By JOSH FRYE
News Sportswriter
For the sixth straight time, Escambia Academy’s boys track and field team captured the AISA overall state championship title during the 2021 AISA State Championships held in Gulf Shores, Ala. at Mickey Miller Blackwell Stadium Friday, April 16.
According to EA coach Mike Sims, the top place is just not only the sixth consecutive win by the EA boys track team, but also ties for the most track state titles by any AISA school.
“It is an awesome honor for our kids and school,” Sims said. “These kids work day in and day out. During the pandemic, the work never stopped. They kept working and pushing. They are extremely hard workers and we are all very proud of each and every single one.”
Last year, EA’s track season was non-existent due to the COVID-19 outbreak. Sims also stressed that if last season were not cancelled, this year EA would have possibly broken the record with the most state titles in track and field instead of tying. EA scored 132 points to capture the title, while Bessemer Academy followed in second with 95 points, Tuscaloosa finished third with 59 points and Abbeville Christian tied with Glenwood Academy for the final spot with 46 points each. The girls track and field team tied for seventh place with Evangel Christian.
Results for the EA boys and girls track and field teams during the meet are as follows:
Boys 200 Meter Dash Finals
Devin Kelly – fifth place; 24.01
Boys 400 Meter Dash Finals
Bubba Nettles – second place; 53.45
Boys 800 Meter Run Finals
Tyler Ray-Cloud – first place; 2:12.13
Daughtry McGhee – fifth place; 2:17.63
Boys 1600 Meter Run Finals
Tyler Ray-Cloud – third place; 5:24.38
Daughtry McGhee – fifth place; 5:32.24
Boys 110 Meter Hurdles
Sam Fields – first place; 16.27
Josh Spruill – second place; 17.11
Kaleb Davis – fifth place; 18.63
Boys 300 Meter Hurdles
Josh Spruill – first place; 43.38
Maliki Haynes – second place; 44.26
Sam Fields – third place; 44.97
Boys 4×100 Meter Relay
Escambia Academy – third place; 46.40
Boys 4×200 Meter Relay
Escambia Academy – fourth place; 1:37.78
Boys 4×400 Meter Relay
Escambia Academy – second place; 3:48.56
Boys 4×800 Meter Relay
Escambia Academy – first place; 9:17.94
Boys High-Jump Finals
T.J. Riley – fourth place; 5-10.00
Maliki Haynes – seventh place; 5-08.00
Boys Long Jump Finals
Bubba Nettles – third place; 20-09.00
Landon Sims – fourth place; 20-05.25
Josh Spruill – seventh place; 19-00.25
Boys Triple Jump Finals
Landon Sims – second place; 42-01.00
Josh Spruill – fourth place; 38-10.00
Bubba Nettles – ninth place; 35-04.25
Boys Discus Finals
Hunter Smith – fourth place; 110-00.00
Boys Shot Put Finals
Chris Long – ninth place; 37-00.00
Hunter Smith – tenth place; 36-02.00
Girls 800 Meter Run Finals
Anna Chesley Robinson – eleventh place; 3:11.28
Girls 1600 Meter Run Finals
Anna Chesley Robinson – tenth place; 7:13.23
Tiffany Gookin – sixteenth place; 7:46.30
Girls 3200 Meter Run
Tiffany Gookin – eleventh place; 17:26.82
Arianna Littler – twelfth place; 18:54.27
Girls 100 Meter Hurdles Finals
Tava Johnson – fourth place; 18.96
Girls 300 Meter Hurdles Finals
Tava Johnson – tenth place; 58.86
Tiffany Gookin – sixteenth place; 1:06.75
Girls 4×400 Meter Relay Finals
Escambia Academy – seventh place; 5:22.95
Girls Long Jump Finals
Anna Chesley Robinson – eighteenth place; 11-03.25
Girls Triple Jump Finals
Tiffany Gookin – seventh place; 27-00.00
Girls Discus Finals
KayLeigh Jay – first place; 84-04.00
Girls Shot Put Finals
KayLeigh Jay – third place; 27-09.50
Mary Ruth Dortch – twenty-second place; 21-00.50