CHARLESTON -- When it comes to distance running, no one in West Virginia's Class A has been better this year than Wheeling Central sophomore Aidan Scott.
After winning a cross country state title in the fall, Scott followed that up with a hat trick at the WVSSAC Class A State Track Meet this week, winning the 800, 1600 and 3200 races.
"It's a great accomplishment," a tired Scott said after his final race Saturday. "I love racing, I love running. Every guy out here (Saturday) gave it their hardest and I loved running against all of them."
Scott's trifecta began Friday evening, when he won the 3200 with a time of 10:05.8, four seconds faster than the next runner. Scott wowed Friday's crowd at Laidley Field in Charleston when he kicked into high gear over the final two laps of the races, advancing from fifth or sixth place to a run-away blue ribbon.
"He has the ability to do that," said Central coach Richelle Blair. "It's usually his last 150, 200 meters that he kicks it in like that and he kept that sprint pace all the way around to win the race. It's amazing to watch, whether he's on my team or any team, to watch a kid run like that is amazing."
On Saturday, Scott led the pack throughout the entire 1600, winning with a time of 4:34.42. The 800, however, was a much different race. Scott stayed in third or fourth position for the first lap before turning on the afterburners for the final time around the track to win with a time of 2:03.26.
"It's kind of natural at this point," Scott said of his late-race kicks. "One of my trademarks is going out there in the last 100 and giving it everything that I've got.
"For different distances I have different strategies. I don't know what everyone else is going to do, so I just go out there and run then after the first lap I have a feel for what everyone was doing."
Scott was not the only Maroon Knight to win a state title Saturday, as the relay team of Riley Watkins, Braden McWreath, Lorenzo Ferrera and Cooper Blair doubled as champions of the 4×100 and 4×200 relays.
"It was an unreal opportunity, an unreal experience being able to do this with my brothers by my side," said Cooper Blair, the team's anchor. "It's a family, it's a brotherhood; we go to a small school, it's a small team. We might not have enough guys out here to win the overall title, but we work hard and to see all those hours we put in every day pay off like that, with my brothers, it was a great time."
Their 4×100 win came in 44.74 and the 4×200 time was 1:32.32. The 4×200 race included an unbelievable third leg by Ferrera, who passed three other teams to give Blair a lead in the final leg.
"That dude is fast. He's just an unreal athlete," Cooper Blair said of Ferrera. "Our first two legs did a great job, got us where we needed to be and he just puts me in an amazing place to be able to finish the race."
Leading down the home stretch, Blair said he heard the roar of the crowd and thought he was going to get caught from behind by someone.
"It's nerve-wracking," he said of the final 100 meters. "Everyone sits on that side (of the stands) so you hear all the cheering and I thought I was about to get caught. But I trusted myself, I trusted the lead that my teammates gave me."
Ferrera had an extremely busy Saturday. After winning his medals at the state track meet, he traveled over two hours away to the campus of Davis & Elkins College to play for Central in the state lacrosse championship.
"I'm going to roll into this lacrosse game very confident," a smiling Ferrera said. "I just go out there and run. The state championship is in my mind so it kind of pushes me. I just thought that if I could keep that head start, (Blair) is going to finish."
Cooper Blair also picked up individual medals in the 100 (5th, 11.74) and 200 (5th, 23.44).
Central's 4×400 relay team also medaled with a sixth-place finish in 3:48.30. That team included Austin Nester, JJ White, Lucan Galbraith and Luke Minor.
Another state title that is coming back to the Ohio Valley is in the 4×800 boys' relay, which Magnolia won for the second year in a row with a time of 8:44.73. The only returner from last year's team was anchor Brady Renner, who said having to replace the three other members was a challenge this season.
"It was kind of scary," he said. "Last year, we never lost races and this year we got off to a rough start.
"Now that we won last year and this year, we proved that we can win it every year."
Those new teammates were Lucas Zombotti, Landen Davis and Jordan Davis.
Magnolia boys' coach Trey Meeks said the team kept improving as the season went on, with the final boost coming four weeks ago when Jordan Davis moved from sprints into the 4×800 lineup.
"Four or five weeks ago as a team and as a program, we weren't in a great spot and I can't compliment the entire team on how they stepped up," Meeks said. "We lost three of those legs (from last season), the only leg we brought back was Brady Renner. He's top two or three in the state (in the 800) so we kept telling those first three legs that if they do their job and give him a chance, we're going to win this race."
Zombotti, the team's leadoff runner, is following in the footsteps of his older brother, Sam, who led off for the winning 4×800 team last season.
"It's kind of a cool moment that (Sam) was state champ last year and he kind of passed the torch to his little brother," Meeks said.
Renner picked up another medal with a sixth-place finish in the individual 800 with a time of 2:08.78. Magnolia's 110 shuttle hurdle relay team also medaled, finishing fifth in 1:04.85.
Paden City's Shane Anderson had another impressive day for local athletes, medalling in the high jump (3rd, 5-10), 110 hurdles (4th, no times recorded) and as a member of the 110 shuttle hurdle relay team (3rd, 1:02.65). Also on that team for the Wildcats were Jasup Spragg, Julian Landauer and Logan Smith.
Tyler Consolidated’s Jaden Holmes medaled in the shot put (6th, 42-10) and Valley's Isaiah Bassett finished fifth in the high jump, clearing 5-8.
Magnolia's Jenna Blain led the contingent of local female competitors Saturday by picking up medals in four events; the 300 hurdles (2nd, 47.74), 200 (4th, 27.35), 4×200 relay (3rd, 1:51.64) and the 4×400 relay (4th, 4:32.28). Joining her on the 4×200 team were Kaylee Cline, Bre Herrick and Sienna McKeever. Shy Simmons replaced McKeever on the 4×400 team.
Jaci Rohde won two medals for the Blue Eagles in the pole vault (5th, 8-6) and the 100 (3rd, 13.16). Magnolia's 4×100 team took second place with a time of 52.78 made up of Cline, Herrick, Payton Curry and Faith Galagar.
Madonna also had a number of medalists. The Spickard sisters, Angelina and Gabriella, both placed in the 100, coming in fifth and sixth with respective times of 13.59 and 13.63.
The Blue Dons also finished fifth in the 4×800 relay (11:04.61) with Kristina Lesho, Ella Wingett, Sophia Zaneski and Sofia-Teresa DiBacco.
Hallie McDonald won a pair of medals for Paden City in the 300 hurdles (6th, 50.24) and 100 shuttle hurdle relay (2nd, 1:10.45). Joining her in the shuttle hurdle relay were Jocelyn Sawinski, Mady Still and Brandis Dalrymple.
Wheeling Central's 4×100 relay team finished in sixth place with a time of 54.95, made up of Sydney Doyle, Mischa McGhee, Ava Carroll and Lexi Scott.
Finally, Valley's Winter Higgins medaled in the long jump with a leap of 15-5.5, good for fifth place.
Doddridge County won the overall boys' team title with 86 points while Williamstown won the girls' team title with 148.
Wheeling Central boys scored 55 points to finish fourth while the Magnolia girls scored 37 to finish in fifth.