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Avery Childress finishes off a relay win for Pelham during a strong showing at the Class 6A state meet. (Reporter photo/Keith McCoy)

By ALEC ETHEREDGE | Managing Editor 

BIRMINGHAM – Much like the rest of the season, the AHSAA Class 6A Indoor State Track and Field Meet was flooded with Shelby County talent on the podium. 

Competing at the Birmingham Crossplex to cap off the season, there was no shortage of success from each of the five Class 6A teams in Shelby County. 

Individually, it was a big day for Calera with Jordon Bray and Braylyn Farrington both winning state championships, making the Eagles the only local team with multiple state champions.

Bray won the 400-meter run with a time of 57.33 seconds, while she also finished fifth in the 800-meter run with a time of 2:22.77

Farrington flashed some of the state’s top speed in the 400-meter dash and the 60-meter dash. He claimed the state title in the 400-meter dash with a time of 48.33 seconds and finished on the podium in the 60-meter dash as well thanks to a time of 7.04 seconds earning him third place. 

Team wise, Pelham’s boys finished third with 52 points at the state meet, giving them the highest finish of any local tea. The Panthers finished behind Scottsboro, who won the state title with 77 points, and McGill-Toolen, who finished second with 63 points.

Between Pelham’s boys and girls, the Panthers totaled eight top-five finishes, while the boys had four podium finishes.

The highlight was none other than the 4X400-meter relay team. The group, consisting of Devon Adams, Avery Childress, Gaeton Rellah and Jaydon Harris, put together a speedy time of 3:29.27 to claim the championship.

It was also one of two Pelham relay teams to finish on the podium, as the 4X200-meter relay team finished third thanks to a time of 1:31.56. That time marked a new school record for the team featuring Julian Duff, Childress, Cole Hall and William McGough.

Childress added one more podium finish to his impressive day at the state meet when he took the silver in the 400-meter dash with a time of 48.98 seconds.

Caleb Newell added another second-place finish for the Panthers when totaled 49 feet, 9 inches in the shot put.

Behind those high finishers, the Panthers also got top-five finishes from Brayden Marlowe, Gabe Gamble and Jackson Davenport in the boys events.

Marlow finished fifth in the 60-meter hurdles with a time of 8.65 seconds, Gamble finished fifth in the triple jump with a distance of 41 feet, 8 inches and Davenport did it in the shot put alongside Newell with a distance of 46 feet, 8 inches.

For the girls, it was the 4X800-meter relay team that led the way with a finish of fourth thanks to a time of 10:12.57.

Chelsea also had a big state meet with eight top five finishers, including one repeat state champion.

Cady McPhail was the highlight for the Hornets, winning her second state championship in a row in the 800-meter run.

She finished the event in 2:10.72 to claim the title, while she also finished fourth in the 400-meter dash with a time of 59.34 seconds.

Chelsea also got fourth-place finishes from the girls 4X200-meter and 4X400-meter relay teams as well, while Jadlyn Debardlabon finished fifth in the long jump.

For the boys, Miles Brush was just edged out in the 1,600-meter run.

In a photo finish, Brush finished with a time of 4:16.60, but was beaten by a hair after Rex Green of Scottsboro crossed the line at 4:16.54. Brush grabbed another top-five finish in the 3,200-meter run, taking home fourth behind a time of 9:26.47.

The boys also got another top-five finish from Matt Gray, who claimed fourth in the 60-meter dash behind a time of 7.06 seconds.

Helena ended up with three top-five finishes at the state meet, two of which came from Brooklynn Kirksey.

Kirksey just missed out on a state championship the long jump. She totaled 17 feet, 1.5 inches, while Northridge’s Khadira Gipson finished with a total distance of 17 feet, 5.25 inches.

She also finished fourth in the 60-meter dash with a time of 7.83 seconds.

Sydney Mason just missed out on a top-five finish in the shot put with a distance of 31 feet, 5.5 inches, which earned her a finish of sixth.

Aspen Warren was the highlight for the boys after finishing fifth in the 800-meter run behind a time of 1:58.15. The boys 4X800-meter relay team just missed a top-five finish, coming in seventh behind a time of 8:36.54.

Briarwood was highlighted by Ansley Murphy in fifth in the pole vault for the girls, while Charlie Thompson finished sixth in the high jump for the boys.

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