m relay team. In addition to Pyles and Kelley, junior Kyler Doss returns after medaling on the fifth place 4x200m relay team with Kelley. Seniors Jesse Taylor, Kelley and Plyles all return from the shuttle hurdle relay team that finished seventh, and only Noah Pugh graduated from that combo.

The very young 2011 girls track team finished their season unranked, and only one of the 11 girls who competed in 10 events at the state track meet graduated. The girls placed second to Richwood at regionals last season for the second straight year, scoring 84 points which was under the girls school records of 88 points in 2009 and 90 points in 2010.

Veteran girls coach Kay Willey will also coach the boys team in 2012 with the departure of Mike Knisely. Kay will field a boys team of 29 athletes (five freshmen, five sophomores, 12 juniors and seven seniors) and a girls team of 22 athletes (three freshmen, six sophomores, six juniors and seven seniors).
After only one PCHS meet at Richwood on March 30 (Opening day for possible meets was March 14.), the times of several PCHS athletes are already ranked in the first RunWV.com Best Class A Performances released on April 4. The PCHS boys WV top-10 rankings are: senior Jesse Taylor - #7 (tie) 110m high hurdles (17.54), #5 4x100m relay team (47.50), #10 4x200m relay team (1.41.90), #7 4x800m relay team (9.42.90), #6 shuttle hurdle relay team (1.08.50), and seniors William Kelley and Jesse Taylor - #4 (4-way tie) high jump (5.08). The PCHS girls top-10 rankings are: #8 4x100m relay team (56.90), #7 shuttle hurdle relay team (1.15.70), and sophomore Fredricah Gardner - #8 shot put (29.04) and #9 discus (83.04). Neither team made the first top-10team rankings released on April 5. With both basketball teams making it to states this year, some track team members had to report late for the start of track season.

The PCHS girls track team finished in fourth place in the March 30 meet at Richwood that attracted eight schools. The girls scoring and placement were: #1 AA Independence 151 points, #2 AAA Nicholas Co. 119, #3 Richwood - 118, #4 PCHS 55, #5 Midland Trail 20, #6 AA James Monroe 19, #7 Meadow Bridge 4.5, and #8 Fayetteville - 4. The PCHS boys track team finished in second place, and the scoring and placement were: #1 Richwood 133, #2 PCHS 84, #3 Fayetteville 82, #4 Midland Trail 71, #5 AAA Nicholas Co. 65, #6 AA Independence 36, #7 AA James Monroe 29, and #8 Meadow Bridge 10.

The PCHS Girls who finished in the top-four in their events were: senior Erica Rebinski - #3 200m (32.03), #2 4x100m relay team (56.81), #4 4x200m relay team (2.09.40), #4 4x400m relay team (5.27), #4 shuttle hurdle relay team (1.15.70), junior Ashley Peacock - #3 shot put (28.00), and sophomore Fredricah Gardner #2 shot put (29.40) and #2 discus (83.04).

The PCHS Boys who finished in the top-four in their events were: junior Clayton Irvine - #2 3200m (11.27), #1 4x100m relay team (47.48), #3 4x200m relay team (1.41.81), #1 4x800m relay team (9.42), and #2 shuttle hurdle relay team (1.08.42). Although junior Kyler Doss finished fifth in the 100m, his 11.84 time would have been #10 in WV Class A. When hand times are used, RunWV.com adds a factor to the times for the Best Performances, which is probably why Doss's time did not place #10 in WV Class A. You will notice that some of the times in the top-10 rankings are slightly higher than the times recorded at the Richwood meet.

The next three track meets listed on the PCHS community calendar are all 4 p.m. meets: at Richwood on Tuesday, April 17, at Elkins on Thursday, April 26; and at Richwood on Friday, May 4. This is the last year for PCHS to compete in Region 3, and that meet is scheduled for Laidley Field in Charleston on Friday, May 11, with the time TBA. PCHS will compete against Richwood, Valley Fayette, Midland Trail, Fayetteville, Mount Hope, Meadow Bridge and Williamson. The state track meet is scheduled for Laidley Field on Friday and Saturday, May 18, at 2 p.m. and May 19 at 9 a.m.

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