Ravenswood’s Wyatt Milhoan crosses the finish line to win the 100 at Saturday’s state track meet in Charleston. (Photo by Aaron Lee)

CHARLESTON — It was an eventful Saturday at the state track meet at Laidley Field for the Class A boys as Doddridge County had a runner-up showing, Ravenswood’s Wyatt Milhoan was a double-winner, Magnolia’s Dubale Greathouse defended his high jump title and Ritchie County’s 4×4 set a new school and state meet record.

The Bulldogs of head coach Bobby Burnside, who won it all in 2022, didn’t have enough to get past defending champion Buffalo, which amassed 118 points to the ‘Dogs’ 81.5.

“I’ll tell you, thrilled to death. We had not the best first day, just adversity and different things,” admitted Burnside, who watched senior Sage Landis clear 14 feet, 6 inches to not only win the pole vault, but also claim the Charles Childress Memorial Award for the top effort in the event. “We started out day two in seventh place and I think they just came out and performed and did what they needed to do. At the end of the day we climbed up on the podium as state runner-up.

“I’m just so proud of the season they had. They were LKC champions, regional champions and won most of the meets. Just great young men and I’m excited for them next year, and we’ll miss our seniors. A lot of talented kids are going to run at the next level for them (Buffalo). We’ll come out and see what we have next year, try to improve, try to get better and our goal is always to, we’re on the podium, but we want to be on top of the podium. We’re really proud.”

Ritchie County, which finished ahead of eighth-place Ravenswood (40.5 to 32) but behind Magnolia (57), Williamstown (54), Wheeling Central (45) and Greenbrier West (42) saved its best for last.

Doddridge County’s Sage Landis clears the bar in the pole vault at Saturday’s state track meet in Charleston. (Photo by Aaron Lee)

The Rebels, who won the event a year ago, only returned Dylan Malolepszy. He was joined by Cayden Moore, Alex Rogerson and anchor Garrett Copeland as the quartet crossed in 3:28.65.

Just like they did at the regional, the Rebels erased the state meet record (3:31.22) which also had been held since 2018 by Magnolia’s Jason Beisel, Leo Herrick, Pat Mirandy and Brooks Parsons.

“At regionals we ran a 3:30.2(4) and we were so close to our school record (3:30.1),” Copeland said. “Like we knew we were right there. We got it. I looked at run West Virginia, the state record, and I told our team we could get it. We know we can. Doddridge actually loaded their team up today.

“That’s what our goal was, to beat Doddridge and get the state record and our school record, too. We got all three. Cayden has been our first leg all year. At the beginning of the year I was second leg for probably halfway and then it was Dylan and then Alex. At LKC we decided to change it up and put me last leg, Alex third and put Dylan second. It worked. It clearly worked.”

Millhoan, who plans to run at Marshall University, ended his career with golds in the 100 (11.05) and the 200 (22.06).

Ritchie County's 4x400 relay team set a new Class A state meet record with a time of 3:28.65. Pictured, from left, are Garrett Copeland, Alex Rogerson, Dylan Malolepszy and Cayden Moore. (Photo by Jay W. Bennett)

“I was slow out of the box, but coming around the turn I finally kicked it in and I just did the finishes that I do,” Milhoan said of the 200 as he finished runner-up in the 400 (49.95).

“We do tons of speed stuff during practice that helps me on my finishes, but my block stinks. That one wasn’t very good at all.”

The Blue Eagle Greathouse has been dealing with injury and was just glad to have the opportunity to defend his title. He once again stood atop the podium after clearing 6 feet, 4 inches to top runner-up Jacob Dehaven of Doddridge County and third-place Malolepszy, both of whom went 6-2.

“It was pretty good,” the junior admitted. “I’ve been out because of hamstring problems. It just felt good to be able to jump today. I was set to get third and at 5-10 I missed two times, so one more jump if I missed I was out.

“I just knew I was going to put everything right there and luckily it came out good for me. It feels really good. I got it last year. Just to be able to get it again feels really good because this is the biggest place there is at states to compete and it just feels really good.”

Greathouse, who is expecting a three-peat from himself, added of his hamstring “yeah, I thought it was going to pull at like 6 foot, but it was able to hold off pretty good.”

Landis, who placed fourth in the 400 (50.66) and fifth in the 200 (22.96), also ran the lead leg on the runner-up 4×4 (3:29.88) with Jerod Trent, Talyn Snyder and Trace Berryman.

“It’s always been my lifetime goal to be a state champion,” admitted Landis, who watched Buffalo’s Dylan Fertig place second in the pole vault after clearing 13 feet, 6 inches as Williamstown’s Louis Goodnow took third (11-6) and teammates Nathaniel Lloyd (4th, 11-0) and Trey McDonough (T5th, 10-6) followed. “I transferred from Tyler County last year. This is a great group of guys .

“I wouldn’t have wanted to spend senior year without them. Very young and they have loads of potential. So proud and so pumped with everybody’s performance this weekend. The crazy thing is we’re (Fertig) going to Marietta College and he’s my roommate. The football days are over. Pole vault is my bread and butter, but I’m hoping to do the 400, 4×4 and maybe a little long jump in college.”

The only individual runner-up efforts aside from Milhoan in the 400 belonged to the Rebel Rogerson (800, 2:01.19; 3rd, 400, 50.40) and Williamstown’s Frank Conner (1600, 4:22.91), who was followed by Magnolia’s Landen Davis (3rd, 4:28.14), Tyler Consolidated’s Amos Kimble (5th, 4:32.91), ‘Jacket Julian Johnson (7th, 4:37.22) and Blue Eagle Shiv Patel (8th, 4:37.87). Also scoring in the 800 were Bulldog Gunner Kimball (4th, 2:03.62), Davis (6th, 2:04.03) and St. Marys’ Reece Westfall (7th, 2:04.80).

Trent also finished seventh in the 200 (23.17) and fifth in the 400 (51.16).

Wood County Christian’s Isaiah Boardman, who clocked in at 17.02 which was good for eighth, was the lone scorer in the 110 hurdles.

Williamstown’s Brogan Law (5th, 42.98), Wirt County’s Kaedon Sees (6th, 43.32) and Doddridge County’s Brycen Eidel (7th, 43.54) had podium efforts in the 300 hurdles.

Coach Burnside’s crew was aided to the runner-up team finish thanks to placing fourth in the 4×100 (Aiden James, Seth Cass, Eidel, Snyder; 45.24) and third in the 4×2 (Snyder, Trent, James, Berryman; 1:33.75).

Williamstown (5th, Cooper Billingsley, Will Sites, Jackson Kerry, Carson Brundige; 45.52), Magnolia (7th, Preston Beverlin, Gage Scott, Kole Goddard, J D Mensore; 46.23) and St. Marys (8th, Xavier Cunningham, Jake Delancey, Ryan Kent, Logan Eddy; 46.74) also scored in the 4×100.

In the 4×2, St. Marys was fourth thanks to Cunningham, Eddy, Reece Westfall and Delancey running a 1:35.65. Ritchie (5th, Malolepszy, Moore, Jasper Stringer, Copeland; 1:36.44) and Magnolia (7th, Goddard, Scott, Beverlin, Mensore; 1:36.68) also placed.

Following the Rebels and Bulldogs in the 4×4 were fifth-place Williamstown (Jackson Kerry, Julian Johnson, Colt Hesson, Law; 3:40.10) as well as St. Marys (6th, Westfall, Preston Lawhon, Eddy, Jay Mote; 3:40.82), Wirt County (7th, Isaiah Sampson, Byron Long, Matthew Balis, Sees; 3:44.97) and Wood County Christian (8th, Isaiah Boardman, Jimmy Erlandson, Garrett Boardman, Christian Erlandson; 3:45.09).