By David Knox, Sports Editor
The Hewitt-Trussville boys track and field team made a terrific showing at the Alabama High School Athletic Association Track and Field Championships, finishing third last weekend at Gulf Shores.
Auburn ran away with the 7A crown, posting 130 points. Hoover nipped Hewitt-Trussville for the runner-up trophy, edging the Huskies 95 to 94. Vestavia Hills was a distant fourth, with 51 points, as the top three teams were clearly the class of the field.
“Proud of these guys for leaving it all at the track,” coach David Dobbs tweeted after the effort.
Benjamin Knox had an outstanding finish to his high school career. He racked up two first-place finishes, setting state records in the process, and added third- and fourth-place finishes. He took the gold in the 1600 meters with a record time of 4:17. Then he captured the 3200 meters in 9:20, another state meet record. He was third in the 800 meters and fourth as part of the 4×800 relay team.
Noah Igbinoghene had an excellent meet, even though he was upset in the triple jump by Huntsville’s Michael Wiggins by a hair. Igbinoghene did win the long jump, setting a state record, and placed fourth in the 100 meter dash.
John Ngaruiya was right on Knox’s heels in the 1600, finishing third, and in the 3200, where he finished second to his Husky teammate. He was part of the 4×800 team, as were Austin Atkinson and Josh Jenkins.
Andy Chappell was second in the pole vault and Jaison Williams was fourth in the discus and fifth in the shot put.
The battle for second came down to the last event, the 4×400 relay. The Huskies led Hoover by five points, but the Bucs team finished third to pick up six points, while the Huskies couldn’t score, finishing some 3 seconds from placing high enough to offset the Bucs’ effort.
But there were other great storylines. Colin Lafon captured the wheelchair 100 meters in a personal-best time, and won the shot put, discus and javelin throw to add four total points to the team’s total as that division, still in its infancy, adds inclusiveness to the sport.
On the girls side, Olivia Kilpatrick took seventh, taking All-State honors as an eighth-grader. Josie Lyster took fourth in the javelin, just some five months after surgery.
The girls finished with a total of seven points.
Clay-Chalkville’s Adrienne Lewis took second in Class 6A in the triple jump, earning all of the team’s eight points.
Miles Chaney finished sixth in the 6A 110 hurdles, earning all of Clay-Chalkville’s boys’ three points.