With this post, I'll preview the MSAC meet. The post before this one includes extra quotes, which could not make my Daily Mail article, from my interviews with various MSAC coaches If you would like some additional information on the Cardinal Conference Championship, check my previous posting today.
The MSAC is stacked this season with five boys teams and four girls squads ranked among the state's top-10 AAA schools, according to www.runwv.com
However, it's not clear who will win as many coaches and athletes have related to me they do not plan to go "full-out" with the more important regional championship to be held in five days, Wednesday.
Cabell Midland is the clear favorite on the boys side as the second-best team in the state behind three-time defending champion Jefferson. Parkersburg (third) and Huntington (fifth) will also contend, as George Washington and Winfield are tied for 10th.
For the girls, it will be a battle, with Winfield ranked third and Hurricane sixth. Parkersburg and St. Albans entered tied for seventh-best.
Here's a run-down of top athletes in each event. Please keep in mind, though, these predictions are based upon runwv.com rankings. Some athletes will not participate in their top or normal events as they conserve energy for regionals. Other athletes are not ranked, but could contend for points, and I just do not have their names available.
Boys
100: Woodrow Wilson's Ramon Edwards ranks second in the state. He'll battle Parkersburg's Chandler Hamilton, Naquay Little (Capital), Bryce Jones (Huntington), Steven Handley (Hurricane) and Ken Hayes (South Charleston).
200: George Washington's Jacob Jackson ranks fourth in the state, but like the 100, this field is stacked. John Hathaway (Winfield), Edwards (Woodrow Wilson), Fred Hightower (Huntington) and Handley (Hurricane) each ranks in the state's top 10.
400: Jacob Kilgore, of Spring Valley, looks to be the favorite. Jackson will also contend.
800: Midland's strength lies in distance events. That's evident as the Knights occupy the state's three best times in this event. Senior Jacob Burcham is expected to win. Brian Lawhon and Mason Dino, of Midland, will also be among the top runners. Kilgore, Nick Cheuvront (Parkersburg) and Preston Sheldon (Winfield) will also contend.
1600: Burcham is the top-ranked runner in this event, but will not race the mile, according to coach Chris Parsons. That makes George Washington's Matthew Brafford the favorite, should he elect to run in the event. Midland's Lawhon, Michael Ruhnke and Marshall Sharp, both of Capital, will be among top runners too.
3200: Again, Burcham will not race this event though it's among his normal schedule of events. Brafford ranks second to Burcham in the state. Other contenders include Jake Henley, of St. Albans, and Huntington's Jack McGee
110H & 300H: In addition to distance running, Midland leads with its hurdlers. Knights Nate Moore and Niles Dailey ranks in the state's top five in both events. Huntington's Ryan Gatrell ranks No. 2 in the 110. Ripley's Ryan Gregory and Sammy Shaver rank in the top 10 for 300s.
4x100: Winfield fifth in AAA, Parkersburg eighth, Woodrow Wilson ninth, Huntington 10th.
4x200: Parkersburg first, Winfield fourth, Huntington fifth, Capital sixth.
4x400: Huntington fourth, Winfield sixth, Parkersburg eighth.
4x800: Midland second, Winfield fifth, Parkersburg seventh, Ripley ninth.
Shuttle hurdles: Parkersburg second, Huntington third, Midland seventh, Ripley 10th.
High jump: Winfield's Christian Smith ranks eighth in the state, tied with Parkersburg's Austin Allman and Ryan Gatrell, of Huntington, at six feet.
Pole vault: Capital's Tristan Slaterr and Winfield's Chris Cochran are tied for first in the state at 13 feet, six inches. Hurricane's Chantz Rankin, Huntington's Loy McGuire, Ripley's Zane Griffith and Winfield's Smith also rank in the top 10.
Long jump: Ryan McGuffin (Huntington) ranks fourth in the state. Davon Tyson (Capital) and Daniel Fox (Parkersburg) will also contend.
Shot put: Khalil Anderson (Woodrow Wilson) and Jacob Lomax, of St. Albans, rank in the state's top 10.
Discus: Parkersburg's Brandon Pethel leads the state. Travis Vickers (St. Albans), Lomax (St. Albans) and Troy Lilly (Woodrow Wilson) also rank in the top 10.
Girls
100 & 200: Anacia Hines (St. Albans) ranks second in the state in 100, third in 200. Anika Shah (Winfield) ranks eighth and ninth in the events, respectively. Emily Cole, of Winfield, lists fifth in the 100. Midland's Jakeya Perrin ranks fifth in the 200. Huntington's Safiyyah Mitchell is seventh in the 200.
400: Perrin ranks third. Winfield's Barkley Castro is seventh.
800: Castro leads the state. She'll contend with Hurricane's Emily Schwendiman.
1600: Schwendiman and Capital's Peyton Panger will battle for the top spot. Joie Johnston, of Hurricane, will also contend.
3200: Schwendiman, Johnston, Panger and Woodrow Wilson's Emily Fedders list among the state's top 10.
100H: Anancia Hines ranks second in the state. Sarah Bever (Parkersburg), Makenzie Niebergall (Midland), Tatiyanna Wood (Capital) and Haley Hall (Midland) join Hines in the top 10.
300H: Winfield's Josee Erlandson ranks second in the state. Bever, Mackenzie Arthur (Winfield) and Audrey Barber (Hurricane) also rank in the state's top 10.
4x100: Winfield first.
4x200: Winfield first, Midland ninth.
4x400: Winfield second, Parkersburg third, Midland seventh.
4x800: Hurricane third, Winfield sixth, Parkersburg seventh, Midland eighth
Shuttle hurdles: Midland second, Huntington fourth, Winfield fifth, Parkersburg seventh, Ripley 10th.
High jump: Parkersburg teammates Bever and Lauren Leaman both rank in the top 10, as does Midland's Mackenzie Cassidy.
Pole vault: Winfield's Allie Perry ranks third in the state. Lauren London, of Hurricane, is sixth.
Long jump: Cole, of Winfield, ranks ninth in the state.
Shot put: Whitney McAtee (Parkersburg) and Abby Watson (Hurricane) rank in the top 10.
Discus: McAtee enters ranked second, Watson third. George Washington's Lillie Jacobs is fifth.
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