Aiken County's track and field squads rack up honors in AAAA championships

May 15—COLUMBIA — Hilton Head and South Pointe high schools were the cream of the crop May 14 in the state AAAA championship track and field meet, and Aiken County had several athletes on the winners' podium and at least one school record being broken in the process in more than four hours of action at Richland Northeast High School.

The girls overall title went to Hilton Head, with Westside and Bishop England as the nearest competitors, in that order, and the boys championship went to South Pointe with May River second and Seneca third.

North Augusta's girls were Aiken County's best, placing 23rd overall, and Aiken's girls finished 28th. Among the boys, Midland Valley led Aiken County's corps, finishing 14th, followed by Aiken and North Augusta, tied for 22nd; and South Aiken, 32nd.

Jade Council, with North Augusta, plowed some new territory, breaking the school record by handling the girls' 400-meter hurdles in one minute and 6.58 seconds, to place third overall.

North Augusta's leaders also included Ayden Young, who placed second in the boys' high jump, reaching 1.95 meters. Among his competitors were South Aiken's Jamaal Wilson, who reached 1.80; and Midland Valley's J.P. Gaston, at 1.75.

Kaleb Hester, with Midland Valley, had two trips to the podium, as he nailed down second in the boys' 100 hurdles, clocked at 14.66 seconds; and third in the 400 hurdles, at 54.86. South Aiken's Gage Frazier placed 11th in the boys' 100 hurdles, at 15.93, and Christopher Baxley, with Aiken, ran the 400 hurdles in 55.63, placing fourth.

The boys' 400 dash included three Aiken County finishers: James Howard, Aiken, fifth, at 49.62 seconds; Bruce Hobbs, Midland Valley, sixth, 49.64; and Johnathon Wright, Midland Valley, 11th, 50.96. The boys' 3200 had Brayden Ramsey, with Aiken, in 15th, at 10 minutes and 32.33 seconds.

Howard's outing also included 10th place in the boys' long jump, as he reached 6.08 meters.

Sandi King, with Aiken, placed third in the girls' javelin, at 38.92 meters; and 14th, in the 800, at two minutes and 30.49 seconds.

The girls' 4X100 relay had Aiken 11th, at 50.26 seconds, and South Aiken was 12th, at 50.30.

The boys' 4X800 relay had Aiken ninth, at eight minutes and 40.02 seconds, and South Aiken placed 10th, at 8:42.29.

South Aiken's Nyla Pope placed 15th in the girls' 200, finishing at 26.26, and Aiken's Aubrey Shoaf covered the girls' 3200 in twelve minutes and 47.96 seconds, finishing 14th.

South Aiken placed 12th in the girls' 4X400 relay, at four minutes, and 16.42 seconds. The boys' 4X400 relay had Aiken fifth, at 3:23.07; and Midland Valley sixth, at 3:23.51.

Aiken had two finishers in the boys' pole vault: Ayden Mcleod, 10th, at 3.35 meters; and Delance Walton, 11th, also at 3.35.

Xanasha Geter was the top local finisher in the girls' discus. She placed ninth, reaching 28.04 meters; and Aiken's Ka'lea Dobbs placed 11th, at 26.70.