Girls send Hind out on top
Devon Hind had no desire to go out with a second-place finish.
His Hoover High School girls track and field team ensured that he would not. The Bucs captured the Class 7A outdoor state championship by winning the state meet, which was held April 29-May 1 in Gulf Shores.
Hoover edged Hewitt-Trussville 107.5-102, avenging a heartbreaking defeat from the indoor state meet in February. Third-place Vestavia Hills scored 62 points. Vestavia Hills won the title on the boys’ side. Hoover’s boys finished fourth in 7A, scoring 58 points.
“When it’s championship time, you’ve got to act like a champion,” Hind said. “That’s what Hoover does.”
The girls state championship was the 42nd and final title in the legendary coaching career of Hind, who retired at the end of this school year.
To the surprise of no one, he was focused on the task at hand until the final scores were posted.
“I really wasn’t thinking that this is my last one until the meet was over and the kids came up to me and hugged me. Then, I was like, ‘Oh yeah, this is it,’” he said.
The Hoover girls put together an impressive meet, nearly scoring in every event. The only two events in which they failed to score were because of unfortunate circumstances and not a lack of performance.
“We had outstanding performances throughout the meet,” Hind said.
Taniyah Thomas was the state champion in the discus throw, reaching 134 feet, 1 inch and setting the school record by 13 feet. Kayla Jemison won the high jump, clearing 5-4. She also reached the podium in two other events, finishing third in long jump and triple jump and was the team’s high scorer. The girls 4x400-meter relay team was fastest as well, finishing its race in 3:56.88.
Hind also commended Lauren Wallace for her tremendous performance at the state meet. She scored points in all three of her individual races, finishing fourth in the 1,600-meter run and fifth in the 800 and 3,200.
Jebreiya Chapman was fourth in the 100-meter dash, Chakiya Plummer was second in the 100 hurdles and fourth in the 400, Langley Jung was fourth in the high jump, Kirsten Leonard placed fourth in pole vault and the 4x800 relay team was second.
Also competing for Hoover’s girls were Layla Wilson, Alyssa Wilson, Amyah Ellington, Kayla Webb, Gabrielle Washington, Reagan Hendricks, Ashley Girouard, Anna Caroline Knight, Ainsley Staie, Nicolette Lewis, Harper Rehberg, Lexi Walton, Alexandria Stone, Abby Remick and Alex Inglis.
Hind said the boys team will be a factor in the years to come, noting there will be plenty of production returning next year. Levi Arroyo won the pole vault, clearing 15-6. Jay Avery was the boys top scorer, placing second in long jump and triple jump. The boys 4x400 relay won in 3:21.05 as well.
Julian Fore finished third in the 400, Nick Ragland was fifth in the javelin throw, Bradley Shaw was fifth in shot put and the 4x800 relay finished fifth.
DJ Black, Mohammed Sakalla, RJ Torbor, Dallas Beck, Payton Young, Zachary King, Sam Kilgore, Kyle Epperson, Elijah Joseph, Matthew Harden, Charles Morris, Tanner Snow, Bradley Shaw, Owen Jung, Joshua Whitt, Landon Dickson, George Mann, Collin Pate, Connor White, Chip Culpepper and Jackson Shine also competed for the Bucs.