By Erik Harris, sports editor
GULF SHORES — The top track and field athletes in Alabama gathered in Gulf Shores this weekend for the 2021 AHSAA State Track and Field Championships in Mickey Miller Blackwell Stadium.
The competition started on Thursday and wrapped up on Saturday, with several local student-athletes finishing atop their respective events. It was a particularly strong showing from Class 7A Hewitt-Trussville, which captured runner-up trophies in both the girls and boys meets.
The Husky girls were led by individual champions Maci Mills (800-meter dash), Lea Townsend (shot put) and Kelsey Martin (long jump). Martin also took second-place finishes in the 400-meter dash and triple jump events to go with a third-place finish in the 200-meter dash.
Townsend paired her gold medal with a third-place finish in the discus, while Mills added fifth-place outings in the 1600-meter dash and 400-meter dash.
The Hewitt girls were also aided by Haleigh Chambers, who placed third in the javelin. Tori Mack and Sydney White chipped in with fourth-place results in the 100-meter hurdles and 300-meter hurdles, respectively.
Class 7A girls team scores
- Hoover 107.5
- Hewitt-Trussville 102
- Vestavia Hills 62
- Huntsville 58
- Auburn 52.5
In Class 7A boys action, Hewitt worked a second-place finish behind a strong effort from Alabama signee Julian Collins, who placed first in the long jump, third in the triple jump and 100-meter dash and fifth in the 200-meter dash.
Jacob Copham came through with fourth-place efforts in both the discus and shot put events. Tanveer Raza came home with a second-place finish in the shot put and a fifth-place finish in the discus. Aaron Himes chipped in with a sixth-place finish in the 800-meter run and eighth-place work in both the 1600-meter run and the 3200-meter run.
Also for the Huskies, Nathan Knox finished fifth in the 3200-meter run and sixth in the 1600-meter run, Ethan Womack finished sixth in the 110-meter hurdles, Will Diggs finished fourth in the javelin, Bobby Stanbery placed fifth in the 300-meter hurdle and Daniel James placed fifth in the pole vault.
Class 7A boys team scores
- Vestavia Hills 104.5
- Hewitt-Trussville 91
- Auburn 74
- Hoover 58
- Oak Mountain 44
In other action, the Center Point girls finished at No. 5 in the Class 5A meet, while the Clay-Chalkville boys finished fifth in Class 6A. The Cougars took gold in the 4X100-meter relay with a time of 42.24, whild junior Marquarius White claimed second in both the 100-meter dash and 200-meter dash.
Kiyla Calvin led the Eagles with an individual championship in the 300-meter hurdle and a runner-up finish in the 100-meter hurdle to go with a first-place finish from Ambria James in the shot put.