Class AA Region IV Track Championship Preview

Regional Championship week continues for track athletes with today's Class AA meets. Poca, Herbert Hoover and Scott represent the area's top teams. They'll be competing in today's Class AA Region IV meet at the University of Charleston's Laidley Field.

Below, I'll do my best to give an event-by-event look at the area's top contenders to qualify for state as determined by rankings at www.runwv.com


Boys

Poca enters ranked ninth in the state and will look to build upon its Cardinal Conference Championship team title. No other Region 4 boys squad ranks in the state's top 10.

100: Wayne's Kade Sebastian holds the season's fastest time by .01 seconds and should be the favorite.


200: Chapmanville's Andrew Workman ranks ninth in the state.

400: Herbert Hoover's Josh Gurski ranks ninth.

800, 1600, 3200: Scott's Will Shaffer ranks first, second and third statewide in these three events, and No. 1 in the region. Pending a big surprise, Shaffer should sweep his way to states.

110H & 300H: Josh Crites, of Poca, and Hoover's Gurski will battle as they did at the Cardinal Conference Championships. Crites ranks ninth in the state in the 110H, though Gurksi sits just outside the top 10. Crites, an all-stater at last year's state meet in the 300H, ranks fifth currently. Gurski will also compete among the best in the 300H, too.

4x100: No Kanawha Valley teams rank in the state's top 10.

4x200: Chapmanville seventh.

4x400, 4x800: No Kanawha Valley teams rank in the state's top 10.

Shuttle hurdles: Poca ranks ninth, Hoover 10th.

High jump: Poca's Nathan Ransom ranks tied for eighth in the state.

Pole vault: No Kanawha Valley athletes rank in the state's top 10.

Long jump: Poca's A.J. Keyes ranks fifth in the state and looks to be among favorites at the region meet.

Shot put & discus: Poca's Christian Buckley soars past all his competitors as the state's No. 1 in both events. Older brother Quentin Buckley ranks fourth in the disc and should contend in shot. Dots throwers Jacob Hickman and Corey McClure will also be among those fiercely competing to qualify for states.


Girls

Nicholas County ranks ninth-best in the state and will contend with Cardinal Conference Champion Scott.

100, 200 & 400: Herbert Hoover's Emilee Henry ranks top seven in all events and will be the area's top threat in each event.

800: Wayne's Kylie Rutherford ranks ninth in the state.

1600: Scott's Samantha Graffius ranks eighth in the state.

3200: Rutherford ranks seventh. Brittany Green, of Scott, ranks ninth.

100H & 300H: Sissonville's Grace Montgomery ranks seventh-best in the state in the 300H. Scott's Haylie Damron is fifth. No local athletes rank among state's top 10 for 100H

4x100: Hoover eighth.

4x200, 4x400: No Kanawha Valley teams rank among the state's top 10.

4x800: Scott seventh.

Shuttle hurdle: Scott 10th.

High jump: No Kanawha Valley athletes rank among the state's top 10.

Pole vault: Hoover's Taylor Marsh is fifth-best in the state.

Long jump: No Kanawha Valley athletes rank among the state's top 10.

Shot put & discus: Poca's Kristen Broughman ranks seventh in the shot. Lexy Beckett, of Wayne, ranks fifth in the shot and fourth in the disc.