Third time is the charm for Waccamaw boys track and field

Neill Kirkpatrick • May 19, 2025

Southside Christian senior Grayson Gibbons wins more gold to close out prep career.


By Neill Kirkpatrick

Special to the HSSR

Columbia – After finishing state AA runner-up twice in track and field in their history the Waccamaw Warriors proved that the third time was indeed the charm as they scored in 14 of the 18 events to post a score of 90.5 to win the AAA Boys state championship at Richland Northeast.

 

Powdersville finished runner-up for the second time in three years with 76 points followed by first year program Mountain View with 63 points.

 

“This was a special year with this group. We actually had someone in every single event with seven events with at least two athletes qualified. It really was an effort by everyone to score every single point. We weren’t worried about PR’s today; it was all about the points and finishing higher than our opponents” said Waccamaw Head Coach David Milliken.

 

Coach Continued, “Everyone battled today; I’m just so proud of everyone. We had several guys that ran in four events today. We really gutted it out.”

 

The Warriors started the meet in good shape as the 4x100 relay team of Andre Grate, Adrian Grate, Randal Rogers, and Zaireon Skinner finished fourth. Skinner won the first medal of the day finishing second in the 100 meters to earn silver. He also scored in the 200 with a fifth-place finish.

 

Adrian Grate also scored points in the 100 and 200 as he placed fourth and sixth, respectively while Andre Grate added a seventh in the 110 high hurdles and a sixth in the high jump.

 

Wade Leventis won the Warriors lone individual gold medal as he ran away from everyone in the 400 meters posting a new personal record of 47.86. He won the event by almost three seconds. He scored points in the 200 meters finishing seventh.

 

One of the Warriors that ran in four events was distance runner Wilson Rutherford. He was third in the 1600 to bring home a bronze medal while also placing fourth in both the 800 and 3200 meters. He scored 16 points in his three individual events.

 

He ran the third leg of the silver medal winning 4x800 relay and was joined on the team by William Martin, William Howard, and Aden Perry.

 

The 4x400 relay team of Martin, Howard, Adrian Grate and Leventis wrapped up the meet by winning the event in a time of 3:24.27 to win the final gold medal of the meet.

 

Also scoring for the Warriors were Martin seventh in the 1600, Leander McCarthy fifth in the 400 hurdles, Cam Blake fifth in the pole vault, and Leon Womack fourth in the discus.


The other big story of the AAA meet was end of the career of Southside Christians Grayson Gibbons. He won gold in both 1600 and 3200 meters for the fifth year in a row. He won the first four in class A. He had also won the 800 meters the past for years in class A. His win in the 3200 meters made him the most decorated track and field athlete in state history. He has 13 individual golds to go with four relay golds then add in his five consecutive state cross country golds for a total of 22 gold medals. He is headed to Anderson University to continue his running career.


“Number one, it is all god. I wouldn’t have been in this position if he hadn’t blessed me with the ability do this this. I want to thank all my coach and my family for all they have put in to me. It is hard to hang up the jersey. I have come to love Southside and it is going to very emotional for me,” Gibbons said.


Mountain View's Shamon Black took home four medals from the meet. He is the number 110 hurdler in the state and proved by winning the event in 13.90. He won two bronze medals in the 100 and 200 and a silver in the 4x100 relay.


Crescent's Amiri Acker won gold in both the 100 and 200 meters. He also picked up a gold and silver as a member of the 4x100 and 4x400 meter relay teams.

 

 

1 Waccamaw 90.5

2 Powdersville 76

3 Mountain View Prep HS 63

4 Greer Middle College Charter 57

5 Southside Christian 50

6 Crescent 38

7 Orangeburg-Wilkinson 36

8 Chapman 32

9 Silver Bluff 30

10 Belton-Honea Path 26.5

11 Hanahan 24

12 Pendleton 20

13 Aynor 19

14 Georgetown 18

14 Christ Church 18

16 Newberry 16.5

17 St. Josephs 16

18 Woodruff 15.5

19 Fox Creek 13

20 North Charleston 11

21 Broome 8

22 Loris 6

23 Oceanside Collegiate Academy 5

23 Keenan 5

25 Swansea 4

26 Union County 2

26 Walhalla 2


October 1, 2025
AAAAA Honor Roll Henry Rivers, Berkeley, 14 of 16, 236 yds, 4 TD Max Stafford, Summerville, 205 yards passing, 2 TD Cam Grayson, Summerville, 105 yards rushing, 2 TD Teru Davis, Summerville, 111 yards receiving Spencer Bobian, Ridge View, 191 yds rush, 2 TD Easton Crocker, Lexington, 162 pass yds, TD; TD rush Jiralyn Staley, Greenville, 100 yds rush, TD James Veasey, Blythewood, 215 all-purpose yds, 2 TD pass, TD rush Chance Johnson, Blythewood, 128 receiving yards, TD Zach Williams, Lugoff-Elgin, 321 yds pass, 3 TD Shamil Shaddiq, Lugoff-Elgin, 13 rec, 206 yds, 3 TD EJ Richardson, Lugoff-Elgin, 310 all-purpose yds, TD rush, TD rec, TD pass Nigel Smith, Northwestern, 153 yds rush, 3 TD Jamol Horton, Indian Land, 3 rush TD Jabez Thomas, Dorman, 2 int., rush TD Franklin Richardson, Sumter, 223 rush, 92 pass, 6 TD Banks Bouton, Gaffney, 63 yds pass, 80 yds rush Trey Burke, Spartanburg, 137 [ass yds, 2 TD; 43 yds rush Trenton Lynch, Spartanburg, 146 yds rush, TD Caine Rogers, Byrnes, 151 pass yds, 2 TD Tristan Lewis, Greenwood, 91 yds pass, 66 yds rush, 2 TD Jackson Free, Hillcrest, 260 yds pass, 3 TD Luke McCourry, Hillcrest, 141 rec. yds AAAA Honor Roll Quinn Mahoney, Bishop England, 191 yards passing, 4 TD Brody Tonon, Bishop England, 102 yards rushing, TD Zack Balog, Bishop England, TD reception, punt return TD Mike Doe, North Augusta, 329 yds rush, 3 TD Corey Gleaton, Gray Coll., 182 yds rec, 2 TD Xavier Wright, Gray Collegiate, 376 yds pass, 5 TD Grayson Rimpf, Camden, 197 pass yds, 4 TD Navier Boykin, Camden, 134 rush yds, TD Kingston Bibb, Daniel,150 yds rush, 2 TD Gavin Forrester, Blue Ridge, 190 pass yds, 3 TD; 123 rush yds, 3 TD Anthony Atkins, Christ Church, 2 TD rush, int. Thad Czarnecki, Hilton Head, 15 tackles, TD rush Sean Mitchell, May River, 206 yds rush, 3 TD;TD rec. Preston Smith, Midland Valley, 229 yds rush Andrew Frick, Brook-Cayce, 202 yds pass, 61 yds rush Jacob Owings, Wren, 111 yds rec. Qa Brannon, Union Co, 261 yds pass, 68 yds rush AAA Honor Roll Jordan Wright, Oceanside Collegiate, TD reception, interception return TD Tripp Gallus, Hanahan, 185 yards passing, 2 TD Isaiah Snodgrass, Hanahan, 126 yards rushing, 2 TD Quamell Grant, Hanahan, 130 yards receiving, 2 TD Aiden Manavian, Oceanside Collegiate, 222 yards passing, 2 TD Kenton Caldwell, Newberry, 2 TD pass, TD rush Drelyn Brown, Silver Bluff, 219 yds rush, 3 TD Noah Thomas, BHP, 190 yds pass, 2 TD;57 yds rush, TD MJ Earl, BHP, 119 yds rush, 3 TD Tajeh Martin, BHP, 143 yds rec., TD Aiden Gibson, Woodruff, 115 rush yds AA Honor Roll Quay Peoples, North Cenral, 101 yds rush, 2 TD; blocked punt Alan Moore, Pelion, 211 yds pass, 2 TD Tre Jackson, Pelion,149 rush yds, 2 TD Brady Cottingham, Pelion, 118 yds rush, TD Andre Wooden, Bates-Lees, 2 TD rush, 99-yard kick ret TD Reese Boehke, Bates-Lees, TD pass, Int. punt ret. TD Bryce Adams, Chesterfield, 188 yds pass Noah Crump, Buford, 157 yds pass, TD Caleb Feaster, Chester, 160 yds rush, TD Jakari Holloman, Central, 118 yds rush, 2 TD Ashten Wilson, Central, 131 yds rush, TD Ty Foster, Landrum, 162 yds pass, TD Class A Honor Roll Mah’ky Green, Cross, 141 yards rushing, 2 TD Drayden Franklin, Baptist Hill, 254 yds pass, 3 TD Martrell Wright, Baptist Hill, 166 rec yds, 2 TD Kevin Smalls, Baptist Hill, 19 tackles, 5 TFL Cameron Middleton, Baptist Hill, 13 tackles, 4 TFL Jairym Conyers, Scott’s Branch, 253 yds pass, 6 TD; TD rush Darrell Harper, McBee, 185 yds rush, TD Kaiden Howard, McBee, 141 yds rush, 2 TD Kendrick Patterson, Great Falls, 131 yds rush, 2 TD Demais Stevens, Great Falls, 127 yds rush, TD SCISA Scott Tibbals, Porter-Gaud, 123 yards rushing, TD; 57 yards passing John Whetsell, Dorchester Academy, 269 yards rushing, 3 TD Silas Brawner, Pinewood Prep, 268 yards passing, 5 TD Grayson Salego, Pinewood Prep, 125 yards rushing, 4 TD Lavoris Lucas, Pinewood Prep, 118 yards receiving, 2 TD Kevin Johnson, Northwood Academy, 220 yds passing, 2 TD JOSEPH MORSE W W KING RUSHED 18/268 3 TDS 1 SACK PATRICK BELK HEATHWOOD HALL PASSED 15/28 223 3 TDS RUSHED 9/48 ALLEN CHISOLM PORTER-GAUD 10 TACKLES 1 SACK WILL HUGHES AUGUSTA CHRISTIAN 10 TACKLES 1 INT HARRIS JANIK AUGUSTA CHRISTIAN PASSED 19/35 168 BEN MUELA KISER HAMMOND PASSED 13/21 108 1 TD RUSHED 12/75 ETHAN COLLINS LAURENS ACADEMY PASSED 11/16 179 4 TDS RUSHED 3/46 1 TD CALEB HARDY LAURENS ACADEMY RUSHED 17/135 1 TD RECEIVING 6/110 2 TDS 14 TACKLES NATHAN BELL LAURENS ACADEMY 15 TACKLES G. VAUGHN LAURENS ACADEMY 14 TACKLES HALL SEASE ANDREW JACKSON ACADEMY RUSHED 14/149 2 TDS GRAYSON HAY ANDREW JACKSON ACADEMY 13 TACKLES 3 SACKS ELI MATHYS ANDREW JACKSON ACADEMY 20 TACKLES 2 SACKS EVERETT ULMER ANDREW JACKSON ACADEMY 20 TACKLES 4 SACKS REID MCCOLLUM HILTON HEAD CHRISTIAN PASSED 14/27 249 3 TDS PARKER KIZER HOLLY HILL ACADEMY RUSHED 25/288 3 TDS
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