State track
- Updated: May 3, 2025
Anniston boys do it again, pass field on final day to claim third Class 4A state track title in four years.
By East Alabama Sports Today
Lisa Howard Holland always takes a relatively small group to the state track meet, but the veteran Anniston coach always gets the most out of them.
The Bulldogs passed the field on the third and final day Saturday in Gulf Shores and will bring home their third Class 4A state title overall and third in the past four years.
The Class 4A-7A meets concluded on schedule in Gulf Shores. The 1A-3A meets, beset by weather delays completed just after 9 p.m. in Cullman.
Anniston’s boys won state titles in 2022 and 2023. They finished with 82 points this year, surpassing defending state champion Hamilton (69) on the final day.
“Hamilton is such a great team, and we were down by 16 points coming into today,” Holland said. “They’re a championship team, and they have great coaches, so you can’t take anything for granted going up against teams like that.
“We were determined.”
Anniston stood in second place with 32 points through Friday, one point behind Hamilton. The Bulldogs piled up 50 points Saturday.
Saturday’s highlights saw Elijah Hunter win the 110 hurdles in 14.63 seconds after finishing second in preliminaries. He also won the 300 hurdles (39.17). The 4×400 relay team won in 3:23.15.
“Eli was strong going into the hurdles, and he was a part of two relays,” Holland said. “It was a group effort with a bunch of younger guys. These ones haven’t been with me as long as some of the others in the past.”
Keddrick Jordan took second in the 400 dash (), third in the 200 dash (22.14) and fourth in the triple jump (45-10.50). He ran with his father, late Anniston great Tracy Pilot, in mind.
Pilot’s birthday would’ve been Friday. He died Feb. 25 at age 52.
“Coming into the 400, he (Jordan) told me it was personal,” Holland said. “He came out and ran in second place, and it was his fastest time. All weekend, everything he ran, he had PR in it.”
Thursday and Friday saw Keddrick Jordan take second in the 400 dash (49.23), Ahmad Kelly second in the long jump (22-02.50) and Sharontee Bailey second in shot put (50-07.25). The 4×800 relay team took third (8:23.17).
Rounding out teams in Class 4A: Handley (41) fifth, Hokes Bluff (22) 11th, White Plains (11) 20th, Alexandria (8) 25th, Cherokee County (4) 31st and Talladega (2) 38th.
Highlights:
HANDLEY: Elijah Stegall won the triple jump (48-00.25), and Ridge Nelson won the javelin (163-11). Alex Busbin took third in the 400 dash (49.70).
HOKES BLUFF: Conner Wellingham led Hokes Bluff’s boys, finishing second in discus (144-05) and javelin (162-06). He also scored at seventh in the shot put (40-03.25).
WHITE PLAINS: Josh Duke had the top finishes for White Plains’ boys at fourth in the 3,200 run (9:57.25) and sixth in the 1,600 (4:25.61).
ALEXANDRIA: Jayden Phelps took fifth in the 3,200 (10:04.97).
CHEROKEE COUNTY: Bryce Gaudreau finished first in the ambulatory 100 dash (15.10) and 200 dash (29.50), and Daniel Burton took first in two ambulatory events: discus (41–06) and shot put (14-01.50).
TALLADEGA: The 4×100 relay team was seventh (44.42).
Girls Class 4A
Randolph School won with 45 points, and White Plains (29) tied for seventh to lead area teams. Talladega (28) was 10th, Anniston (24) tied for 14th, Cherokee County (22) 17th, Alexandria (17) 18th and Handley (5) 33rd.
Team highlights:
WHITE PLAINS: Maddyn Conn added her 10th and 11th state titles in cross country, indoor track and outdoor track. She won the 1,600 run (5:20.85) Thursday and the 3,200 run (11:52.49) Friday. She also finished fourth in the 800 run (2:24.66). Abbie Dickeson scored with an eighth-place finish in the 3,200 run (12:27.41).
TALLADEGA: Justasia Pointer took second in the 100 dash (12.40) and 2000 dash (25.33), and Zae Cunningham was third in the 300 hurdles (46.54).
ANNISTON: Liberty Lewis took fourth in the 200 dash (25.83) and sixth in the 400 dash (59.63), and the 4×100 relay team took first (49.68).
CHEROKEE COUNTY: Deannia Starr took fourth in discus (111-02) and sixth in the shot put (35-00.50). Shamiya McElrath finished third in the 200 dash ( 25.51), fifth in the 400 dash (59.55) and seventh in the 100 dash (12.77).
ALEXANDRIA: Anna Beth Stewart’s state high-jump title (5-02.00) on Thursday led the Valley Cubs, and Tyasha Hunt took fifth in the discus (103-06).
HANDLEY: Trinity Askew finished fourth in the 100 hurdles (15.90).
Boys Class 5A
Scottsboro won with 121 points, followed by Central-Clay (70), Jacksonville (58) and Lincoln (43) to round out the top four teams.
Team highlights:
CENTRAL-CLAY: Kevin Cherry won the 110 hurdles (14.57) and the 200 dash (21.66) and took fourth in the 100 dash (10.92).
Tristan Wilson won the triple jump (43-06), and DeShaun Gibbons was second in the long jump (21-10.75). Gibbons also scored with a fifth-place finish in the 100 dash (11.10) and sixth in the 200 dash (22.70).
JACKSONVILLE: Tyshaun Cameron is a state champion in the 400 dash (50.50) and 300 hurdles (39.55). Aaron Nixon took second in the triple jump (43-05.75) and fourth in the long jump (20-10.50). Quinn Weaver took third in the 1,600 (4:31.57) and fifth in the 800 run (2:00.11), and Rua Mathis was fifth (4:36.34).
The 4×400 relay team took second (3:25.46).
LINCOLN: Aaron Davis took second in the 800 run (1:58.56) and third in the 300 hurdles (41.45). Jack Wiggins finished fourth in the 1,600 run (4:35.80) and fifth in the 3,200 run (10:02.01). Elijah Carter was fourth in the triple jump (43-02.00). Rider Wheldon was second in pole vault (13-06.00).
Girls’ Class 5A
Scottsboro won with 107.5 points, and Central-Clay (59) led area teams in fourth place. Jacksonville (20) finished 12th. Highlights:
CENTRAL-CLAY: Mia Lindsey took first in the 300 hurdles (45.22), third in the 100 hurdles (15.54) and fifth in the 400 dash (1:00.27). Zykeria Heflin took second in the 100 dash (12.36) and 200 dash (25.13). Dymond Heflin finished fourth in the triple jump (35-07.50). The 4×100 relay team won in 48.79.
JACKSONVILLE: Jayci Taylor finished third in the 400 dash (59.93) and seven in the 200 dash (26.07), and the 4×400 relay team took fourth (4:20.02).
Boys Class 6A
Oxford finished fourth with 40 points, 38 points behind champion Homewood. Southside finished 36th. Highlights:
OXFORD: Oxford’s D.K. Wilson finished second in the 400 dash (49.00), and the Yellow Jackets racked up points in relays: second in the 4×100 (41.68), second in the 4×400 (3:22.20) and third in the 4×800 relay (8:08.65).
SOUTHSIDE: Evan Christopher scored with an eighth-place finish in the 3,200 run (9:45.49).
Girls Class 6A
Chelsea won with 87 points, and Southside (6) led area teams in 24th. Oxford (5) finished 26th. Highlights:
SOUTHSIDE: Rylann Shaw finished third in the javelin (124-05).
OXFORD: Alexis Johnson finished fourth in the high jump (5-02.00).
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