Track and field seasons picks up pace

Runners, throwers and jumpers are back on track this season as the 2022-2023 track and field season continues for Marion County teams.
Winfield hosted its 17th annual Ice Breaker Invitational meet on Saturday, Feb. 25, and several teams from the area showed up to compete.
The Hamilton Aggies’ boys claimed first place with 143 points, and the Lady Aggies finished second place with 136.5 points, behind Brooks’ girls who won with 147.5 points.
In the girls’ meet, Winfield placed ninth (21 points), Marion County placed 11th (18 points) and Phillips tied for 14th place with Lamar County (9 points).
In the boys’ meet, Winfield just missed the podium with a fourth place finish (62 points), Marion County placed 11th again (26 points) and Phillips finished in 13th place (9 points).
Several athletes from Marion County placed in the top three in their events.
Hamilton’s boys won the 4x800 meter relay, and their girls claimed second place in the event. The girls team consisted of Anne Wiginton, Jane Wiginton, Maya Jones and Madelyn Hulsey. The boys’ team consisted of Josh Webb, Layne Taylor, Anderson Streetman and CeeJay Sizemore.
Hamilton’s Meg Wiginton won the girls’ 100 meter hurdles.
In the boys’ 110 meter hurdles, Hamilton’s Elijah Dollar claimed first place.
Hamilton’s Ann Wiginton placed second in the girls’ 400 meter dash, and Hamilton’s Keyondre Ford placed third in the boys’ event.
Hamilton’s Joshua Webb placed second in the boys’ 1600 meter run, and Marion County’s Carter Stephens was three seconds short of the podium with a fourth place finish.
Hamilton’s Kyra Casey finished third in the girls’ 200 meter dash, and Winfield’s Andrew Wallace placed third in the boys’ 200.
Webb won the boys’ 800 in 2:13, a couple of seconds ahead of Winfield’s Dawson Klein, who finished in second with a time of 2:15.
Meg Wiginton won the girls’ 300 meter hurdles, and fellow Aggie Dawson Taylor placed second in the boys’ event.
Maya Jones placed third for the Aggies in the girls’ 3200, and the boys event saw Hamilton’s Kaden Whitaker and Marion County’s Stephens place second and third.
Hamilton’s boys’ and girls’ 4x400 meter relay teams both won by at least 10 seconds each. In the boys’ relay, Winfield placed second, and Phillips finished third.
Hamilton’s Jordan Parker placed second in girls’ high jump, and Marion County’s Landon Morrow finished third in boys’ high jump.
Hamilton’s Taylor Biggerstaff won girls’ pole vault, and her teammates Jake Webb and Ethan Robinson claimed the top two spots in boys’ pole vault.
Casey won girls’ long jump for the Aggies, and Wallace placed second in boys’ long jump for the Pirates.
Casey claimed another win in the girls’ triple jump for the Aggies.
In the boys’ discus throw, Hamilton’s Kevin McBride placed second.
Winfield’s Arie McCollum won the girls’ shot put, and Winfield’s Adan Aldridge finished second in boys’ shot put.
Hamilton’s Casey won the girls’ 100 meter dash, and Winfield’s Wallace won the boys’ race.
The Hamilton Aggies competed in several other meets after the Ice Breaker.
The Aggies competed in the Husky March Classic in Trussville on March 3, where the boys placed 10th with 10 points and the girls placed 11th with nine points.
On March 11, the Aggies competed in the Vestavia Hills King of the Mountain Invitational, where the boys tied for 19th place with Springville High School for nine points.
On March 16, the Aggies competed in the Jefferson County High School League Meet at Corner High School, where the girls placed second with 82.5 points behind Clay-Chalkville High School (92 points), and the boys  also placed second with a score of 95 points, just shy of first place McAdory High School (96.33 points).
The Hackleburg Panthers competed in the Deshler Varsity Meet on March 10 in Tuscumbia, where the boys placed sixth with 34 points, and the girls placed 11th with eight points.
Hackleburg’s Daniel Cooper won the boys’ 200 meter dash and placed second in the 100 and 400.
Brilliant, Hackleburg, Marion County and Phillips, along with Lynn, competed in the Northwest Alabama Conference meet on Wednesday, March 15, and Marion County High School won the boys’ and girls’ meets.
Phillips’ girls claimed second, followed by Hackleburg, Brilliant and then Lynn.
In the boys’ meet, Hackleburg finished second, followed by Phillips, Lynn and then Brilliant.
Marion County won the girls 4x100 meter relay, and their team consisted of Caroline Pyron, Madison Lipsey, Leiporshia Lipsey and Alecia Shack.
Marion County also won the girls’ 4x400 with Jasmine Wilson, Lily Robinson, Lilly Franks and Shack.
Phillips won the boys’ 4x100 and 4x400 relays with Tyler Jordan, Brayden Ricketts, Victor Marchan and Lathen Burton.
Marion County won both 4x800 relays with Zoe Lucas, McKinna Riddle, Brooklyn Parks and Robinson for the girls and Max Herdzik, Daniel Hernandez, Reagan LeDuke and Stephens for the boys.
Marion County’s Shack and Hackleburg’s Cooper each brought in several first-place finishes for their teams during the meet, as did Marion County’s Zoe Lucas and Stephens.
Hackleburg’s Mikylah Blackburn won the girls’ 100 and 300 meter hurdles.
On Saturday, March 18, Winfield traveled to Cullman to compete in the Cullman Classic.
Winfield’s girls finished 15th out of 26 with 13 points, and Winfield’s boys finished 25th out of 27 teams with four points.
Winfield’s Arie McCollum placed third in girls’ shot put with a total mark of 31-5, and she also finished third in girls’ javelin with a final mark of 103-8.