By Ashlee Mullis
The Cougar Indoor Track & Field Team competed in the 2A State Championships at Liberty University on March 3. The team earned many All-State Honors, making it the most successful day to date in the history of the team at PCHS.
Riley Brim, Moi Cisneros, Tristan Moore, and Martin Morse fought hard in the 4 by 800-meter relay and brought home 9th place with a time of 9 minutes and 54 seconds.
Conner Stanley competed in the Long Jump and brought home 11th place with a jump of 17-feet, 6-inches.
Michael “Track Mike” Hamm had a phenomenal day and earned two All State Performances by taking 2nd place in the 300-meter dash in 37.01 seconds and 6th place in the 55-meter dash, with a time of 6.88 seconds. Hamm broke the school records that were both held by Michael Shough since 2013. Hamm has been running since the 8th grade at the urging of his friend and teammate, Tristan Moore. “When I started running track, breaking a record was never a thought in my mind. Once junior year started, that’s all I could think of,” Hamm said “Thankfully, with the help of my coach and team, I was able to push harder and achieve my goal.”
Moore, a senior who has been running for PC since the 7th grade, said, “Out of my four years of running indoor track, this has probably been my most enjoyable year. I think the state meet went very well. Everybody on the team set personal records in their events and the whole team got closer as a team.”
The Lady Cougars had a big day on the track as well.
The 4 by 800-meter relay team of Jordan Haas, Irene Smith, Sadie Vernon, and Chloie Wright placed 6th overall earning All-State Honors with a time of 12 minutes and 37 seconds.
Mackenzie Belcher also earned All-State Honors by taking 6th place in the 55-meter dash with a time of 8.11 seconds.
This performance ranks her has the third faster Lady Cougar in school history, only narrowly trailing Savannah Moorefield in 2015 and Logan Martin in 2013.
The 4 by 200-meter relay team of Gracen Edwards, Bryley Pike, Julianna Overby, and Mackenzie Belcher placed 5th overall with All-State Honors with a time of 2 minutes and 4 seconds.
The Lady Cougars 4 by 400-meter relay team Brylye Pike, Julianna Overby, Irene Smith, and Jordan Haas ran hard to place 4th overall and also earn All-State Honors in a time of 4 minutes and 52 seconds. Belcher, a senior, said, “It was definitely not what we had expected states to be like, but it was an amazing experience. We had a log of success this year with track, and there was never a dull moment.”
Coach Danel Slaydon said “I could not be prouder of how this team came together throughout the season. With many interruptions to practice and bare minimal competition opportunities, due to COVID, they demonstrated resiliency and comradery better than any team I have ever been part of. As I reflect on the team’s performance, I believe their strong performance came down to the team being excited to compete and the team building each other up as teammates. Athletic endeavors can become complicated, however, when a unique team comes along with these two qualities, impressive performances become contagious.
“We have a large group of seniors taking their leadership skills and talents on to college next year. While we are incredibly excited about the opportunities ahead for them, our program will greatly miss them. Their leadership skills are one of a kind. Michael Hamm, especially, had a standout day finishing as runner-up in the 300-meter dash in a fast performance that earned him a school-record. Before the 300-meter dash, Michael established himself as the 6th fasted 55-meter dash athlete in the 2A division. His performance also earned him a school record in this event. I am proud of how Michael approached the competition with so much maturity and confidence. He thrived under pressure, which is the secret ingredient to his recent success,” Slaydon said.
