CULLMAN, Ala. – Track and field sectionals took place this past weekend across the state, and stars from around Cullman County and beyond earned trips to the 2026 AHSAA State Championships in Cullman (1A-3A) and Gulf Shores (4A-7A).
ADDISON (1A) – Elijah Roberts had a day at sectionals, finishing first in the 400m, third in the 100m and fifth in high jump. Like Roberts, Skylar Cleghorn will also compete in three events at state after finishing second in the triple jump, fourth in the long jump and fifth in boys shot put. Noah Cleghorn took the gold in both the 110 meter hurdle and the 300 meter hurdle. The girls 4x400m relay team (Lexi Smith, Ella Cleghorn, AllieRuth Powell, Ella Williams) took second place to advance to Cullman. Ava Bartlett was the girls’ star, taking gold in both the high jump and the long jump.
COLD SPRINGS (2A) – The usual suspects dominated for the Cold Springs Eagles at sectionals. Ella Dickerson and Reese Swidecki grabbed three first place finishes each, with Dickerson coming out on top in the 300mH, 100mH and the high jump and Swidecki taking the gold in the 800, 1600 and 3200-meter runs. Paizley Whitlow took home three silver medals in the 800, 1600 and 3200-meter runs falling short of only Swidecki. Ethan Day led the boys with a gold in the long jump and a silver medal in the javelin throw.
HOLLY POND (3A) – On the boys team, Daniel Figueroa led the Broncos with golds in the 100m, 200m, discus throw and javelin throw ambulatories. Fox Westall grabbed a fourth place finish in the 110mH and a silver in the 300mH. Throwers Asher Thrift (javelin, second place), Jonah Shockley (discus, fourth) and Brayden Ivey (shot put, third) all qualified as well. Cira Thrift was the girls’ star, earning a gold in 100mH, silver in 300mH, bronze in the high jump and silver in the javelin throw.
VINEMONT (3A) – Eagle thrower Levi Burch was one of 15 state qualifiers from Vinemont, placing third in the shot put and fifth in discus. In the 1600m and 3200m, Brady Johnson took the gold, and in the 800m he captured second place. Pole vaulter Gavin Parr also earned gold in the boys competition. Caroline Miller led the Vinemont girls with a first place finish in the girls triple jump, followed by silver medals in the high and long jumps.
HANCEVILLE (3A) – The Bulldogs saw thrower Kerrigon Moore qualify for state on Saturday, finishing with a distance of 89-06.
GOOD HOPE (4A) – Raider Cadence Watson had an impressive day in Muscle Shoals, earning silvers in the pole vault, 110mH and 300mH and a bronze medal in the high jump. In the 800m, runner Drake Nichols took home the gold. Good Hope’s relay teams had a day, too, with the boys 4×400 winning gold, the girls 4×400 earning silver, the boys 4x800m earning silver and the girls 4×800 getting bronze.
FAIRVIEW (5A) – In each event he participated in, Aggie Nic Fallin qualified for state, taking silvers in the pole vault and long jump, and finishing fourth in the high jump. Logan Race claimed the section title in the discus throw with a new personal record, and set another in the javelin throw to earn fourth place. Andrew Latham set a new PR to earn second in the javelin throw. On the second day of sectionals, Janie Claire Pace earned a podium finish in the 100mH to qualify for state.
WEST POINT (5A) – Sophomore Rush Lamar continued his breakout season at sectionals with podium finishes in the 200m and 400m and a gold medal in the 300 meter hurdle. He’ll compete in all three in Gulf Shores, and senior Asa Sutter set a new personal record in the triple jump on the way to earning gold in sectionals. Sophomore Malik Howell will also head south to compete in the boys shot put after finishing fifth overall. In relays, the Warriors’ girls 4x800m team (Raelynn Lindley, Judy Salter, Dorothy Salter, Alex Will) secured a wildcard spot in state competition, and the boys 4×400 (Lamar, Ray McKenney, Asa Sutter, Brier Taylor) set a Cullman County record with their performance to secure a spot at state.
CULLMAN (6A) – The Bearcats are sending a whopping 17 athletes to Gulf Shores for the 4A-7A State Outdoor Track Championships after standing out in sectionals. Madeline Stidham qualified for state in three different solo runs (400m, 800m, 3200m) and is also a part of the 4×800 relay team along with Mabry Free, Khloe Nalley and Addi Vogelaar that qualified as well. The boys 4×800 team also qualified, with Reid Huelsmann (also qualified in 800m), Henry Crocker (also qualified in 1600m), Mason Gobble and Jacob Taylor all moving on. Bearcat Isaiah Moore will participate in the shot put and discus throw, and Jackson Floyd will compete in both the long jump and triple jump.
