Seneca wins seventh state title on last event of the AAAA meet
By Neill Kirkpatrick
Special to the HSSR
Columbia – There is nothing like heading into the final running event at a track and field meet needing to score some points to capture a state title but that is what faced the Seneca Bobcats as Landon Crawford stepped into the starting blocks for the start of the 4x400 relay with his team trailing upstate rival Wren 53-52.
Along with Kevin Bradley, Evan Jackson, and Elias Mcgee they ran a season’s best 3:23.29 to finish second in heat one and place seventh overall after the results from the two heats were in to get the two points they needed to overtake Wren 54-53 and win their seventh state AAA track and field state championship. Their last state championship was in 2018. The Bobcats had been close as they have finished runner up three times since 2021.
After the meet head coach Chris White told his team, “We have been working towards this moment for seven years. I am so proud of you guys. This is a result of all the hard work you put in all year.”
The Bobcats won this meet by scoring in six of the seven events for 43 points. Avery Butler led the way by winning gold in the discus and winning silver in the shot put. He also set new personal record in both events. In the discus he throw 58.46 bettering his old mark by almost three meters and he put the shot 16.56 meters.
Corbin Williamson was second in the javelin with a throw of 51.10 meters while Isaiah Lippert and Mcgee won bronze medals in the pole vault and triple jump, respectively. Mcgee placed fourth in the long jump as well.
Crawford placed fifth in the 400 and he, Jackson and Mcgee were joined by Cameron Benson to place fourth in the 4x100 relays.
Wren had four medal winners on the day led by Jaxon Jerabek, who took gold in the pole vault and finished fifth in the long jump. Also, in the pole vault Bryson Todd brought home the silver medal while Parker Harris placed fourth. They scored 23 points in the event.
Grant Young and Camden Pendleton finished second and third in the 1600 and 3200. Young was also fourth in the 3200.
Richland Northeast’s Ethan Moody was the big winner at the AAAA meet winning three gold medals on his home track and setting new personal records in every event. His first event was the 110 high hurdles were he ran a new personal best of 14.05 to beat a loaded field where six hurdlers ran 14.80 or better.
He came back to run 10.59 in the 100 and 52 flat in the 400 hurdles setting new personal best in the 100 and tying a personal best in the hurdles.
He had one event left on the day after the 400 hurdles with opportunity to become the 10th male to win four gold medals and just the third to win four in all individuals events. He came up short in his last event the 200, finishing seventh. Just like the other events he set a new PR with a time of 22.01. He finished the day with 32 points.
“I did not know I had a 10.5 in the 100 in me,” said Moody. “This is my home track and I just wanted to come out and perform well. I’m very excited with the new personal bests.”
1 Seneca 54
2 Wren 53
3 South Pointe 48
4 Travelers Rest 45
5 Beaufort 42
6 Bishop England 41
7 Brookland Cayce 40
8 Gray Collegiate 34
9 Richland Northeast 32
10 Hartsville 30
11 Bluffton 27
12 Daniel 24
13 Westside 20
14 Lakewood 18
14 May River High School 18
16 Wilson 16
16 Emerald 16
18 Blue Ridge 13
18 Hilton Head 13
20 Lower Richland 12
21 Gilbert 11
21 Airport 11
23 South Florence 10
23 Midland Valley 10
25 Fountain Inn High School 9
26 Laurens 8
26 Southside 8
27 Aiken 8
28 AC Flora 8
30 York 7
31 Dreher 5
31 Camden 5
33 North Augusta 3
34 Colleton County 2
35 Crestwood 1
