South Pointe pair, Indian Land 8th grader, win track and field state titles

Four local track and field athletes won state titles this weekend at the SCHSL state championships, hosted by Spring Valley High School.

South Pointe had a pair of 3A winners, with Niegel Simmons becoming the Stallions’ fourth state champion in the long jump, and Olivia Paxton winning the school’s first female state championship, in the 3200 meters.

Rock Hill’s Van Perry won the 4A boys’ pole vault state championship, while - perhaps most impressively - Indian Land eighth grader Kaitlyn Rodman finished first in the 2A girls’ 1600 meters. She became the school’s first female - and middle school - state champion.

There were numerous top-three finishes as well.

York duo Kamian McClain and Ke’Trael Lytle both produced 4A silver finishes in the 110 meter hurdles and long jump, respectively. Fort Mill sophomore Jessica Brewer placed second in the 4A girls’ pole vault, while her teammate, Sherae Redmond, finished in a three-way tie for second place in the 4A girls’ long jump. Northwestern’s Victoria Wilform was part of that three-way tie.

And Trojans junior Miles Mingo capped a busy day with a second place finish in the 400-meter dash.

Lewisville’s Megan Flynn - who won four different events at the Region 3-A meet last week - placed third in the 1A girls’ 800 meters. Northwestern’s Tyler Pierre took a bronze in the 4A boys’ triple jump. And relay units from Indian Land (boys’ 4x100), South Pointe (boys’ 4x100), and Northwestern (girls’ 4x100) also finished in third place in the state.

On the team front, Northwestern had a typically strong finish placing third in the boys’ standings and ninth in the girls. York finished 10th in the boys’ standings thanks in large part to Lytle and McClain’s efforts.

Top-five finishes

Great Falls

Boys

Aaron Rice, 100 meter dash, fourth place, 10.78

Lewisville

Boys

James Peeler, triple jump, fifth place, 42 feet, 5.5 inches

Girls

Megan Flynn, 800 meter run, third place, 2:25.40

Indian Land

Boys

4x100 meter relay, third place, 44.03

John Gregory, 110 meter hurdles, fourth place, 15.55; 400 meter hurdles, second place, 57.87

Girls

Mikayla Wallace, 100 meter, fourth place, 12.27

Kaitlyn Rodman, 1600 meter, first place, 5:26.53

Chester

Girls

NaDera Yarborough, 100 meter dash, fourth place, 12.46; 200 meter dash, fifth place, 25.45

South Pointe

Boys

Niegel Simmons, long jump, first place, 23 feet, 10.5 inches (4.5 inches better than Dreher’s Jacory Patterson, who finished second)

4x100 meter relay - finished third

Girls

Olivia Paxton, 3200 meter run, first place, 11:12.58

4x400 meter relay, fifth place, 4:09.04

T’Kaja Williams, long jump, fifth place, 16 feet, 7.25 inches

Fort Mill

Girls

Jessica Brewer, pole vault, second place, 11 feet, 6 inches

Sherae Redmond, high jump, tied for second place, 5 feet, 2 inches

Northwestern

Boys

4x400 meter relay, fourth place, 3:23.89

junior Miles Mingo, 400 meter dash, second place, 48.75; 200 meter dash, fourth place, 21.95

Tay’Anthony Pittman, 400 meter hurdles, fourth place, 57.52

Tyler Pierre, triple jump, third place, 46 feet, 6.5 inches

Girls

4x100 meter relay, third place, 47.82

Nicole Rauppius, 400 meter hurdles, fourth place, 1:03.92

Jessica Young, discus, fifth place, 113 meters

Victoria Wilform, high jump, tied for second place, 5 feet, 2 inches

Rock Hill

Boys

Van Perry, pole vault, first place, 15 feet (half foot ahead of Wando’s Evan Bailey in second place)

Thailand Adams, 100 meter dash, fourth place, 10.86

York

Boys

Kamian McClain, 110 meter hurdles, second place, 14.84

Ke’trael Lytle, long jump, second place, 22 feet, 6.75 inches

Ben Watkins, pole vault, fourth place, 14 feet, 6 inches

This story was originally published May 15, 2016 at 11:58 AM with the headline "South Pointe pair, Indian Land 8th grader, win track and field state titles."