By BAKER ELLIS / Sports Editor

CULLMAN – The AHSAA sectional track meets took place over the weekend all across the state in preparation for the state meets taking place from May 5-7. The 1A-3A meets will take place at Cullman High School while the 4A-7A meets will all take place in Gulf Shores at the City Municipal Track. Athletes qualified for their respective state meets by either finishing in the top five of a given event, given they met minimum standards per event class set by the AHSAA, or they were chosen as one of the next four best performers that met minimum standards from a wild-card pool for each classification event.

The Westminster School at Oak Mountain and Vincent are the two county schools that will be represented at the 1A-3A meets in Cullman. The Knights, winners of both the boys and girls 1A Section 2 meet that took place at Montgomery Academy, are sending the most athletes to compete in individual events of any school in the county to its state meet at 27.  The Knights are also sending all six of their relay teams as well. Of the 27 athletes Westminster is sending to compete in individual events, all but nine qualified in at least two. Vincent by comparison is sending six athletes to compete in individual events at the 2A state meet.

The Westminster girls won their section meet by an impressive 158 points and are one of the favorites to take home the 1A title, and are sending 13 girls to compete in individual events. Peyton Metcalf qualified in the 100- and 200-meter dashes as well as the 100- and 300-meter hurdles. Maddie Hoaglund qualified in the 800-, 1,600- and 3,200-meter runs. Sarah Grace Lipperd qualified in the 400-meter dash, the 800-meter run and the 300-meter hurdles. Hannah York qualified in the 100- and 200-meter dashes as well as the 100-meter hurdles. Katie Croushorn qualified in the 300-meter hurdles, the pole vault and the long jump. Deanna Lockett qualified in the 200-meter dash as well as the long jump. Camilla Lemons qualified in the 400-meter dash and the 800-meter run. Rachel Faulk qualified in the 1,600- and 3,200-meter runs. Alice Boone qualified in the 100-meter hurdles and the shot put. Rebecca Thompson qualified in the 400-meter dash, Anna Caroline Lloyd qualified in the 1,600-meter run, Hallie Porterfield qualified in the 3,200-meter run and Olivia Abernathy qualified in the pole vault.

The Westminster boys won their section meet by 127 points, and are sending 14 individuals to compete at the 1A state meet, the most of any individual team in the county. Jacob Carrell qualified in the 400-meter dash, the 800-meter run and the 300-meter hurdles. Wiley Boone qualified in the 100- and 200-meter dashes as well as the long jump and triple jump. Samuel Haskins qualified in the 100-meter hurdles as well as the pole vault, the long jump and the triple jump. Will Simpson qualified in the 100- and 200-meter dashes as well as the javelin throw. Cole Callahan qualified in the 800- and 1,600-meter runs, the as well as the 300-meter hurdles. Pierce Moffett qualified in the 800-meter run and the 300-meter hurdles. John Lusk qualified in the 110-meter hurdles as well as the pole vault. Parker Mixon qualified in both the discus and the javelin throws. John Porterfield qualified in both the 3,200- and 1,600-meter runs. Joshua Lipperd and Colin Thomas qualified in the 400-meter run, Scott Landers qualified in the 1,600-meter run and Hunter Wright and Campbell Lemons qualified in the 3,200-meter run as well.

Vincent had six total athletes, four boys and two girls, qualify for the 2A state meet. Dreyton Wood qualified in the 800-meter run, the 110- and 300-meter hurdles as well as the javelin throw for the Yellow Jackets, qualifying in all of his events. Elixie Lovely qualified in the 300-meter hurdles and the triple jump while D’Andre Davis qualified in the 400-meter dash, Zavien Kelley qualified in the 110-meter hurdles and JT Youngblood qualified in the shot put. The only girls from Vincent to qualify for state were Symia Jews in the 100-meter dash and Anna Jackson in the javelin throw.

The 1A-3A meets will start on May 6 and will finish on May 7.