Running to State, Bob Jones sends 30 to State Track Championships

Madison- The fifth place finish in the 1600 Meter race on Friday night turned out to be just the motivation Bob Jones freshman Peyton Tyler needed. He bounced back on Saturday to win the 3200 Meter race to score points for the Bob Jones track team and ensure himself a top starting spot at the 2012 AHSAA State Track Championship, which is set for May 4 & 5 at the Gulf Shores Sportsplex. 

Overall, the Bob Jones girls came in first at the 2 day Class 6A, Section 4 state qualifying meet hosted at BJHS. The Bob Jones boys came in a close second to Hewitt Trussville.  

Bob Jones Track Coach Robin Gaines will take 30 athletes from the school to Gulf Shores this week.  

Tyler was one of the surprises as he ran down Ian Carter from Hewitt–Trussville who had a big lead in the 3200 meter race.  Tyler passed Carter in the last turn and held off teammate Chris Myrik for his first ever win at a sectional.

“I knew he hadn’t ran in about 2 months from an injury so I just paced him and made a move late,” said Tyler. “The weather helped. If it had been later in the day it would have been rough.”

Tyler has been one of the late season surprises for the Bob Jones track team.   

“Peyton just keeps getting better and better every week,” said Gaines. “To win that race today, that was not only a good time but a huge confidence builder for him. He is only a ninth-grader but his performances are speaking for themselves. When a ninth-grader starts winning events everybody takes notice. We had him figured for maybe a third or fourth nothing like that. It’s a big momentum swing for us in points.”

Myrick, who is recovering from a bruised hip suffered in an automobile accident, is also going to state as a member of the Bob Jones 4 x 800 relay team that won on Friday to nail down a trip to Gulf Shores for Myrick and the other members; Kearvea Beckwith, Seth Parker, and Chris Cazer.

Bob Jones also qualified a team on the boy’s side in the 4 x 400 relay.  

The team needed a boost after not qualifying a team in the 4 X 100 men’s side after a little slip up on a baton handoff. The disappointment showed in team leader Nick Beavers who came back strong on Saturday to win the 110 Meter high hurdles and the 300 Meter hurdles. He will now look to reclaim his state title in both events. He came in at 14.57 seconds in the 110 hurdles, not his personal record but plenty fast enough to win going away.

“I was looking to go 14.2 but 14.5 is ok. I’ll go 14.2 at state,” said Beavers who will be making his fifth trip to the state track championship. “I have to handle my business. I got to perform at my best and can’t take off because nobody is going to lay down for me,” said Beavers who is considered the favorite in the state to win the 110 and 300 hurdles. He also qualified in the triple jump.

The senior has already signed a track and field scholarship with Army and will attend West Point.

Beavers said when he is on the starting block he is thinking “explosion, just race to the finish. I look at each hurdle as an obstacle and just overcome it.”

Later in the day he paced the field again in the 300 Meter hurdles to officially qualify for his third event at state.

On the girl’s side, Bob Jones junior Abby Peterson surprised herself and the field by winning the 110 meter hurdles and qualifying for her first state tournament. Leila Elliot finished third in the 100 meter dash, good enough to send her to state also. 

Bob Jones dominated in the girl’s pole vault qualifying three, Maria Lorge, Shelbie Martin, and Kirsten Failing. Lorge also place third and qualified in the 300 meter hurdles. 

Tierra Jones will make her second trip to the state track meet as she qualified in the long jump and triple jump. Jones is best known as a key member of the Bob Jones girl’s basketball team.  She had been struggling with distance in the last few meets but was at her best at the Class 6A, section 4 track meet on Saturday. She set a new personal record in the triple jump.

For Jones, track and field season is a nice change from the grind and pressure of basketball.

“It’s a different feeling than basketball,” she said. “lt’s a chill sport. Knowing that I am mainly competing against myself to get the best I can get.”

 Jameika Grider and Kailyn Krueger also placed in the jumps and qualified for state.

After all the races and events ended, medals were awarded. But the ultimate prize is this week, the chance to be a state champion.

Coach Gaines and the athletes leave for Gulf Shores on Thursday for 2 days of competition with the best from across the state.