Eighth-grade sprinter sparks big day for Woodford County at region meet

Hannah McColl in two weeks has a strong chance to make the top-eight podium in the girls 100-meter dash at the KHSAA Class 3A state track and field meet, if not win the race outright.

That’s not uncommon for runners from Region 6, comprising the largest schools in Lexington as well as the bigger schools in Central Kentucky like Woodford County, for whom McColl competes. But McColl winning in two weeks, as she did Saturday during the regional meet at Great Crossing High School, would be an incredible feat.

“Not everybody has this opportunity, and for me to have to have this humongous opportunity, it’s really fun and hypes me up,” McColl said. “Not everybody realizes it, and I want everybody to realize it.”

See, McColl isn’t yet in high school. She’s an eighth grader at Woodford County Middle School, and she came really close to making her state meet podium debut last year as a seventh grader; 0.09 seconds separated her and the eighth-place finisher.

McColl’s current personal best in the 100 (12.16, set during this year’s Eastern Relays) is nearly a full second faster than the best middle school time put forth by former Tates Creek standout Rosalynd Hollingsworth, the current overall state meet record holder with a time of 11.69 seconds (13.02). It’s just .04 seconds slower than the best 100 time ever posted by current Manual senior and Memphis commit Alexandra Allen, an all-around standout and the most recent middle schooler to have a shot at state title in the 100; she finished third as an eighth grader in 2021, completing that sprint in 12.46.

McColl’s time ranks among the top 30 middle school girls nationally, per MileSplit’s rankings. She ran a still-personal best 24.81 in the 200 at an AAU Qualifier last year as a seventh grader. Not too shabby for a former gymnast who didn’t start running until sixth grade.

“I ended up quitting (gymnastics) because it wasn’t what I wanted, and my friends had this AAU track team and I started running track for it and I loved it,” McColl said. “I was doing good at it, so I just stuck with it.”

Entering Saturday, only seven girls in Kentucky had run a faster time than McColl this season, six of them for Class 3A rivals. Making the podium would be a phenomenal accomplishment for someone so young, but her sights are set on the highest spot and beyond. Colleges have taken notice, but she officially can’t be contacted by Division I schools until after her sophomore year.

“I would love to run in college,” McColl said. “(Coaches) will tell me, ‘Yea, this college has been talking to me about you and they’re asking questions,’ and I’m like, ‘Really, what’d they say?’ and they’re like, ‘I can’t tell you yet.’”

That’s frustrating for the youngster but “at least they’re looking at me,” she said. With wide-open eyes, one reckons.

Woodford repeats, and Woodford repeats

McColl’s victory in the 100 was among eight wins on the day for Woodford County’s girls, who cruised to a meet title repeat. Things were a bit more harrowing for the boys.

Those Yellow Jackets lost out on potentially meet-changing points when their 4-by-100 relay team, seeded third, was disqualified due to a dropped baton. Senior Leland Taylor in the subsequent race gave Woodford County momentum, taking the 400 by almost a full second, and he and his teammates staved off Frederick Douglass for their own repeat title.

“We had kids step up,” Woodford head coach Adam Swingle said, immediately singling out senior Davion Sturgis. “He pulled his hamstring while he was approaching his second jump (in the long jump), scratched the rest of his jumps but got in the finals and ended up going from sixth entering the finals to finishing third.” Sturgis managed only two attempts in the triple jump but finished fifth overall, earning Woodford two additional points.

Two other boys, Jackson Gray (pole vault) and Jalen Johnson, posted individual wins for Woodford while Samuel Harrison (shot put) and Mo Hash (discus) were runners-up.

The girls bookended the meet with wins in the opening (4-by-800) and closing (4-by-400) relays, each featuring distance star Addison Moore. The junior also won the 800 and 1,600. Charla Gormley, also part of the final relay, won the 100- and 300-meter hurdles. Evie Hall rounded out their wins with a top shot put finish.

Woodford on Saturday used different paraphernalia — purple bows, wristbands and hot-pink Goodr sunglasses — in honor of former teammate Chloe Brown, a class of 2023 graduate who died by suicide on Tuesday.

“The 4-by-400 was her event,” Gormley said. “We were like, ‘Give everything you have for her.’ It was hard. She’s with us.”

Lexington highlights

Frederick Douglass finished as the boys and girls team runners-up on Saturday, matching its finish in last year’s boys meet and improving by two spots on the girls’ side.

Sophomore Broncos swept the boys jumping events, with Malcolm Crow taking the long and triple and Kaden John claiming the high. John also won the 200-meter run, edging Henry Clay senior Jayden Channer and Woodford’s Taylor in one of the narrowest finishes on a windy afternoon.

The day’s tightest race also featured that triumvirate at the top; Channer bested John by 0.05 seconds.

“I knew I had to get out after I’d lost the 100,” John said. “I came in thinking I was gonna get three wins, but I still got state, and state’s what everyone will be watching.”

Channer ran the anchor leg for Henry Clay’s winning 4-by-200 relay team while mistakenly wearing his warm-up jacket and pants, a potential disqualifying act since his bib and lane number weren’t visible. He quickly removed the jacket after crossing the finish line.

“Right when I was coming off the curb I saw the Douglass team in lane one was right there and I was like, ‘OK, I just need to win and we’ll see what happens,’” Channer said. Ultimately, he just received a warning from an official.

Douglass freshman O’Naya Harris won the girls 200 and was part of Douglass’ victorious 4-by-100 and 4-by-200 relay teams in addition to finishing runner-up to McColl in the 100.

Track isn’t her only sport: She’s also a cheerleader at Frederick Douglass.

“I’m usually at cheer practice right after track, or working out,” she said.

Bryan Station senior Montae Ashford, a “Triple Threat Award” recipient from the KHSAA by virtue of competing in three varsity sports, won the 300-meter hurdles. He was also a standout for the Defenders’ basketball and football teams, and will compete on the track and field team next year for Kentucky State University.

Saturday’s wind didn’t seem to faze him: Ashford ran a time of 39.41, a PR and almost a full second better than the time that earned him a sixth-place finish at last year’s state meet.

“Rain, sleet or snow, I’m trained to go,” Ashford said. “I just run my hardest, focus on me and focus on the hurdles. That’s it. I just run my race.”

Aleigha Sullivan, a junior at Lafayette, won the girls discus and entered Saturday with the state’s best mark this season (131-10). She credits first-year assistant Kathy Broadnax, who’s coached dozens of state champions and led Bryan Station’s girls to Class 3A team titles in 2014 and 2015, for her growth.

“I used to stand throw all the time so to be able to transform from just standing to actually doing a full rotation, and fixing my glide in shot put as well, to be able to fully use all the power that I have, she’s been amazing for my technique,” Sullivan said.

The day’s longest races, the 3,200-meter run, each went to standouts from Paul Laurence Dunbar: Senior Noah Mathews won on the boys side while junior Susanne Estepp took the girls edition.

CLASS 3A, REGION 6 RESULTS

The top two finishers in each event automatically qualify for the state meet. Ten more will qualify based on statewide results. Complete results and additional state qualifiers will become available at KHSAA.org this week.

BOYS

Teams — 1. Woodford County 106.33, 2. Frederic Douglass 96, 3. Lafayette 87, 4. Henry Clay 77, 5. Bryan Station 44, 6. Paul Laurence Dunbar 42, 7. Tates Creek 40, 8. Great Crossing 36, 9. George Rogers Clark 13, 10. Anderson County 9.33, 11. Scott County 4, 12. Montgomery County 3.33.

Individuals — 4-by-800 relay: 1. Henry Clay (Wesley Buck, Solomon Corkan, Grant Noehren, Canaan Thomas) 8:07.19; 2. Lafayette (Andrew Grace, Jackson Profitt, Buzz Christensen, Van Weimer) 8:10.62. 110 hurdles: 1. Jalen Johnson, Woodford County, 15.97; 2. Taeshawn Garrard, Frederick Douglass, 16.94. 100: 1. Jayden Channer, Henry Clay, 11.18; 2. Kaden John, Frederick Douglass, 11.23. 4-by-200 relay: 1. Henry Clay (Sincere Brooks Davis, Jayden Channer, Laquereon Green, Matt Sadr) 1:29.58; 2. Bryan Station (Montae Ashford, Jamel Gibson, Kaiden Simpsom, Kyhaun Johnson) 1:30.15. 1,600: 1. Xavier Richardson, Lafayette, 4:20:23; 2. Van Weimer, Lafayette, 4:21.16. 4-by-100 relay: 1. Frederick Douglass (Chase Hayden, Marco Hill, Kaden John, Kevin Knox) 42.54; 2. Tates Creek (Lazarey Warren, Jonathan Cooper, Luke Cooper, Triston Taylor) 42.58. 400: 1. Leland Taylor, Woodford County, 48.40; 2. Ray Enwa, Great Crossing, 49.34. 300 hurdles: 1. Montae Ashford, Bryan Station, 39.41; 2. Ryan Barrett, Paul Laurence Dunbar, 40.64. 800: 1. Xavier Richardson, Lafayette, 1:58.49; 2. Canaan Thomas, Henry Clay, 1:58.77. 200: 1. Kaden John, Frederick Douglass, 22.36; 2. Jayden Channer, Henry Clay, 22.49. 3,200: 1. Noah Mathews, Paul Laurence Dunbar, 9:45.93; 2. Jake Hanson, Lafayette, 9:53.15. 4-by-400 relay: 1. Great Crossing (Jacob Johnson, Joshua Holt-Smith, Zion Gonzales, Ray Enwa) 3:25.96; 2. Tates Creek (Jayden Jones, Stephen Jones, Luke Cooper, Lazarey Warren) 3:30.06. Shot put: 1. Miles Hayward, Tates Creek, 52-9; 2. Samuel Garrison, Woodford County, 50-1. Discus: 1. Brogan McBride, Lafayette, 157-5; 2. Mo Hash, Woodford County, 145-0. Long jump: 1. Malcolm Crow, Frederick Douglass, 22.4-75; 2. Taeshawn Garrard, Frederick Douglass, 21-8.5. Triple jump: 1. Malcolm Crow, Frederick Douglass, 47-6.5; 2. Jacob Stokesbary, Great Crossing, 40-6. High jump: 1. Kaden John, Frederick Douglass, 6-0; 2. Carter Crump, Bryan Station, 5-10. Pole vault: 1. Jackson Gray, Woodford County, 15-3; 2. Oliver Swank, Lafayette, 13-0.

GIRLS

Teams — 1. Woodford County 123.50, 2. Frederick Douglass 85, 3. Lafayette 71, 4. Bryan Station 64.5, 5. Henry Clay 55, 6. George Rogers Clark 54, 7. Paul Laurence Dunbar 49, t8. Scott County 16, t8. Tates Creek 16, 10. Montgomery County 13, 11. Great Crossing 11.

Individuals — 4-by-800 relay: 1. Woodford County (Gabby Gampper, Claire Seitz, Larkyn Hewett, Addison Moore) 10:06.23; 2. Henry Clay (Sophia Anderson, Ella Detjen, Ava Greinke, Billie Phemister) 10:19.28. 100 hurdles: 1. Charla Gormley, Woodford County, 16.25; 2. Payton Asher, Woodford County, 16.97. 100: 1. Hannah McColl, Woodford County, 12.83; 2. O’Naya Harris, Frederick Douglass, 13.03. 4-by-200 relay: 1. Frederick Douglass (Jordan Conner-McCord, Adora Doodnauth, O’Naya Harris, Chloe Lewis) 1:44.82; 2. Bryan Station (Heavan Dobson, Mikayla Garrard, DeAun Pinkney, Izzy Spillman) 1:44.83. 1,600: 1. Addison Moore, Woodford County, 5:00.30; 2. Susanne Estepp, Paul Laurence Dunbar, 5:08.87. 4-by-100 relay: 1. Frederick Douglass (Gracie Ogunbayo, Adora Doodnauth, O’Naya Harris, Chloe Lewis) 48.96; 2. Bryan Station (Heavan Dobson, Mikayla Garrard, Cintaesia George, DeAun Pinkney) 49.17. 400: 1. Teigh Yeast, George Rogers Clark, 57.96; 2. Jordan Conner-McCord, Frederick Douglass, 58.17. 300 hurdles: 1. Charla Gormley, Woodford County, 47.07; 2. Amyreah Searles, Tates Creek, 47.65. 800: 1. Addison Moore, Woodford County, 2:18.20, 2. Susanne Estepp, Paul Laurence Dunbar, 2:23.54. 200: 1. O’Naya Harris, Frederick Douglass, 26.27; 2. Teigh Yeast, George Rogers Clark, 26.37. 3,200: 1. Susanne Estepp, Paul Laurence Dunbar, 11:58.90; 2. Billie Phemister, Henry Clay, 12:07.31. 4-by-400 relay: 1. Woodford County (Charla Gormley, Payton Asher, Gabby Gampper, Addison Moore) 4:08.34; 2. Frederick Douglass (Fern Frost, Jaelyn Burks, Ella Dulaney, Jordan Conner-McCord) 4:12.73. Shot put: 1. Evie Hall, Woodford County, 35-2; 2. Aleigha Sullivan, Lafayette, 34-7. Discus: 1. Aleigha Sullivan, Lafayette, 124-5; 2. Olivia Dabney, Woodford County, 117-0. Long jump: 1. Teigh Yeast, George Rogers Clark, 18-11; 2. Cintaesia George, Bryan Station, 17-11. Triple jump: 1. Teigh Yeast, George Rogers Clark, 39-1.5; 2. Cintaesia George, Bryan Station, 37-1. High jump: 1. Katherine Haynes, Henry Clay, 5-2; 2. Ryli Patton, Frederick Douglass, 5-0. Pole vault: 1. Bailey Howard, George Rogers Clark, 11-6; 2. Lacy Willoughby, Montgomery County, 11-0*.

*settled via tiebreaker