Photo by Sam Chandler.
The Hoover High School boys track and field team won its third straight Class 7A state outdoor title May 4 in Gulf Shores.
Devon Hind did not keep his winning formula a secret.
Standing in front of the awards podium at the Gulf Shores Sportsplex, the Hoover High School head track and field coach revealed how his Bucs had just won their third straight state title.
“We’ve got a lot of really good athletes,” Hind said. “It takes a lot of really good athletes to win state.”
Hoover relied on those athletes, namely its sprinters and jumpers, to capture the Class 7A state championship on May 4. The Bucs totaled 105.5 points to runner-up Vestavia Hills’ 62.5.
“We were shooting for 100 points, and they got a little over that,” Hind said. “So we’re really happy with how they performed this weekend.”
Jonathan Martin, a junior, and Kennon Johnson, a senior, paced the Bucs on the track. Martin placed second in the 200-meter dash in 21.73 seconds, in addition to anchoring Hoover’s champion 4x100- and 4x400-meter relay teams.
The 4x100 consisted of Martin, Johnson, Dorian Austin and J’Marri McCall, while the 4x400 consisted of Martin, John Watkins, Julian Fore and Patrick Knight. Those weren’t Hoover’s preferred lineups, but injuries required Hind to retool.
It worked.
The Bucs clocked a season-best 41.77 in the 4x100 and ran 3:20.25 in the 4x400. Martin surged into first place just meters before the finish line in the 4x400, the meet’s final event, to punctuate his team’s victory.
When the Bucs stepped onto the medal stand, Martin beat his right fist against his chest and held up his pointer finger.
“To have people finish the way they did and finish the 4x4 like that and to come out on top the way we did it, it’s amazing,” Martin said. “It was a blessing.”
Individually, Johnson took second in both the 110- and 300-meter hurdles. He posted personal-best times of 14.39 and 38.43 seconds, respectively.
The runner-up showings capped his return from a hamstring injury that forced him to use crutches for a period this spring.
He credited physical therapy and his hurdles coach, former Hoover star and current Baltimore Raven Marlon Humphrey, for helping guide him through the trial. Humphrey attended the state meet and shared in the postrace celebrations.
“It was just a minor setback for a major comeback like today,” Johnson said.
LJ Hill, a junior, took fourth in the 110 hurdles and third in the triple jump, which was won by teammate John Watkins. Watkins, also a junior, leaped a personal-best 48 feet, 2 inches to win the title. He also won the triple jump competition at the state indoor meet.
“All the hard work paid off,” Watkins said after accepting his gold medal. “Today I just feel like I was aggressive on the board and I just made sure to focus on everything that I had practiced.”
Kyle Smith finished fourth in the triple jump, giving Hoover three of the top four positions. McCall was second in the long jump, leaping 23-0.25, and Justin Toth placed fourth in the pole vault.
“I’m real proud of these guys,” Hind said. “The program’s solid.”
The Hoover girls, meanwhile, saw their streak of seven straight state championships come to an end. They totaled 39 points and finished far behind James Clemens, which won with 82 points.
The Lady Bucs’ top performance came in the 4x800-meter relay, which featured Emma Langley, Erin Cannon, Lauren Wallace and Kira Morris. They ran 9:29.59.
Individual standouts included Kayla Jemison, who took fourth in the triple jump; Anna Kay Clark, who took fourth in the javelin; and Deja Washington, who took fourth in the shot put.
Matthew Gray headlined Spain Park’s top performers at the state meet. He won the shot put with a throw of 58-8. The Jags placed 10th overall and received solid contributions from Josh Wallace, who took third in the javelin; Steven Pate, who took third in the discus; and Kameron McDaniel, who took fifth in the 100-meter dash.
Spain Park also finished 10th in the girls team standings. Sydney Taylor was third in the 100 dash and fourth in the 200 dash; Mackenzie Culpepper was fifth in the 800 meters; and Kristen Hopkins was fifth in the javelin.
