Determined to succeed
- Updated: February 4, 2022
Ohatchee’s Ferguson comes back from the flu to win the boys 1A-3A state pole vault title; Donoho’s Musa second in the girls vault; will be updated
By East Alabama Sports Today
BIRMINGHAM – Chris Ferguson has wanted to be a state pole vault champion so bad not even a bout with the flu a week before the competition was going to keep him from trying.
Ferguson found the strength and won the state championship he had been chasing since seventh grade Friday when he took the Class 1A-3A boys pole vault in the State Indoor Track and Field Championships at the Birmingham Crossplex.
The Ohatchee junior won in a jump-off with Garrett Baldwin of Mobile Christian at 12-feet, 9-inches. After Baldwin scratched on his last attempt assuring Ferguson the victory, he gave it one last shot at a personal best 13-1 and came up a little short.
Still, winning the event was somewhat amazing even though he was the No. 1 seed considering less than a week ago he was running a 103.7 fever and could hardly get out of bed.
“I couldn’t do anything so I laid in bed two days, didn’t eat or anything,” Ferguson said. “Mainly this week I was trying to get my strength back up so I could actually jump again.
“I could have still been sick now and still jumped today, giving it everything I had. I’ve been training for this for a while, so it just feels really good for it to finally pay off.”
Ohatchee coach Casey Lipscomb figured his champion lost five or six pounds during his ordeal, but he turned a corner Tuesday and started rebuilding his strength.
Ferguson was the only winner from Calhoun County in 1A-3A, but several county athletes reached the medal stand.
Piedmont’s Cody Holloway was second in the boys 60 hurdles (9.21) and teammate Austin Estes was third in the boys 60 (7.16). Donoho’s Dena Musa led a record-setting day for the Falcons when she finished second in the girls pole vault (8-0) and teammate Estella Connell placed third in girls triple jump (33-10¼).
Eleven Donoho athletes set personal bests during the meet, each earning a pair of socks from coach Hayley Long as a reward for a PR.
“We had a good day,” Long said. “My heart is full.”
Long is such a giving person. She gave Musa the gold 8 she wears around her neck for the senior clearing 8 feet for the first time.
“Eight was the number of the day for us,” Long said. “Estela was wearing No. 8, the boys had Lane 8, Dena hit 8 feet. That’s my lucky number.”
For Musa, the second-place finish is redemption of sorts. She missed going to state outdoors last year despite regularly hitting the qualifying standard in practice because she slipped in misting conditions at the sectionals. She soared past that height Friday.
“I keep saying unbelievable,” she said. “I was crying when I didn’t make it and if you told me like in a year you’ll be getting eight feet and second at state, I wouldn’t have believed it.
“During practice when I was working I just felt I could clear eight feet, but after I got it, it was like, ‘Whoa, I did it,’ and everybody was cheering. It was overwhelming.”
Donoho finished 11th in the girls team standings with 17.5 points. Piedmont was 12th (16.5) and Ohatchee 16th (10.5). Mobile Christian won the title with 79.5 points.
Piedmont finished sixth in the boys team standings with 29 points. Ohatchee was T-17 (10) and Donoho was 23rd (4). Winfield won the team championship with 99 points.
In Class 6A, Oxford’s boys scored four points and its girls scored nine. White Plains’ athletes, with several contenders, go Saturday.
Here are the Calhoun County athletes who scored points in the meet:
BOYS
CLASS 1A-3A
60 Hurdles: 2. Cody Holloway, Piedmont, 9.21
60: 3, Austin Estes, Piedmont, 7.16
400: 7. Max Hanson, Piedmont, 55.43
Pole Vault: 1. Chris Ferguson, Ohatchee, 12-9
4×200: 4. Piedmont, 1:40.85
4×800: 7. Donoho, 9:46.08
Long Jump: 4. McLaine Mohon, Piedmont, 19-6
4×400: 6. Piedmont 3:52.69; 7. Donoho, 3:56.90
CLASS 6A
3200: 5. Noah George, Oxford, 9:41.46
GIRLS
CLASS 1A-3A
Triple Jump: 3. Estella Connell, Donoho, 33-10¼; 6. Ashllyn Adderhold, Piedmont, 31-5½
Pole Vault: 2. Dena Musa, Donoho, 8-0; T4. Brooklyn Fordham, Ohatchee, 7-6; T4. Lexi Ray, Piedmont, 7-6; 6. Ashllyn Adderhold, Piedmont, 7-6
60 Hurdles: 6. Hannah Barbee, Piedmont, 11.24
High Jump: T7. Estella Connell, Donoho, 4-6
Shot Put: Gracie George, Ohatchee, 32-10¼; 6. Armoni Perry, Piedmont, 29-4½
Long Jump: 7. Estella Connell, Donoho, 14-9; 8. Emma Grace Todd, Piedmont, 14-3½
CLASS 6A
800: 7. Katie Keur, Oxford, 2:23.99
1600: 5. Katie Keur, Oxford, 5:26.82
3200: 6. Emerson Maniscalco, Oxford, 12:07.48
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