HHS outdoor track teams win first state titles

For the first time in program history, the Homewood High School boys and girls teams won the AHSAA 5A outdoor track and field state titles on May 3.

The boys have previously won three indoor track and field titles, but this was the first time to win outdoor. This win gave the boys team the rare Triple Crown, awarded when a team wins cross country, indoor track and outdoor track state tittles in a single school year.

The girls defeated St. Paul’s — the team who held the last eight 5A state titles — by one point. The girls were two points behind St. Paul's going into the final event, the 4x400-meter relay. Relay team members Mary Margaret Jackson, Hunter Midgett, Joy Korley and Alex Studdard beat St. Paul's by two places in the final event, giving Homewood the one point win.

"That race was the perfect way to end this season and get us the championship because it took everyone on the relay team doing their very best,” Head Coach Tom Esslinger said. “That is the way the whole team beat a tremendous team like St. Paul's. It took everyone staying focused and doing their jobs."

Kiara Williams was the top scorer for the girls and won both the long jump and 100-meter hurdles. She also placed second in both the triple jump and the 200-meter. Ann Mosely Whitsett won the 800-meter and placed second in the 400-meter, third in the 300-meter hurdles and fourth in the 1600-meter. Sarah Blake led the throwers by placing second in both javelin and discus. The girls 4x100-meter relay team (Maiyah Lee, Jasmine Griffin, Alex Studdard and Elysa Griffin) also earned All-State honors by placing second.

Andy Smith led the boys team by winning both the 1600-meter and 3200-meter. Smith also placed fourth in the 800-meter and anchored the winning 4x800-meter relay team of Logan Sadler, Tristan Lindsey and Hunter Poole. Logan Sadler also won an individual title in the 800-meter. Dominique Linson placed second in the high jump, Tristan Lindsey second in the 800-mter, Mike Rohdy third in the 1600-meter, and Alex Ngei third in the 3200-meter. All of them earned All-State honors by placing in the top three.

"By finally winning the outdoor title in the boys, we feel like we finally got that missing piece of the puzzle,” Head Esslinger said. “The kids have worked so hard for their success, and I would also like to thank our amazing coaching staff at both the high school and middle school. None of this could be accomplished without their hard work and knowledge."

High school coaches are Tom Esslinger, Lars Porter, Josh Donaldson, Rebecca Phillips, Michael Niezgoda, John Schultz, Brittany Hines Steele and Kenneth Hollis.

-Submitted by Tom Esslinger