Down Five Runs Early, Berkeley Baseball Advances To The Div. II State baseball Finals With 8-6 Win Over West Florence

Billy Baker • May 23, 2025

Berkeley players storming the field after their hard fought win!


By Billy G. Baker

Publisher


Moncks Corner — “So many athletes along the way, whatever it is you aspire to do, will tell you it can’t be done. But all it takes is imagination. YOU DREAM. YOU PLAN. YOU REACH. There will be obstacles. There will be doubters. There will be mistakes. But with HARD WORK, with BELIEF, with CONFIDENCE and TRUST in yourself, and those around you, there are no limits.” ~ Michael Phelps - the Most Dedicated Athlete In Olympic history with 28 gold medals


Down 6-1 to the West Florence Knights, and needing a win to punch their ticket to the Div. II AAAAA baseball gold medal round, the aforementioned words of Phelps were depicted by an over-achieving band of “dirt bag” baseball players, known as the Berkeley Stags, who rallied with great defense, two home runs, and solid relief pitching to earn an 8-6 win.


Berkeley now awaits the winner between Indian Land and Catawba Ridge, from the upper state, and the Stags will host game one of the best-of-three series on Tuesday May, 27. 


When the game was over, a cheering mob of Stag baseball fans, who no doubt went home happy, stood and cheered the Stag team for several minutes, as the players went on a victory tour around Jim Bradley Field. These over-achievers first ran full-speed to the student section, set up behind the right field fence, and they were greeted by their class mates like battle tested soldiers returning from World War II.


Then this merry-band of celebrating dirt bags broke full speed to their beloved adult fans, in the stands behind home plate. As the cheers reached a feverish pitch, the players they were admiring, for their grit and determination, gripped the fence as they moved along, as the emotions of the accomplishment had over-come players, coaches, and fans alike. It was certainly a proud moment in the history of Stag baseball.


The rally contained all the elements of the greatest sport ever played by man-kind. Stag out-fielders, led by the leaping ability of Henry Rivers, literally prevented three potential home runs, from leaving the park, with great catches, from the very extremes of the warning tracks. West Florence head coach, Josh Brown, noted after the game that had this game been played on his field all three well-hit balls would have been home runs on the Knights shorter field.


After Berkely starting pitcher Keller Wofford had early struggles, relief pitchers, Hunter Morris, hard-throwing quarterback Henry Rivers, and Gavin Barb, teamed up to keep the Knights off the board, after they had scored all six of their runs in the top of the second inning.


Berkeley’s win was centered around home runs by Deon Hogue and Bryson Heath who accounted for five RBI’s in the come-back win with these two homers.


After the game, head coach Landy Cox, put the moment in perspective. “I have been a baseball coach for over 20 years, and this is 100 per cent the biggest group of over-achievers that I have ever had the honor of coaching,” he said from the field. “I have never seen a group of kids who believed in what we were doing more then this group.


“I’ve have been blessed to coach some incredible teams but you never know when you come to the park which player is going to step up and be that big-time player for the team,” said Coach Cox. “We have had some stars here, and with this team it has been a different player, or players, stepping up, and helping us find a way to win from game-to-game. This is a group of players who are very close and they are all playing with a lot confidence right now.”


True to the words of Phelps, it was junior relief pitcher Gavin Barb, who assumed the role of closer in the top of the 7th inning with the game on the line. After he gave up a walk to the first batter, he retired the next three batters on a fly ball to center, a ground-out and then to the delight of his mother “Tiffany”, and all Stag fans, he struck-out the final batter and that is when the dam of celebration broke open on Jim Bradley Field.


“Talk about come-backs,” said Coach Cox. “Gavin was our two-hitter at the start of the season, and one of our top pitchers, and then he went through a little lull,” said Coach Cox. “He had not been able to find himself back in the line-up. However, we preached to him, and the team, every day that someone who had not done it in a while might have an opportunity to be that guy.


“Tonight, it was Gavin Barb and I thought he went into the game just as calm as he could be and he got the outs and earned a save for us in a pressure situation,” said Coach Cox. “In the game of baseball, you have to be ready for the moment and Gavin came is and he embraced the challenge very well.”      


After the game, West Florence head coach Josh Brown shared some thoughts with the HSSR. “They got up early and then we had a big inning in the second inning to take a lead, and it was a back-and-forth game a lot,” said Coach Brown. “We just could not tack on any more runs after that. They made some outstanding plays on defense to kill some of our potential rallies.


“We hit so many balls to the warning track in this game, and at our place, I know of at least three of those balls would have been home runs at our place, so that alone is disappointing,” said Coach Brown ”We just didn’t quite get them out of the park and this was the difference in the game. They are a great ball team and we just ended up a little bit short tonight.”


Coach Brown saluted the play of his three starting seniors. “Our three big senior contributors are Cooper Coleman, who has signed with Florence Darlington Tech, Ryan Coscetti is headed to Francis Marion, and Matthew Brown has also been a key senior. These guys have all been on the varsity since they were freshman or sophomores and we will miss them greatly.”   

West Florence finished the season 22-6.       


Host Berkeley was down 6-1, to West Florence, after two innings in game two of the Lower State Div. II AAAAA championship series, but the Stags rallied for an 8-6 win, using two home runs that produced five runs to clinch the win.



The Stags had won game one at West Florence two days earlier, 8-0. The Stags will begin the gold medal round at home on Tuesday May, 27 against the upper state winner between Indian Land and Catawba Ridge who are playing a third and deciding game on Saturday to decide which team plays the Stags.


Berkeley took a 1-0 lead in the first inning when lead-off batter Hudson Clark walked and advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt by Henry Rivers. Ryan Richardson’s successful bunt single moved Clark to third. Then Devon Hogue executed a sacrifice bunt that allowed Clark to score and give the Stags an early 1-0 lead. 


In the top of the second WF scored all of their six runs sending 10 batters to the plate. Josh Haney led off with a single and then Fischer Hartman drew a walk to start the inning. Newt Hinson then loaded the bases when his bunt was mis-handled on an error. Haney scored on the error to tie the game 1-1.


Avery Weaver then singled in Hartman to make it 2-1. Ryan Coscetti drew a walk and while he was batting a pick-off throw went past the first baseman allowing Hinson to score from third to make it a 3-1 Knight’s lead. Designated hitter Matthew Brown then singled to score Weaver to make the score 4-1. Carson Haynes stepped up and ripped a double to score Coscetti to make it a 5-1 lead. WF scored their final and sixth run of the game on a sacrifice fly by Chase Anderson that scored Brown from third.


Berkeley sent 8 batters to the plate in the bottom of the third inning when they scored four runs to cut the deficit to 6-5. Lead-off batter Braylend Booker reached on hit by batter and two batters later a double by Rivers placed runners on second and third. Then a Balk scored Booker to make the score 6-2. Ryan Richardson then reached safely on an error scoring Rivers on the play making it a 6-3 game. Then Houge stepped up and hit a two-run homer to cut the deficit to 6-5.


In the bottom of the 5th Berkeley scored three wins to break the game open. Rivers reached on a one-out infield error. He scored on a single by Easton Little to tie the game at 6-6. Then Bryson Heath followed up with a two- run homer to put the Stags up 8-6 and that score held up for the rest of the game.  


Berkeley has now won 9 straight games since April, 21.

     

 

Southside beats Gray Collegiate 3-0 to win AAAA boys soccer state championship

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Just Might Be Time To Write A Memoir Book After 40 Years Of Fun & Hard Work

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Could South Carolina Have Two Prep Baseball Players Both Go In The First Round? (Highly Likely)

By Billy Baker • May 23, 2026
Christ Church's senior SS/3B Bo Lowrance (6-5,200) with a 6.6 time in the sixty and he can move left or right with same dexterity plus he is currently batting .433 with 39 RBI’s, including 12 home runs and three triples.

Dillon Christian School’s Lila English Named “NETC” Female Student Athlete of the Month

By Larry Gamble • May 23, 2026
Bennettsville — Lila English is a rising senior student athlete at Dillon Christian School, where she has been a cheerleader since the sixth grade. English has also been playing volleyball since the seventh grade, basketball since the grade, and plans to play again in her senior season. Not to mention that she is a sport over achiever, when she started playing soccer as a junior. She plans to enjoy her upcoming senior year, being a multiple sport athlete, while continuing to take NETC online classes to help prepare for college. English said her childhood dream was being a varsity cheerleader. Being a multiple sport athlete just adds to her enjoyment of her school experience. With all the demands of sports, high school academics and the NETC online courses, English says her “time management skills” improved by having to balance preparation for multiple classes, with practices and games each week. After high school, English plans to focus on her studies instead of playing sports at the next level. Currently, she is weighing her options of either attending Clemson University’s Agricultural Mechanization and Business Program , but she is also considering attending the Darla Moore Business School at USC. In the classroom, she carries a 4.2438 GPA and says the NETC courses, “Have opened doors to provide me college level work academic learning experiences that have given me a glimpse of what to expect in the future, when I am actually at college,” she said. For all her athletic and academic accomplishments, English has been chosen the “NETC” Female Student Athlete of the Month.” This honor is bestowed through a partnership between the Northeastern Technical College and “The High School Sports Report” with the publication communicating with athletic directors at high schools in the counties of Dillon, Marlboro, and Chesterfield, where NETC serves the needs of high school students seeking to earn dual credits in various subjects that can be transferred to colleges, after a student’s high school graduation. The NETC is currently offering over 44 online dual credit courses for the 2025-26 school year to students in the three counties they serve. Currently, English is enrolled in dual credit online courses offered by NETC. She started taking classes during her junior year and she completing classes that will fulfill basic requirements for her freshman year at college. She has taken US History, World History, and Medical Terminology to date. English looks forward to going to college and preparing for a career. When asked about the NETC experience, English said “NETC has been great,” she said. “I was worried about starting these courses because I had never done anything like it, but the layout is easy to understand, and my professors were always flexible, and willing to help when I needed it.” Considering she only has two semesters of classes completed, English commented “I haven't taken many classes yet, that could reduce my course load in college, but plan on taking some online courses this summer and again during my senior year.” As a high school student, playing sports year-round, and taking NETC online classes, English had this to say about that challenge. “I have to plan, so there is a balance in everything between school, sports, and life,” she said. “I put together a schedule that enables me to get all the course work completed, so I don’t have to give up on doing other things.  When asked if all this can be stressful, English summed it up this way: “Time management can be hard with multiple games, or assignments due, but pacing myself has always helped,” she said. “I try not to load myself down, and I try to space my work out throughout the week to avoid stressing myself out.” English reflected on favorite memories as a student athlete, “Some of my favorite sports memories happened at practices,” she said. “The hard work behind the scenes with all the fun, smiles, and laughs can’t be beat. A different type of bond is formed within a team where you are pushing others, and yourself to be better while also having fun doing it.”

Dillon Christian School’s Reese Bracey Named “NETC” Male Student Athlete of the Month

By Larry Gamble • May 23, 2026
Bennettsville — Reese Bracey is a senior three-sport athlete at the Dillon Christian School, where he participates in the sports of football, basketball and soccer. He readily admits that football is his favorite sport among the three. He started playing football in the fifth grade, and he has played multiple positions as a receiver, tight end, running back, and also at linebacker. In the eighth grade, he started playing basketball as a small forward. In the ninth grade, he started playing soccer. During his prep school career, he twice earned All-Region honors as a running back in football with over 1,000 all-purpose yards achieved. He has also earned All-Region honors in soccer. Bracey closes his high school athletics having played all three sports in his senior year. He says one lesson being a multi-sport athlete taught him is to be on time. “If you are late to practice, you will have some type of punishment,” he said. “This translates well to schoolwork, when it comes to scheduling, doing, and turning in assignments on time.” In the classroom, he carries a 5.2 GPA, while maintaining his online course load, and participating in sports. After graduation, he plans to attend USC and pursue a career in the medical field. For all his athletic and academic accomplishments, Reese Bracey has been chosen the “NETC” Male Student Athlete of the Month.”  This honor is bestowed through a partnership between the Northeastern Technical College and “The High School Sports Report” with the publication communicating with athletic directors at high schools in the counties of Dillon, Marlboro, and Chesterfield, where NETC serves the needs of high school students seeking to earn dual credits in various subjects that can be transferred to colleges after a student’s high school graduation. The NETC is currently offering over 44 online dual credit courses for the 2025-26 school year to students in the three counties they serve. Bracey is currently enrolled in dual credit courses offered by NETC. He has completed classes in Psychology, Public Speaking, English 101 and 102, plus History 101 and 102. By taking the online courses through the NETC, Bracey says, this, “Helps prepare me for the workload and schedule I can expect with college work once I get to college,” he said. It has taught me always to use any free time to complete assignments. I apply this lesson, whether that be at home, or at school.” When asked about a memorable moment in his sports career, Bracey said, “That was involved a play that I will never forget,” he said. “We made the football playoffs and with our first snap of the game, we scored a touchdown!”

Bamberg Ehrhardt and Calhoun County go back-to-back at Class A state track meet

By Neill Kirkpatrick • May 23, 2026
By Neill Kirkpatrick Special to the HSSR  Columbia – Bamberg-Ehrhardt high school and Calhoun County high school are 33.9 miles apart on US-601 with a lot in common as they are two of the top Class A athletic programs in the state and now they share back-to-back class A track and field state championships. The Red Raiders beat the Governor’s School to capture the girls title while Calhoun County defeated Blackville-Hilda to win the boy’s title. “I felt if we did what we are capable of doing today we had a good chance to repeat,” said BE head coach Travis Wilson . “I want to make sure we to get the race, do our job and focus. Coach Wilson continued, “Motivation was a big thing coming into the year. Winning last year put us in the hunted role and so we tried to stress it is harder to repeat. The girls started picking it up at the region and lower state meets.” Calhoun County head coach Wayne Farmer is no stranger to back-to-back state championship as this is the third school that he has led to back-to-back class A state championships, the others being Allendale Fairfax and Scott’s Branch. It was also the 10 th state championship in his career. “Our focus was to come back and repeat. The challenge this year was that we became the hunted instead of the hunter. The biggest thing is the kids performed with no hick ups. We scheduled a lot of big meets to learn how to compete and it paid off today,” said coach Farmer. The girls meet started off perfect for the Red Raider as their 4x100 team of Zyasia Whiley, Carmyn Folk, Keyaunjanay Corbit and Daisha Etheridge blazed around the track in a season’s best of 50.38 to win gold in the day’s first running event. The 4x800 relay team also won gold in a time of 10:56.16. Kymyhia Jamison, Jayda Sanders, Nilayah Edwards and Rashida Quattara made up the team. Sanders picked up a silver medal when she finished second in the 800 meters. Ezariah Williams won a gold and silver medal for the Red Raiders in the Discus and shot put, respectively. She threw the discus 36.73 meters for a new personal record and set another personal best in the shot put with a put of 11.39 meters. Both events earned her Silver Elite performance. She also scored in the Javelin by finishing seventh. Briaunjenai McMillian won a bronze medal in the Javelin with a toss of 32.94. She also scored in the shot put finishing eighth. There were a few individual double gold medal winners. Bethune Bowman’ s Makiyah Johnson won the 100 and 200 meters. Her winning time in the 100 of 12.17 was a silver elite performance. “It feels great to win two gold medals. I want this for a long time. Last year I came in second in both events. I put in a lot of hard work and it paid off,” said Johnson. Riverwalk Academy’s Emme Herring won gold in both the 800 and 1600 meters while Blackville Hilda’s Breyanna Williams won gold in both hurdle events as well as winning a silver medal in the 200. The Saints were led by Wofford signee Kamari Kelly. Kelly won the 400 meters in a time of 48.56 and then won the 800 meters in 2:03.55. He ran the second leg of the gold medal winning 4x800 meter relay team. He also ran the second leg on the 4x400 meter relay team which won a silver medal. “These last couple of years to see all the hard work pay off. I very grateful for coaches and family and I just want to thank God,” Kelly said. Joining Kelly on the 4x800 meter relay team were Kamron Johnson, Traveon Baker, and V’Jay Thomas while Baker, Eddie Coleman and Thomas were on the 4x400 relay team with Kelly. Jamani Canty won two golds in the discus and shot put. His toss of 49.17 in the discus was a new personal best. Also winning medals for the Saints were St. Julian Johnson won two silver medals in the shot put and the Javelin. He set personal best in both events with a toss of 45.68 in the Javelin and he put the shot 14.22. Bringing home bronze medals were Kamron Kelly (800), Eddie Coleman (400 meter hurdles), and Darren Ben (Triple Jump). Ben also scored points in the high jump (4 th ) and in the long jump (8 th ). In the 100 and 200 Da’Shaun Albany of Ridgeland Secondary School and Camari Brown of Hardeeville Jr-Sr high finished one-two in each race with Albany winning the 100 and Brown taking the 200. Hunter Willis of Riverwalk Academy won gold in the 1600 and silver in the 800. Blackville-Hilda’s Da’Montray Allen was a double gold winner as he won the 110 hurdles in a time of 14.84 and the 400 hurdles in 58.16. Jordan Strong of Lewisville won two bronze medals in the long jump and high jump while capturing a gold in the triple jump

Philip Simmons Boys & Girls Track Teams Dominates SCHSL AA State Track Meet

By Worthy Evans • May 23, 2026
By WORTHY EVANS HSSR Contributing Writer  Columbia --Just after the AA state track and field meet in 2025, when the Philip Simmons girls dominated the field with 148 points, the boys were runners up to state champion Fairfield Central , Iron Horses track and field coaches Emma Santor and Ryan McCauley got married. Together, the couple packed the field with Philip Simmons runners and field athletes in the 2026 meet, and while the girls scored 159 points in their repeat victory, the boys scored 106.5 points and claimed their second state championship in three years. The girl’s total was 107.67 points higher than runner-up Landrum’s 51.33 points. “We have a huge team that’s full of depth, and we’ve got an amazing group of girls who are always willing to rally around each other, and they know when to show up when it’s time,” said Coach Emma McCauley. “They trust the training, they trust the process, and fortunately for us they all peaked at the right moment, and we were able to pull off another state title.” The boy’s team’s point total was 59.5 points higher than runner-up Fairfield Central’s 48, and that was after the Griffins 4x400 team of Jamie Brown , Brenton Mack , Kenyan Douglas , and Da’Qwan Kelly closed out the meet with a winning time of (320:41) “I think we had a little chip on our shoulder from last year and the boys really wanted it this year,” said Ryan McCauley. “The boys really showed up in big ways in multiple events.” The girls’ team led early and never looked back, just as the Iron Horses did last year. Sophomore distance runner Laura Perry took gold in the 1600 (5:11.73) and 3200 (5:11.73) runs. Behind Perry in the 1600 were teammates Flynn Taylor , second, Stella Wininger placed 5th, and Avah Mallek was 7 th . In the 3200, Wininger took 2 nd and Keziah Varner took 6 th .. “It’s actually insane, it’s like so much support,” Perry said about running events with teammates as opposed to running solo. “If there are so many people, it makes you feel like you’re so much better, and it pushes you to be better.” Taylor took gold in the 800 (2:16.30), and the 4x800 relay team of Taylor, Mallek, Varner, and Samantha Watson won gold in 9:47.92. Julia Reilly won the triple jump (10.91) meters 5 th in the long jump. Ashley Roush won the pole vault (3.8-meters). Averi Cable took 4 th . Roush was second in long jump and third in high jump. Other placers for the girls were Chloe Woods , Jordyn Washington - Spencer , and Cora Gabriel , who took 4 th , 5 th , and 6 th in the Javelin, respectively. Lilah May took 4 th in high jump. The 4x100 team of Madison Cobb , Roush, Reilly, and Ashlynn Johnson finished third, and so did the 4x400 team of Paris Harrison , Riley Payne , Elle Corbin , and Taylor . In the boy’s events, Philip Simmons won gold in just two events, but their depth often had two or three competitors earn points. Jeremiah Richardson took first in the 200 dash with a time of 21.79 and the 4x800 relay team of Brian Stanbaugh , Keaton Stuart , Gavin Conjurski and Stone Sweatman won gold with a time of 8:09.41. “I just wanted to put it all out for my team, especially the seniors,” said Richardson. “I was so proud of everybody who raced, all the coaches who helped us throughout the whole season.” The 4x100 team of Luke Chambers , Brady Cobb , Cameron Steed, and Richardson took second and the 4x400 team of Steed, Connor Roberts , Montrell Mungin , and Zack Venning took 6 th . In the rest of the events, several Iron Horse runners competed with one another. Richardson was 4 th 100, in front of Brady Cobb’s 5 th place finish. Luke Chambers took 8th place. Behind Richardson in the 200 dash were Cobb (second) and Chambers (seventh). Sweatman placed fourth in the 800 and Grady Castiglia was 7 th and Trent Manning (8 th ). Manning also took 4 th place in 1600, with Griffin Tollison just behind in 5 th ). Brian Stanbaugh placed 3 rd in the 3200, while Tollison was 4th and Castiglia was 6 th . Mungin took 2 nd in 400 hurdles. In field events, Omonte Taylor placed 4 th he high jump and Cole Tonon took eighth in the pole vault. In javelin Jack Robinson placed 3rd and Luke Robinson was 4 th . “We’re super fortunate to have two awesome middle school’s feeder programs that go into our school,” said Emma McCauley. “Every year we get around 40 middle schoolers that will come out and try out for the team. We’re returning a really strong junior class as well, which we’re excited about.”

Mountain View Girls, Waccamaw Boys Defend AAA Titles

By Dennis Brunson • May 23, 2026
Mountain View Girls and Waccamaw Boys Earn SCHSL State Track & Field Titles.

South Pointe Wins First State Championship In Boys Track

By Staff Reports • May 23, 2026
 Since the school was opened in 2005, South Pointe High School has been known as a football school, with eight state championships in nine appearances at the 3A and 4A classifications, most recently last December. On Thursday night at Richland Northeast, the Stallions added a boys track and field win, holding off a late charge from May River to win the 4A boys track and field state championship by a half a point. “Half a point winning the state championship? Can’t get no better than that,” South Pointe head coach Calvin McCullough said. South Pointe’s win came after an unfortunate injury. While qualifying in the 4x100 meter relay for the state meet last week, Devin Isley , one of the state’s top sprinters in any classification, got injured. “He tweaked something, so he didn’t run today,” McCollough said. “We were counting on winning the 100, 200, and 4x1. We came in fifth in the 4x1, but we only got one point in the 200.” Instead of counting on the sprinters for a high score, the Stallions turned to the crew of distance runners who just happened to claim the school’s boys 4A cross country title last fall. “We figured we were pretty good in the distance,” McCullough said. “They actually pulled through and got us not only the top points, but they also got some of the low-end points as well that kept added up.” South Pointe took the lead with strong distance-running finishes. Senior Keller Brown finished first in the 3200-meter run with a time of nine minutes, 21.13 seconds. Brown finished just over 10 seconds faster than May River’s Talan Farrington . Stallions sophomore Copeland Crawford finished seventh to give South Pointe 12 points in the event. Brown took second behind May River’s Jackson Wright’s 4:16.54 time in the 1600 run with a time of 4:16.71. Reece Adams and Luke Stralow finished fifth and sixth in the race as well to give South Pointe 15 points in the event. “The 1600 I was coming in with a PR (personal record) of 4:18 and it was a 4:11 guy (Wright),” Brown said. “I knew that one was going to be more tactical. I was going to have to work for that one. I felt really good about my execution and just got past him at the last second. I got beat by .2 seconds, so I felt pretty good about that. “But in the 3200 I ran it really well all season, I felt like I had the legs to just go and run hard and eventually people would drop off,” he added. Jayden Finney took fourth place in the 800 run for an additional five points. The team of Finney, Gray Shelton , Jett Shelton and Felix Cassidy took gold in the 4x800 relay with a time of 8:06.59, after the 4x100 team of Cash Truesdale , Ethan Howze , Jalen Davis , and Isley’s replacement took fifth place. South Pointe gained 14 points on those finishes. Houze was the only top finisher for South Pointe in the dashes, taking eighth in the 200 dash for one point. The Stallions picked up 14.5 points In field events. De’onta Watson took first in the long jump with an effort of 6.72 meters. Jalen Davis placed seventh and Cain Cousar eighth in the event. Jayden White tied with Darlington’s Donte McCray for seventh place in the high jump for the 1.5 points that clinched the win. South Pointe had all of its points with several track and field events still being contested. The Stallions led May River 48-42, then 60-50, and then with White’s high jump result posted, 61.5-50. The Sharks’ 4x400 team of Antonio Corvato , Daeton Z . Altacho , Braihilin Paylor and Brennan Chase finished second to boost the team score to 58. Zavier Polite’s sixth-place finish in the triple jump gave May River its total of 61 points. Earlier in the afternoon the Sharks got first-place finishes from Wright in the 800 run (1:56.88) and the 1600 run. Farrington took fourth place in the 1600 and second place in the 3200. In the dashes, Jeremiah Grant finished fourth in the 200 and Corvato placed eighth in the 400. The 4x100 team of Mason Sweigart , Edward Cooper , Chase, and Grant placed fourth, and the 4x800 team of Farrington, Altacho, Xavier Flores , and Polite took third. Hilton Head Girls win first title since 2017 On the strength of two golds in the relay races and distance runner Julia McKenna , who won gold in the 1600, second place in the 800 and fifth place in the 3200, the Hilton Head girls track and field team held off a late charge from Westside to claim its first state championship since 2017 and fifth in school history. Seahawks head coach Frank Holland credits McKenna as being a big help in boosting the middle distance and distance runners. “She is a dynamic runner,” Holland said of McKenna, who took a warm interest in track by her sophomore year but really got into the sport as a junior. “She fell in love with it and all of a sudden her times were incredible to a point where she couldn’t get enough running. She encouraged other girls to compete and train with her. She’s a big inspiration.” McKenna, a senior and University of Tampa signee, finished atop the field in the 1600 run with a time of 5:00.96. With her finishes in the 800 and 3200, she earned the Seahawks 22 points. Also finishing in the 800 for Hilton Head were Aly Saleme and Stella Morgan , who placed fourth and fifth respectively, to give the Seahawks an additional nine points in that event. McKenna was also part of the 4x800 team that took gold with a time of 9:41.33. Her teammates were Ava Pankuch , Saleme, and Autumn Pearson . “I felt like I did really well considering all four events even though it can get really tiring,” McKenna said. “I just wanted to end it in a really good way and that’s why I decided to do all four. I’m really happy about how my mile and 4x8 went.” The 4x400 team of Jourdyn Mootry , Pankuch, Saleme and Kyndal Cohen beat out second place Bishop England by less than two seconds with a time of 3:58.29. Cohen won the 400 dash with a time of 55.26. She also took eighth in the 100 dash. Mootry took eighth in the 200 dash. Helana Fister tied with May River’s Lily Gluck for fifth place in the pole vault for 2.5 points. The Seahawks totaled 65.5 points to the Rams 58 points. Hilton Head overtook host team Richland Northeast midway through the event, holding a 51.5 lead to the then-second place Cavaliers. Bishop England later vaulted into second place with 41 points to Hilton Head’s 55.5 points. Westside’s highest track finishers were Na’ima Jackson , who took fourth in the 100 hurdles, and the 4x100 relay team of Jamy’a Tucker , Ta’Nijah Speed , Gervonna Williams , and Amber Henry , which also placed fourth. Henry took sixth in the 100 dash. The Rams’ push for the title did not come until the field events scores started to fall onto the scorer’s table. Janilah Rhodes took gold in the long jump with an effort of 5.35 meters and won another gold in the triple jump with an 11.52-meter jump. Behind Rhodes in the long jump was Williams, who finished fifth, and in the triple jump Williams placed second and Brooke Bryant placed sixth. Bryant placed fourth in the high jump, and Rhodes took eighth in that event. Madison Richardson took fourth in the shot put. All tolled, 46 of Westside’s 58 points came from field events. While the Rams’ scores came late enough to bolt into second place, Hilton Head stockpiled enough points to have a 7-plus point cushion on the evening. “We all trained really hard as a team, probably like any other team, but we all really love each other as if we’re a family,” McKenna said. “We all support each other, the sprinters support the distance runners and the distance runners support the sprinters.” Holland said that while McKenna graduates, she has left a mark on the program. Among returners are Cohen, whom Holland noted broke three school records just as McKenna did this year, and Mootry, along with several underclassmen and seventh- and eighth-graders. “We’ve got some young athletes coming up as well, so we’ve got a pretty good solid future,” he said.
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