Gallery by Heather BelcherĀ
Charleston – Braydie Carr and Jaedan Holstein have plans in place for life after high school.
When both seniors arrive at their respective destinations, they will do so as high school track and field state champions.
Saturday afternoon at the state track meet on Laidley Field Carr brought home the title in the Class A boys 400 meter dash, while Holstein was the fasted to the finish line in the Class AA boys 800-meter run.
Carr entered his race having recorded the third best 400-meter Class A time in the state during the regular season.
Both runners that had the top-two times overall were in the race with Carr Saturday.
“I am a little surprised, but I knew I had it in me,” Carr said. “I have never felt a kick like that in the last 200 meters all year.”
Ironically, Carr’s time of 50.77 seconds to span the 400 meters will go down as the fastest time all season.
“I guess the states is the meet to do it in,” Carr said, smiling. “I hit it, stumbled and fell across the finish line, but it was worth it. I am pretty excited.”
Carr, who does not have a track to run on at James Monroe, said he used a little self motivation to bring home the top honor.
“We don’t have a track, we only have asphalt. That is how it is for our entire team,” Carr said. “My endurance is pretty high and some people might find it weird, but the last 100 meters I actually yell at myself. I say let’s run, let’s go, let’s go. I am trying to run as fast as I can, but it’s like my body won’t go, so I have to tell it to sometimes. It worked out.”
Prior to his exploits on the track, Carr was a key contributor in the Mavericks run to the Class A state title game in football last fall, but now, following graduation, he will turn his attention to serving his country in the United States Army.
“I have always known I wanted to go in the military,” Carr explained. “I applied for the three major scholarship. I applied for the National ROTC scholarship and I was blessed to get that one. I also applied for the Naval ROTC four-year Marine option scholarship and I got that one.”
“Then I applied to the United States Military Academy and I was very lucky to get in,” Carr went on to say. “It was nice to have all three options on the plate, but it is obviously hard to turn down West Point. I leave the last week of June and I won’t be back for a while.”
Holstein has also had a solid year earning all-state honors at the state cross-country meet and helped lead Shady Spring to its third straight trip the boy’s basketball state championship game.
His exploits Saturday may have caught many by surprise, but Holstein had full confidence in himself prior to the race.
“I felt like I had a chance (to win). I knew I just had to work hard,” Holstein said.
On the surface, the hill for the Shady standout was a big one to climb. During the regular season, Holstein’s best time was 2:02.23 which was the eighth best in the state.
The top time belonged to Slate Swiger from Lewis County at 1:58.07. Swiger topped his best time Saturday, but Holstein was on a mission.
“I checked some of the guys’ times before the race and I knew they were a little faster, but I knew I could out kick them,” Holstein said. “My plan was to sit until I got to the 200 (meter mark) and kick it.”
Riding patiently in the middle of the pack on the first lap, Holstein went to work on the backstretch. When the runners rounded the final turn, the future Concord Mountain Lion had the entire pack in tow.
Along with Swiger trailing Holstein was Winfield’s Brayden Marshall who had the second fastest time during the regular season.
The last 100 meters was all about who wanted it more and in his final high school meet, Holstein answered that question with a relentless effort to the finish line.
“That was all effort right there. I wasn’t using any muscle. I was using my arms and my stride,” Holstein explained. “There was like no leg muscles at all, but it was exhilarating when I crossed that line.”
Just like Carr did previously, Holstein saved his best run for Saturday, when it mattered most.
“I can’t even think straight right now, I am so excited,” Holstein said with his classic smile. “I have been working for this for years. All season I have been trying to get under two minutes and today I ran (1:57.25), so I am excited.”
When the track season started back in March, sophomore Mya Wooton was on crutches with a knee injury suffered late in the basketball season.
Saturday afternoon, the Beckley standout went from not knowing if she would run at all this season to runner-up in the Class AAA 400 meter dash.
“In my mind I knew I had to follow the tattoo as we say (Lorelei Bangit). I felt myself fall behind, so I knew I had to kick,” Wooton said. “I just kept telling myself, run, run, run. Take off and go. Why aren’t you running?”
Bangit entered the race as the winner of the 400 meter dash each of the last two years and held the fastest time during the regular season.
Saturday the Jefferson star again proved to be the best in the field, but Wooton also proved she will be a force in the coming years.
“Second place was what I wanted,” Wooton said. “That is what I got, but I knew I had to keep pushing though. Next year I got it.”
Other top-three finishers Saturday included Somalia Nelson from Beckley who was second in the Class AAA girls high jump and Shady Spring senior Hunter Davis who was second in the Class AA boys 110 meter hurdles.
Carlee Dillard from Richwood was also second in the Class A girls high jump and Natalie Barr from Nicholas County was second in the Class AA girls 800 meter run.
Chloe Cox from Richwood was third in the girls Class A discus throw, while Greenbrier West sophomore Isaac Agee was third in the Class A boys 110 meter hurdles.
Bluefield junior Amir Hairston capped an incredible comeback after a broken leg during football season to finish third in the Class AA boys 100 meter dash.
Aiden Kneeland from Beckley was third in the Class AAA boys 800 meter run and the Beckley girls came home third in the 4×400 meter relay. James Monroe also placed third in the Class A girls 4×100 meter relay.
The top eight finishers earned all-state honors. Full results are available at https://results.kvtfoa.net/2023051920/.