By JESSA PEASE / Staff Writer

PELHAM— For the girls on Pelham High School’s 6A Indoor Track team, winning one state championship wasn’t enough. The girls came back and won their second state title at the AHSAA Indoor Track and Field State Championships Feb. 5-6.

“I’m just really proud of the girls and happy for them,” said head coach Marty Springfield. “We won last year, but to be able to repeat and do well a second time, sometimes that’s even more difficult than the first time. So I am really happy for them.”

The Lady Panthers racked up 98 total points for the team led by Mary Grace Strozier, who scored 30, and Erin Hines, who contributed 22 to the total score. The two seniors made up more than half of the Panther’s overall score.

Strozier won first place in all four of her events at the championship. She competed in the 800-meter, 1,600-meter, 3,200-meter and a distance relay. Springfield said he believes she is one of only three girls in state history to win all four of those events at the same meet.

“It feels really great,” Strozier said. “I am super excited about it.”

Strozier signed with Samford University in November 2015 and will continue running there in the fall. She said she is counting down the days and expects her excitement will drive her to compete even better during the outdoor track season.

Hines placed second in the 60-meter hurtles and the long jump and third in the 400-meter dash at the championship. She said it was great to see how her hard work, practicing in the snow and the rain, paid off in the end.

“This being my last year to compete as a Pelham athlete for indoor and I knew that Homewood was going to be close in points, it drove me to score well for my team and give it my all,” Hines said.

While Springfield said the team is celebrating its victory, outdoor track is beginning, and the team wants to win the 6A title for outdoor track as well. Strozier will be favored in the distance events, and he said Hines is so versatile they will have to determine how she will compete.

Springfield said his goal for now is to keep everyone focused and working hard for the next season.

“Obviously we are very excited about the indoor season you just finished, and you do want to celebrate that,” he said. “At the same time, outdoor track practice starts next week and we have our first competition in two weeks. So it starts back quickly.”