Helena High School’s Damian Hines emerges as 2021 AHSAA Decathlon Champion
By Josh Bean
Hoover, AL – Helena High School senior Damian Hines won two events and finished runner-up in three others to capture the AHSAA Decathlon Championship on Tuesday at Hoover High School’s Mary Birdwell Track, finishing the two-day competition with 6,178 points.
The 6-foot, 190-pound Hines won the discus with a throw of 126 feet 6 inches on Tuesday after winning the shot put with a throw of 40 feet, 4 inches on Monday. He was runner-up in Tuesday’s javelin with a heave of 148 feet, 11 inches, falling just four inches behind Falkville’s Mikell Elliott.
Hines’ other runner-up finishes in individual events were in the long jump (21 feet, 8 inches) and 100-meter dash (11.32 seconds), both of which were on Monday’s opening day of competition. He finished in the top 10 in eight of the 10 events and was no lower than 17th in any event.
Auburn’s Tray Reynolds captured runner-up with 5,897 points, thanks to winning the 110-meter hurdles in 14.14 seconds Tuesday after being second in the high jump (5 feet, 11½ inches) and third in the long jump (20 feet, 10 inches) and shot put (39 feet, 6½ inches) on Monday.
Hewitt-Trussville’s Ethan Womack finished third overall with 5,697 points, as he ran second in the 1,500-meter dash (4:36.75) and third in the 110-meter hurdles (15.75 seconds). Haleyville’s Lewis Barber was fourth overall, and Homewood’s Cross Derriso was fifth.
Approximately 50 athletes competed in the 2021 decathlon championship. Hines is the first champ since 2019 because the AHSAA’s 2020 spring championship season was cancelled because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
2021 AHSAA Decathlon Championship at Hoover High School
Final Points Leaders
Overall: Damian Hines, Helena, 6,178 points; Tray Reynolds, Auburn, 5,897; Ethan Womack, Hewitt-Trussville, 5,697; Lewis Barber, Haleyville, 5,676; Cross Derriso, Homewood, 5,578; Blake Ellis, Thompson, 5,292; Javon Glenn, Oxford, 5,289; Bradley Cope, Corner, 5,080; Dalton Bailey, Sipsey Valley, 5,964; Cameron Dowdell, Auburn, 4,776.
TUESDAY’S EVENTS (Top 10)
110-meter hurdles: Tray Reynolds, Auburn, 14.14; Lewis Barber, Haleyville, 15.62; Ethan Womack, Hewitt-Trussville, 15.75; Javon Glenn, Oxford, 16.20; Isaac Pollard, James Clemens, 16.57; Cameron Dowdell, Auburn, 16.62; Heath Whigham, McGill-Toolen, 16.87; Dalton Bailey, Sipsey Valley, 16.89; Damian Hines, Helena, 17.00; Malachi Goble, Ohatchee, 17.03.
Discus: Damian Hines, Helena, 126 feet, 6 inches; Cross Derriso, Homewood, 108-11; Kelly Hay, Randolph, 107-9; Blayne Myrick, Fairhope, 107-7; Ethan Womack, Hewitt-Trussville, 102-8; Riley Margene, Briarwood Christian, 96-4; Gabe Gilliland, Oneonta, 91-7; Sage Robertson, Westbrook Christian, 90-9; Ethan Hammett, Oak Mountain, 89-6; Lewis Barber, Haleyville, 89-3.
Pole Vault: Cross Derriso, Homewood, 14 feet, 5¼ inches; Brooks Gibson, McGill-Toolen, 13-11¼; Blake Ellis, Thompson, 13-5¼; Gavin Horton, Thompson, 13-5¼; Riley Margene, Briarwood Christian, 13-5¼; Damian Hines, Helena, 12-11½; Kelly Hay, Randolph, 12-11½; Braxton Sanford, Corner, 11-11¾; Chris Ferguson, Ohatchee, 11-11¾; Bradley Cope, Corner, 11-11¾.
Javelin: Mikell Elliott, Falkville, 151 feet, 3 inches; Damian Hines, Helena, 148-11; Jamison Rowell, Skyline, 143-0; Javon Glenn, Oxford, 140-3; Blake Ellis, Thompson, 136-1; Lewis Barber, Haleyville, 135-8; Troy Galloway, Ohatchee, 135-0; Ethan Womack, Hewitt-Trussville, 130-4; Cross Derriso, Homewood, 130-2; Sage Robertson, Westbrook Christian, 127-3.
1,500 meters: Elijah Joseph, Hoover, 4:22.34; Ethan Womack, Hewitt-Trussville, 4:26.75; Isaac Pollard, James Clemens, 4:40.30; Julian Fore, Hoover, 4:47.56; Lewis Barber, Haleyville, 4:50.86; Javon Glenn, Oxford, 4:56.01; Nicholas Rushton, James Clemens, 4:56.40; Dalton Bailey, Sipsey Valley, 4:57.57; Bradley Cope, Corner, 4:59.39; Heath Whigham, McGill-Toolen, 5:00.06.
MONDAY’S EVENTS
100 meters: Javon Glenn, Oxford, 11.31 seconds; Damian Hines, Helena, 11.32; Bradley Cope, Corner, 11.35; Tray Reynolds, Auburn, 11.40; Max Kuehnert, Mountain Brook, 11.57; Keydrix Minor, Austin, 11.59; Julian Fore, Hoover, 11.60; Kevin Moore, Center Point, 11.66; Blake Ellis, Thompson, 11.68; Cross Derriso, Homewood, 11.68.
400 meters: Javon Glenn, Oxford, 49.53 seconds; Julian Fore, Hoover, 50.82; Cameron Dowdell, Auburn, 52.86; Ethan Womack, Hewitt-Trussville, 52.89; Tray Reynolds, Auburn, 53.0; Bradley Cope, Corner, 53.09; Dalton Bailey, Sipsey Valley, 53.62; Matthew Rainer, Vestavia Hills, 53.98; Isaac Pollard, James Clemens, 54.09; Elijay Joseph, Hoover, 54.51.
High jump: Ethan Hammett, Oak Mountain, 6 feet, 3½ inches; Tray Reynolds, Auburn, 5-11½; Cameron Nunn, Cold Springs, 5-11½; Lewis Barber, Haleyville, 5-11½; Brodie Malcom, Cullman 5-9¾; Keydrix Minor, Austin, 5-9¾; Julian Fore, Hoover, 5-9¾; Damian Hines, Helena, 5-7¾; Matthew Rainer, Vestavia Hills, 5-7¾; Javon Glenn, Oxford, 5-7¾.
Long jump: Cameron Dowdell, Auburn, 21 feet, 11¾ inches; Damian Hines, Helena, 21-8; Tray Reynolds, Auburn, 20-10; Brodie Malcom, Cullman, 20-9¼; Lewis Barber, Haleyville, 20-9; Benjamin Thomason, James Clemens, 20-7; Ethan Hammett, Oak Mountain, 20-6½; Max Kuehnert; Mountain Brook, 20-5; Dalton Bailey, Sipsey Valley, 19-9½; Gabe Gilliland, Oneonta, 19-8.
Shot put: Damian Hines, Helena, 40 feet, 4 inches; Mikell Elliott, Falkville, 39-9¾; Tray Reynolds, Auburn, 39-6½; Blayne Myrick, Fairhope, 38-2¾; Cross Derriso, Homewood, 37-6¾; Troy Galloway, Ohatchee, 36-11; Gabe Gilliland, Oneonta, 35-7¾; Jamison Rowell, Skyline, 35-0½; Sage Robertson, Westbrook Christian, 34-6¾; Kelly Hay, Randolph, 34-5.
(Top photo from left) The top five finishers in the 2021 AHSAA Decathlon Championship are, from left, fifth place: Cross Derriso of Homewood; fourth place: Lewis Barber of Haleyville; third place: Ethan Womack of Hewitt-Trussville; runner-up: Tray Reynolds of Auburn; champion Damian Hines of Helena; and AHSAA Director of Officials Ken Washington (AHSAA Photo / Josh Bean)
