Contributed HEADED TO STATE — The Weir High boys track team gathered together after their final practice before the state tournament.

The Red Riders were pretty successful in achieving that goal, as a total of 27 Red Riders have earned a trip to the state tournament and begin to hit the track today at Laidley Field.

“It is wonderful, it’s just a true testament to their hard work,” Weir track and field coach Sarah Marie Young said. “We have a lot of new, first-time state qualifiers. It’s very exciting to see that hard work all season pay off.

“We always go through the season, and the end game is always OVACs, regionals and state. So everything we do through the season is with that in mind.

“The whole season has built to this goal, we tell them not to lose sight of the end game if we have a bad day or make a mistake. It’s a long season and track is all about the little details.

Contributed READY TO GO — The Weir High girls track team gathered together after their final practice before the state tournament.

“Our motto this year was practice makes permanent, so have a perfect practice. That was something that we geared everything to whether it be their behavior, or their handoffs, or their shuttles, or long jump, high jump, throws. It was always stay focused on the end game, the focus all season has been what are we going to do at the end of the year?”

The Red Riders boys team, which Young coaches, is sending a total of 14 representatives.

They are: Landon Haught (100, 200, 400, 4×100 relay); Syncere Stevenson (100, long jump, 4×100, 4×400 relays); Tajeh Black-Majewski (300 hurdles, shuttle relay); Jonathan Rhodes (400, 4×400, 4×800 relays); Ben Lazear (discus); Nico Mastrantoni (high jump); Zack Howland (4×100 , 4×200, shuttle relays); Daniel Howland (4×100 relay); Wyatt Majors (4×200 relay); Ezell Grays III (4×200, 4×400, 4×800 relays); Caiden Lamp (4×200, 4×800 relays); Logan Lemmi (4×400 relay); Xavier Cunningham (4×800, shuttles relays); Noah Lemasters (shuttles relay).

“I’m very excited,” Haught, a two-event OVAC champion this season, said. “It’s always a great opportunity to go and compete. This is my third time going, so, just being there, being in that environment is just amazing.”

“it’s great so many of us are going because we’re a family, we’re a team, and we just act as such,” Stevenson said. “I’m looking to get some more medals.”

On the girls side of things, 13 Red Riders are making the trip.

They are: Olivia Shetler (1600, 4×800 relay); Madelyn Cramer (4×800 relay); Dacodah Roche (4×800 relay); Myleigh Clevenger (100 hurdles, 300 hurdles, 4×100 and shuttles relays); Lea Young (800, 4×200, 4×400, 4×800 relays); Adrienne Clausell (200); Ella Kaufman (100 hurdles, 4×100, 4×200 and shuttles relays); Rachel Lazear (high jump, 200, 4×200 and shuttles relays); Ryann Jeter (4×100, 4×400 and shuttles relays); Gianna Siegal (400, 4×200, 4×400 relays); Kam Mallas (100, 4×100 and shuttles relays); Sienna Mull (high jump) and Amalia Kirlangitis (alternate).

“We have some good coaches on staff, so it helps keep everything working smoothly together,” Young said. “Especially when you get down to a big event like that, it’s good to have a lot of different coaches. Everyone is working together as a team and on the same page.”

The events begin in Charleston today with field events and heats for some events, with the bulk of the finals taking place on Saturday.

Also locally, Madonna’s Adalynne Welsh qualified for the 100-meter hurdles and Rylee Birkhimer qualified for the shot put; Oak Glen’s Lacey Cameron qualified for the 1600-meter run, The Golden Bears’ girls 4Ö200-meter, 4Ö400-meter and 4Ö800-meter teams qualified and Emma Francis qualified for the shot put and the discus throw, Charles Oliver qualified for the 100-meter dash and 200-meter dash, Logan Murray qualified for the 110-meter hurdles and the long jump, the Golden Bears’ boys 4Ö100-meter, 4Ö200-meter and 4Ö400-meter teams qualified and Orien Bone qualified for the shot put and the discus throw; Brooke’s Elizabeth Edgell qualified for the 3200-meter run; and the Bruins’ girls 4Ö100-meter and 4Ö800-meter teams qualified; Gavin Scott qualified for the 800-meter run and 1600-meter run, the boys 4Ö400-meter team qualified, Ethan Fisher qualified for the high jump, Jude Blake, Marcus Reed and Conner Ray all qualified for the shot put. Reed and Elijah Lanigan qualified for the discus throw.

“You’re trying to better yourself because bettering yourself betters the team in the end,” Majewski said. “We’re really excited to go down there and compete.”