Iron Horse girls saddle up to repeat as state track champs

The only thing more contagious than Emma McCauley’s enthusiasm is her track and field team's success. 

McCauley coaches the Philip Simmons High School girls’ team, and the Iron Horse girls won the Class AA state championship last May at Spring Valley High School to bring their championship haul to three trophies in five years. That’s not bad considering the program is only nine years old this year. 

The Iron Horses also won back-to-back state titles in 2021 and 2022. Throw in a pair of state runner-up finishes and the program has become a juggernaut. 

Success breeds success and McCauley, who was named head coach in 2022, expects more of the same results as the Iron Horses are loaded in the sprints, distance runs, and field events. 

“The outlook for 2026 is positive for the Iron Horse girls,” McCauley said. “We have some great upperclassmen returners with big goals this season and also have welcomed 33 middle-school athletes to the roster. Our team goal is to win two state championship titles while maintaining a culture of unity and hard work.” 

When McCauley talks about winning two state titles this spring, she’s not being greedy. Her husband, Ryan, coaches the boys’ team, and both squads practice together. The boys’ team should be in the state title hunt after finishing in second place last May. 

The winning and success certainly have caught the attention of the student population. The team stays motivated and focused. 

“We had over 80 kids in attendance daily during our non-mandatory preseason conditioning period, which has set the tone for the upcoming season of doing more than what is asked of you in order to be a champion,” McCauley said. “Complacency can be a common battle on teams with consistent wins, but we talk frequently with our athletes about the importance of keeping our foot on the gas and not letting up, as we have a target on our backs.” 

The target might be on the Iron Horses’ collective backs. But foes this spring will find a team with incredible depth and talent. 

That was the same case last May when the Iron Horses dominated in the medal count and team points with a 148-61 victory over Saluda High School to claim the Class AA title. 

Just how impressive was the win? Well, the Iron Horses could have competed in only the distance and relay events and still would have been crowned state champs with 73 points. 

But the Iron Horses had athletes compete in every event and posted the lopsided victory. 

Laura Perry, who has been one of the top 3,200 runners in the country since joining the program as a seventh grader, won the 1,600-meter and 3,200-meter runs. 

Ashley Roush was solid gold in both the long jump and pole vault. 

Flynn Taylor also returns after winning the 800-meter run while anchoring the Iron Horses’ 4x800-meter relay that claimed first place. 

Here is a list of the Iron Horse athletes who competed at the state championship and return for 2026: 

Javelin: Cora Gabriel and Chloe Woods; Distance: Laura Perry, Avah Mallek, and Keziah Varner; Middle Distance: Flynn Taylor; Hurdles: Frankie Wissman; Pole Vault: Ashley Roush and Kenli Brown; Vertical and Horizontal Jumps: Ashley Roush, Julia Reilly, Jadyn Richardson, Lilah May, and Elliana Pagan; Sprints: Ashley Roush, Ashlynn Johnson, Madison Cobb, and Lucy Bailey.