Iron Horse girls’ triumph winning state track & field title

The person who oversees the Philip Simmons High School trophy case might have a little extra duty rearranging the hardware of success.

 

The Iron Horse track and field program shone brightly on May 15 as the Iron Horse girls’ team captured the Class AA state championship trophy in a meet that was contested at Spring Valley High School, while the boys’ team finished as state runner-up.

 

“In under 10 years of our school being open, this is our track and field program’s fifth state title and fifth state runner-up,” girls’ coach Emma Santor said. “This year’s goal was to leave the state championship meet with two trophies, and that’s what these kids did. We are so proud of them and are looking forward to the next year.”

 

The Iron Horse girls showed great depth with competitors entered in all 18 events. They also showed dominance in the distance runs and relays with 73 points in the five distance events. 

 

That was more than enough to gain a 148-61 victory over Saluda High School to capture their third state crown.

 

Laura Perry and Ashley Roush were basking in gold. Perry won the 1,600-meter run and the 3,200 run with respective times of 5 minutes, 13.59 seconds, and 11:43.58.

 

Roush claimed the top spot in both the long jump and pole vault.

 

Flynn Taylor won the 800-meter run in 2:19.06 and was the anchor of the Iron Horses’ 4x800-meter relay squad that claimed first place. The other members of the foursome were Avah Mallek, Keziah Varner, and Matea Payer.

 

Mallek also won a bronze medal in the 800 and a silver medal in the 1,600. Varner finished second in the 3,200 run.

 

Hannah Hopson was second in the pole vault, and the 4x100-meter relay team was third.

 

That’s good news if you are an Iron Horse fan. But there is bad news for future PSHS foes.

 

“Out of every athlete competing on the girls’ team, we lose only four seniors, and we are very excited to keep the ball rolling next year,” Santor said.

 

IRON HORSE BOYS PLACE SECOND IN STATE

Meanwhile, on the boys’ side, the Iron Horses were denied their second straight state title as Fairfield Central High School won the championship with a 101-82 victory.

 

The state meet marked Corey Steed’s final appearance as an Iron Horse.

 

Steed, arguably the best sprinter in the school’s brief history, was seeking gold in both the 100- and 200-meter dashes after second-place finishes in both events last spring.

 

But it wasn’t in the cards.

 

He finished fourth in the 100 and second in the 200 dash.

 

The 200 might have been the closest race of the day. Steed and Tydarin Grier of Fairfield Central both recorded times of 21.37 seconds, but Grier was declared the winner in a photo finish.

 

The Iron Horses captured their only gold medal of the day in the 4x800 relay with a time of 8:14.66 to earn gold. Members of the team included Stone Sweatman, Brian Stambaugh, Joey Wright, and Wes Patterson.

 

Pierce Walker placed second in the 1,600 and third in the 3,200.

 

Matthew Yaun was second in the javelin, and Stone Sweatman won bronze in the 800 run.