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Photo courtesy of Hoover Athletics
The Hoover High School girls outdoor track and field won the Class 7A state title on Saturday, May 3, 2025, at Gulf Shores Sportsplex. Photo courtesy of Hoover Athletics.
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Photo courtesy of Hoover Athletics
The Hoover High School boys outdoor track and field team finished second in the Class 7A state meet on Saturday, May 3, 2025. Photo courtesy of Hoover Athletics.
Hoover High School’s girls track and field team claimed its fifth consecutive Class 7A outdoor state title over the weekend at the state meet in Gulf Shores, continuing a reign of dominance.
The Lady Bucs amassed 99.33 points behind a deep and well-balanced squad that scored in nearly every event group. The boys team finished second to Vestavia Hills, as the Bucs had to settle for the runner-up trophy after winning three straight titles.
Senior Taylor Canada led the sprint contingent, finishing fourth in the 200-meter dash (24.14 seconds) and sixth in the 100 (12.03), and helping Hoover to a runner-up finish in the 4x100-meter relay (47.66). Daisy Luna was fourth in the 400 (57.49) and seventh-grader Khloe Watters added a point by placing eighth in the 400 (59.02).
In the hurdles, eighth-grader Emlyn Green scored with an eighth-place finish in the 300-meter hurdles. Sophomores Abby King (13th) and Marissa Hansen (19th) also competed in the 100-meter hurdles.
Hoover’s distance group was key to the title. Senior Ava Sparks placed second in the 3,200 (11:07.26) and fourth in the 1,600 (5:00.42), while Sarah Hertz added a sixth-place finish in the 800 (2:18.62) and sixth in the 1,600. Catherine Wallace placed seventh in the 1,600 and also ran in the 800. Freshmen Amelia Vann (ninth) and Lila Hunter (11th) contributed strong 3,200 efforts. The girls 4x800 relay team placed second in 9:27.44, and the 4x400 squad clinched the championship with a first-place finish in 3:53.61.
In the field, senior Isabella Maple won the pole vault (12 feet), backed by teammates Becca Guerard (5th) and Lucy Benoit (8th). In the long jump, eighth-grader Morgan Thomas placed third (18-3.25), and sophomore Cassie Richardson added a 15th-place finish. Richardson also took sixth in the triple jump (35-9), while Jessica Nelson and Reagan Davis finished 14th and 16th, respectively.
In the throws, Sydney Durban placed third in javelin (119-4), and eighth-grader Zoe Mitchell was seventh. Mitchell also took seventh in the discus (109-11), with Kaitlyn Cox 11th and Margot Beukelman 17th. In shot put, Cedney Collier placed fifth (35-9.75), and Cox added a 12th-place finish.
On the boys side, sophomore Christopher Lawley had a breakout meet, winning the 110-meter hurdles in 14.20 seconds and placing second in the 300 hurdles (38.20), scoring 18 individual points. Senior Jameson Coleman was second in the 400 (48.44), and freshman Gideon Newton placed seventh in the 400 and also ran in the 200.
In the sprints, freshmen Jordan Williams and Paxton Weatherly placed 11th and 12th in the 100 prelims. Ninth-grader Gideon Newton and junior Cameron August joined Coleman in the 400, with August finishing 16th. Sophomore KJ Wright placed 11th in the 300 hurdles, and junior Jeremiah Tabb was 9th in the 110 hurdles.
In distance races, senior Ian Chatterton placed sixth in the 800 (1:56.09), and Benny Schmidt was 15th. Sophomore Sawyer Burgess finished 9th in the 1,600, while Thomas Sheek and Jamie McCarthy ran 14th and 18th in the 3,200. The boys 4x800-meter relay team placed third (7:54.29), and the 4x400 relay finished third as well (3:17.77). The 4x100 relay did not finish in prelims.
In field events, sophomore Nigel Thomas set a new 7A state meet record in the shot put with a throw of 59-5. He also finished fifth in the discus (147-10). Grant Weighall placed second in the javelin (179-8) and third in discus (153-4), while Langston Smith was fourth in discus and 14th in shot. John Arnold added an eighth-place finish in shot put.
Freshman Christian August contributed points across multiple disciplines, finishing sixth in the high jump, 10th in the long jump, and competing in javelin (24th). Hunter Purdue was sixth in both the long and triple jump. Evan Cox placed 11th in long jump and 14th in triple, and Jeremiah Tabb took 12th in triple. Dylan Redmond placed 18th in the high jump. In pole vault, senior Omari Bryant cleared 14 feet to take third.
In adaptive events, junior Owen Chatterton swept the 100, 200, 400, shot put, discus, and javelin, winning all six.
