By Cody Nichols

Crenshaw County Schools brought home a new state championship thanks to Brantley High School’s Kenyuan Dixon and his performance in the 1A High Jump competition at the AHSAA State Field and Track Meet (1A-3A) held in Cullman, Alabama on April 30^t– May 1.  Dixon faced several competitors in multiple rounds of attempts, but was able to clear a height of 6 feet to clench the state title.

All athletes and teams who finished in the top three were recognized with medals on the awards podium.  Other podium finishes for county schools included Luverne High School’s Nikki Taylor.  Taylor placed third in the Boys 2A 100 Meter Dash with a time of 10.93 seconds and second in the 200 Meter Dash with a time of 22.58 seconds. Luverne’s Boys 4×100 Relay Team also earned a second place finish in 2A with their time of 44.65 seconds.

Relay team and individual event competitors who finished in the top eight in each event earn points for their team. Other Luverne athletes earning points for their team included:  Girls 4×100 Relay Team (fourth place), Dayomas Magwood (Boy’s 110 Meter Hurdles, fifth place) and John Taylor (Boy’s Long Jump, fifth place)

Brantley High School athletes earned points in both the boys and girls divisions.  Those earning points for the girls included the 4×100 Relay Team (sixth place), Gabby Perkins (100 Meter Dash, eighth place) and Kendal Nichols (Javelin, sixth place).  The Brantley boys earned points from the 4×100 Meter Relay Team (fourth place), the 4×400 Meter Relay Team (fifth place) and from Eli Nichols (300 Meter Hurdles, seventh place).

The outdoor track season begins in late February each year and concludes with the state championships in early May.