Cherokee County's Mary Hayes Johnson, Fort Payne's Aubrey Evans win AHSAA track & field titles
Two Gadsden area track and field stars took home state titles during the AHSAA Indoor Track and Field state title meet over the weekend.
Cherokee County's Mary Hayes Johnson, a South Alabama signee, won the girls Class 4A-5A 400 meters and 60-meter hurdle events. She ran the 400 meters in 58.11 seconds and the 60-meter hurdle in 9.28. To cap off a busy Saturday she placed sixth in the 60-meter sprint with a time of 7.99, a new personal best. Johnson finished second in the state indoor pentathlon (all classes) the weekend before the state meet. She has balanced this indoor season being one of the leading scorers for the girls basketball team.
"I was just really happy overall, I was proud of myself. Thankful, I got new PRs in the 400 and 60 hurdles. It was really rewarding," Johnson said.
Fort Payne's Aubrey Evans took home her state title in Class 6A, high jump competition with a leap of 5-feet, 2-inches.
"I was excited because I have been working at it for three-and-half years," Evans told the Gadsden Times on Monday.
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Other standout performances from the Gadsden area from Friday include Piedmont's Lexi Ray who placed second in the Class 1A-3A pole vault competition with a best vault of 9-feet, 6-inches. Fort Payne's Skyler Cody claimed third place in the 60-meter hurdles with a time of 8.20. Piedmont's McLaine Mohon placed third in the high jump with a jump of 5-10.
On Saturday, Cherokee County's Alex Johnson placed fourth in the 400 meters with a time of 51.32 and sixth in the 60 meters with a new personal best of 7.18. Guntersville's Cesleigh Martin placed second in the Class 4A-5A shot put competition with a throw of 35-feet, 10-inches.
Maxwell Donaldson covers high school sports and Jacksonville State athletics for the Gadsden Times. Find him on Twitter/X @_Max_Donaldson and contact him at MDonaldson@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on The Gadsden Times: Two Gadsden area track and field standouts bring home state titles
