HurricaneÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™s Ty Steorts crosses the finish line to win the Class AAA 3200 meter run championship at the West Virginia State Track & Field Championships at Laidley Field in Charleston on May 17, 2024.
HurricaneÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™s Ty Steorts crosses the finish line to win the Class AAA 3200 meter run championship at the West Virginia State Track & Field Championships at Laidley Field in Charleston on May 17, 2024.
CHRIS DORST | HD ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥
South Point High SchoolÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™s Derrick Taylor is the Gatorade Ohio male track and field athlete of the year.
REECE BOOTH | For The Herald-Dispatch
South PointÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™s Derrick Taylor throws the discus in this undated photo.
Maybe a fun new track and field event could have Derrick Taylor throwing the discus and seeing if Ty Steorts could outrun it before it hit the ground.
South PointÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™s Taylor and HurricaneÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™s Steorts, both signed to the University of Tennessee, are The Herald-Dispatch boys co-athletes of the year on the All-Tri-State team.
Taylor threw the discus 185 feet, 6 inches and the shot put 65-6 to win Ohio Division II state championships in both events. Steorts won West Virginia Class AAA championships in the 1,600-meter run in 4:06.34 and the 3,200 in 9:11.81.
ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥œI just do it,ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥ Taylor said of his throwing. ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥œI do what I have to do. ItÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™s amazing to me because I was just having fun throwing and wound up with this. I know I can get better.ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥
Steorts was focused in his quest for multiple state championships.
ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥œYou have to train smart,ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥ Steorts said. ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥œYou have to understand that you canÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™t run 100 miles a week, then take time off. You have to work out, but also take recovery days, eat right and get enough sleep.ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥
The team was selected based on postseason performances.
The runners are impressive. Conner Lambert of Wahama heads the sprinters after winning WVSSAC Class A state championships in the 100 in 10.61 and the 200 in 21.84. HuntingtonÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™s Sean Andrews is the top 400-meter runner with a time of 50.84. Cabell MidlandÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™s Aidan Kneeland is the teamÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™s top 800 runner in 1:52.57.
ChesapeakeÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™s Cameron Burgess, who signed with Marshall University, is the first-team hurdler in both events. Burgess ran 14.53 in the 110 hurdles and 37.35 in the 300 hurdles.
Cabell Midland is No. 1 in three of the four relays. The Knights have the best 4x200 time of 1:30.35, top 4x400 mark of 3:35.89 and the top 4x800 result in 7:56.15. Wahama is the 4x100 No. 1 team in 43.61.
Ohio athletes joined Taylor in sweeping the field events. IrontonÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™s Tyler Carmon went 6-3 in the high jump. Rock HillÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™s Izaak Cox, also headed to Marshall, is No. 1 in the long jump at 21-3.25. Corey Davis of Chesapeake is the pole vaulter after going 14-6.
The second team, too, is strong. Kamren Miller of South Point ran 10.90 in the 100, RussellÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™s Cayden Pennington 22.30 in the 200, Silas Pierzala of Ashland 53.14 in the 400, Steorts 1:54.55 in the 800, Kneeland 4:09.68 in the 1,600 and Cabell MidlandÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™s Dylan Dial 9:25.57 in the 3,200.
The second-team hurdlers are Judah Cremeens of South Gallia and JaiÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™den Smith of Hurricane. Cremeens ran the 110 hurdles in 14.60. Smith finished the 300 hurdles in 39.01.
The second unit relay teams are Cabell Midland in the 4x100 in 43.73, Point Pleasant in the 4x200 in 1:31.40, Huntington High in the 4x400 in 3:29.40 and Hurricane in the 4x800 in 8:03.37.
The field performers are impressive. Peyton Scheidler of Huntington high-jumped 6-2. HurricaneÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™s Smith long-jumped 20-7.25. Cohen McDaniel of Point Pleasant went 13-6 in the pole vault. Caden Hill of Point Pleasant flung the discus 175-2. Ethan Chill of Hurricane threw the shot put 58-1.75.
Coach of the year is Dave Darst of West Virginia Class AA state champion Point Pleasant.
