Whitsell is double winner
by CHARLIE HUST
Webster County High School will be sending a strong contingent of athletes to this week’s 2014 KHSAA Class AA State Track & Field Championships scheduled in Lexington.
The Trojans finished third overall at last week’s Class AA, Region 1 meet held at Paducah Tilghman High School, while the Lady Trojans were fifth.
Fort Campbell dominated the meet once again, winning both boys and girls’ sides while Paducah Tilghman was second on both sides.
WCHS senior Iszack Whitsell enjoyed a very strong day, winning both the 1600 and 3200 meter races to qualify for a chance at a state title in both events this weekend. Whitsell topped the field in the 1600 with a 4:41.07 clocking, edging sophomore teammate Trevor Cole in second place (4:49.56). Both will participate in the state meet on Friday.
Whitsell came back later in the day to capture the 3200 meter title in 10:00.62 with first-year runner Cole Hazelwood, another sophomore, finishing third overall (11:00.83). Whitsell and Hazelwood also teamed with Trevor Cole and Robert Daugherty to finish second in the 4x800 meter relay and earn a trip to state in that event with a 8:46.75 clocking. Calloway County won the race in 8:45.74.
Webster senior Caleb Utley was fourth in the discus (112’-05”) and sixth in the shot put (41’-01”). Cole Hazelwood was fifth in the high jump (5-foot) while Preston Glazebrook was sixth in the triple jump (24’-7”).
WC sophomore Mitchael Shelton was fourth overall in the 800 meter (2:10.40) while Daugherty was 10th in the race (2:28.94). Poom Prasopsvkh, another sophomore, was fifth in the 300 meter hurdles, followed by freshman teammate Reece Clayton in sixth place (1:02.38). Prasopsvkh also added a fifth-place finish in the 100 meter hurdles (21.31).
The Trojan 4x400 meter relay team (Whitsell, Daugherty, Hazelwood and Jeremy Garrett) finished fourth in 4:05.41.
Webster’s 4x200 relay squad (Spencer McCormick, Ronin Periard, Glazebrook, Prasopsvkh) was fourth overall in 1:157.87. Ryder Wood was ninth in the long jump (13’-11”) while Mitchael Shelton was 11th (12’-03”). Ronin Periard posted an eighth-place finish in the 400 meter (1:08.01).
In girls’ action, Webster County senior Darrian McNary will head to state in the long while junior Hannah Pritchett qualified in three events, both hurdles races plus an state ‘at-large’ bid in the 4x800 relay. WCHS newcomer Brook Hoffman also earned a trip to state with an ‘at-large’ bid in the discus.
Pritchett was second overall in the 100 meter hurdles (18.11). Arius Brown of Paducah Tilghman blistered the course to win in 15.70. Pritchett came back later in the meet to finish third overall in the 300 meter hurdles (52.12) which was good enough statewide to qualify. She then teamed with Ali cherry, Paige Tap and Kaile Branson in the 4x800 relay to earn a trip to state (11:09.22).
Webster’s only senior girl, Darrian McNary, placed second in the long jump with a leap of 15’-5”. Lily Lowe of Calloway County won at 16’-8”. McNary was fourth overall in the 400 meter (1:05.83) and combined with Pritchett, Tapp and Branson four a fifth place finish in the 4x400 meter relay (5:13.37).
WCHS sophomore Brook Hoffman earned the at-large bid for state with a third-place finish in the discus (86’-05”). She also finished seventh in the shot put (23’-09”). Ryann Wiggins was eighth in the shot (23’-01”) while Brooklyn Drury was ninth in the discus (64’-07”).
Ali Cherry was fifth overall in the 3200 meter (13:55.87) followed by seventh grader Colleen Glazebrook in sixth (14:39.45). Kaile Branson was fourth in the 1600 meter (6:15.79) while fellow freshman Chanler Cole was sixth (6:44.64). Paige Tapp was eighth in the 800 meter (2:49.94) while Branson was ninth (2:53.71).
Girls Regional Results
1. Fort Campbell 171
2. Paducah Tilghman 132
3. Calloway County 89
4. Hopkins Central 52
5. Webster County 48
6. Trigg County 20
7. Caldwell County 15
8. Union County 10
Boys Regional Results
1. Fort Campbell 157
2. Paducah Tilghman 150
3. Webster County 71
4. Hopkins Central 52
5. Calloway County 38
6. Trigg County 36
7. Union County 28
8. Caldwell County 10