AHSAA Outdoor Track Spotlight | James Clemens’ Dylan Dryer, Hewitt-Trussville’s Avery Cahoon Deliver notable Outdoor Track Performances

By Josh Bean | For the AHSAA

MONTGOMERY – James Clemens High School senior Dylan Dryer accomplished something rare at the 1A-7A Cullman Classic track and field championships last week when he beat Cold Springs senior Ethan Edgeworth.

Dryer clocked 1:55.66 in the 800-meter dash at Cullman’s Oliver Woodard Stadium, beating Edgeworth, a University of Tennessee signee, in a photo finish to put him in this week’s AHSAA Outdoor Track Spotlight. Electronic timing also clocked Edgeworth with an identical time of 1:55.66.

Dryer, an Alabama-Huntsville signee, excels in the 800-meter dash, having won individual 800 titles at the James Clemens Early Bird Invitational, James Clemens Invitational and 1A-7A Cullman Classic this season. He finished fourth in the 800 meters in Class 7A at the 2024 AHSAA Indoor Track Championships in early February.

Edgeworth, a senior making his outdoor season debut, won virtually every cross country and indoor race he had competed in during the current school year. He set the all-classification AHSAA individual cross country record by clocking 14:34.29 at the 2023 AHSAA Cross Country Championships. He also won Class 1A-3A 800-, 1,600- and 3,200-meter individual titles at the 2024 AHSAA Indoor Track Championships.

Interestingly, the time of 1:55.66 turned in by Dryer and Edgeworth ties the state’s best 800-meter outdoor performance so far this season. Hoover’s Cannon Peters also clocked 1:55.66 at the Vestavia Hills King of the Mountain meet earlier this month.

Peters delivered the state’s best 1,600-meter time of the season so far at last week’s Homewood Invitational, clocking 4:17.36.

On the girls’ side, Hewitt-Trussville’s Avery Cahoon takes center stage in this week’s AHSAA Outdoor Track Spotlight after she clocked 4:55.68 to win the 1,600 meters at the Homewood Invitational. Her time ranks No. 1 in the state and 25th nationally so far during the outdoor track season.

Of note, the top five 1,600-meter times for female runners so far this season were delivered at the Homewood Invitational – Cahoon at 4:55.68, Chelsea’s Ty Cason at 4:57.22, Spain Park’s Delaney Vickers at 4:58.50, Briarwood Christian’s Bela Doss at 5:03.01, and Auburn’s Sarah Tole at 5:03.03.

Here’s a look at other notable outdoor track performances from the last week, as reported by www.alabamarunners.com:

GIRLS

ZARIA PARKER, JAMES CLEMENS: Clocked 12.08 seconds to win the 100 meters at the 1A-7A Cullman Classic at Oliver Woodard Stadium in Cullman. It’s the fastest 100-meter time for an AHSAA female sprinter this season.

MYLA REED, BAKER: Won the 100-meter dash at the Gulf Shores St. Patrick’s Day Meet with a time of 12.25 seconds.

CAROLINE SANDERS, SCOTTSBORO: Won the long jump at the 1A-7A Cullman Classic with a leap of 18 feet, 2 inches and won the high jump by clearing 5 feet, 6 inches. Her high jump is the best in the state by a female athlete so far during outdoor track season.
KATIE MAE COAN, LAWRENCE COUNTY: Won the 3,200 meters at the 1A-7A Cullman Classic with a time of 11:05.82.

REMY RICHARDS, SPAIN PARK: Clocked 11:12.66 to win the 3,200 meters at the Homewood Invitational.
GEORGIA JAYNE STUCKEY, MOUNTAIN BROOK: Finished runner-up in the 3,200 meters at the Homewood Invitational with a time of 11:12.84.

DAISY LUNA, HOOVER: Won the 400 meters with a. time of 57.17 seconds at the Homewood Invitational.

TAYLOR CANADA, HOOVER: Finished runner-up in the 400 meters at the Homewood Invitational with a time of 57.82 seconds.

MALEA WIGGINS, ATHENS: Won the shot put with a throw of 39 feet, 1½ inches at the Albertville Varsity Meet No. 2. She also won the long jump with a leap of 15 feet, 9 ¾ inches.

AKASHA DUDLEY, THOMPSON: Won the shot put event at the Homewood Invitational with a throw of 38 feet, 10 inches.

CHRISTIANA BELCHER, VESTAVIA HILLS: Won the javelin at the Homewood Invitational with a throw of 130 feet, 10 inches.

KARLEIGH MILLS, NORTHSIDE METHODIST: Won the javelin at the Thursday Night Lights meet in Enterprise with a heave of 129 feet, 6 inches.

MADISYN HAWKINS, HEWITT-TRUSSVILLE: Won the discus at the Homewood Invitational with a throw of 130 feet, 1 inch. She was also second in the shot put with a throw of 38 feet.

CHARITY COLLIER, SPARKMAN: Finished third in the shot put at the Homewood Invitational with at throw of 37 feet, 4¾ inches.

KATIE WILKERSON, BEAUREGARD: Finished second in the discus at the Homewood Invitational with a throw of 129 feet, 7 inches and finished second in the javelin with a throw of 128 feet, 1 inch.

CARLEE CRAFT, BEAUREGARD: Finished third in the javelin at the Homewood Invitational with a throw of 127 feet, 1 inch.

MORGAN THRIFT, ELBERTA: Finished runner-up in the discus at the Gulf Shores St. Patrick’s Day Meet with a throw of 120 feet, 9 inches.

LUCY BENTON, MOUNTAIN BROOK: Won the 800 meters at the Homewood Invitational with a time of 2:10.42.

MIA DUNAVANT, CHELSEA: Finished runner-up in the 800 meters at the Homewood Invitational with a time of 2:15.51.
LIBBY CHANCE, ARAB: Won the pole vault at the 1A-7A Cullman Classic by clearing 11 feet, 1 inch.

McKINSIE REGISTER, AUBURN: Clocked 43.40 seconds to win the 300-meter hurdles at the Homewood Invitational.

HOPE COLLINS, FOLEY: Clocked 48.98 seconds to win the 300-meter hurdles at the Gulf Shores St. Patrick’s Day Meet.

NYEL SETTLES, HOOVER: Won the high jump at the Homewood Invitational by clearing 5 feet, 4 inches. She was second in the triple jump with a leap of 36 feet.

JAYDA HAMMONDS, HEWITT-TRUSSVILLE: Finished runner-up in the long jump at the Homewood Invitational with a leap of 17 feet, 7¾ inches.

KATHERINE LEE, AUBURN: Won the triple jump at the Homewood Invitational with a leap of 36 feet, 3 inches.

ANSLEY MURPHY, BRIARWOOD CHRISTIAN & ANNIE KERR, MOUNTAIN: Both cleared 11 feet, 6 inches in the pole vault at the Homewood Invitational.

KRISLYN THOMAS, VESTAVIA HILLS: Cleared 11 feet to finish third in the pole vault at the Homewood Invitational.

BOYS

DENVER CASH, HOOVER: Clocked 37.62 seconds to win the 300-meter hurdles at the Homewood Invitational. It’s the state’s best time so far this season, as well as the fourth-best 300-meter hurdles times nationally. He also won the 110-meter hurdles with a time of 13.85 seconds.

ERYK BROWN, CHELSEA: Won the 200 meters at the Homewood Invitational with a time of 21.55 seconds, which is the state’s best time so far this season.

JORDAN WOOLEN, HOOVER: Finished runner-up in the 200 meters at the Homewood Invitational with a time of 21.67 seconds.

BRADLEY FRANKLIN, THOMPSON: Ran second in the 110-meter hurdles at the Homewood Invitational with a time of 14.05 seconds.

JOSH POWELL, SPANISH FORT: Won the long jump with a leap of 23 feet, 7 ½ inches and won the triple jump with a leap of 46 feet, 11 inches at the Gulf Shores St. Patrick’s Day Meet.

RJ TORBOR, HOOVER: Finished third in the 110-meter hurdles at the Homewood Invitational with a time of 14.57 seconds.

SLATE ROHRER, HOMEWOOD: Clocked 38.53 seconds to finish second in the 300-meter hurdles at the Homewood Invitational.

JOE QUEZ KEITH, SPARKMAN: Ran third in the 300-meter hurdles at the Homewood Invitational with a time of 39.42 seconds.

PARKER CAMPBELL, CHELSEA: Finished runner-up in the 1,600 meters at the Homewood Invitational with a time of 4:20.96.

SHAWN STEPHENSON, NORTHRIDGE: Ran fourth in the 1,600 meters at the Homewood Invitational with a time of 4:22.87.

COLE ROBINSON, JAMES CLEMENS: Won the 3,200 meters at the 1A-7A Cullman Classic with a time of 9:29.63.

ANGLIN YOUNG, NORTHRIDGE: Won the 3,200 meters at the Homewood Invitational with a time of 9:39.68.

TRAVIS BARNETT, HOLLY POND: Clocked 1:56.02 to finish third in the 800 meters at the 1A-7A Cullman Classic.

COLVIN BUSSEY, HOMEWOOD: Finished second in the 800 meters at the Homewood Invitational with a time of 1:56.04.

WINSTON McGHEE, SPANISH FORT: Won the 800 meters at the Gulf Shores St. Patrick’s Day Meet with a time of 1:56.63.

MARLON MILLER, BLOUNT: Won the 400-meter dash at the Gulf Shores St. Patrick’s Day Meet with a time of 48.86 seconds.

JEREMIAH FRANKLIN, CENTER POINT: Won the 100 meters at the JefCo HS league Meet No. 2 at Center Point with a time of 10.81 seconds.

JADEN KING, CALERA: Won the 400 meters at the Homewood Invitational with a time of 49.14 seconds.

DALLAS BECK, HOOVER: Ran second in the 400 meters at the Homewood Invitational clocking 49.36 seconds.

ARTHUR MARTIN, REELTOWN: Won three events – the 100-meter dash with a time of 10.83 seconds, the 110-meter hurdles in 15.54 seconds and the long jump with a leap of 20 feet, 7 inches – at the Handley Invitational in Roanoke. His long jump and 100-meter time were personal records.

JAMARURI McCLURE, GOSHEN: Won the 100 meters in 10.84 seconds and won the 200 meters in 22.33 seconds at the CCS No. 3 meet in Andalusia.

BRADLEY SHAW, HOOVER: Won the shot put at the Homewood Invitational with a throw of 52 feet, 5 inches.

HENRY DREW, VESTAVIA HILLS: Finished runner-up in the shot put at the Homewood Invitational with a throw of 52 feet, 1 inch.

DEZMON THOMAS, ENTERPRISE: Won the shot put at the Thursday Night Lights meet in Enterprise with a throw of 52 feet.

JACK STUBBS, VESTAVIA HILLS: Won the long jump with a leap of 23 feet, 3 inches at the Homewood Invitational.

JAYSHON RIDGLE, ATHENS: Won four events at the Albertville Varsity Meet No. 2 – 100 meters in 10.82 seconds, 200 meters in 23.72 seconds, 110-meter hurdles in 15.21 seconds and the long jump with a leap of 22 feet, 7¾ inches.

ISAIAH RIGGINS, CARROLL: Won the triple jump with a leap of 48 feet at the Thursday Night Lights meet in Enterprise.

CHARLES CROWDER, HOOVER: Won the long jump at the Homewood Invitational with a leap of 46 feet, 10 inches.

KEVIN JOSEPH, HILLCREST-EVERGREEN: Won the triple jump at the T.R. Miller Home Meet No. 2 in Brewton with a leap of 46 feet, 5 inches.

KILAN LITTLE, NORTHRIDGE: Finished second in the triple jump at the Homewood Invitational with a leap of 45 feet, 6 inches.

MALACHI TAYLOR, ANNISTON: Finished third in in the triple jump at the Homewood Invitational with a leap of 45 feet, 1 inch.

ZACHARY ERICKSON, SPAIN PARK: Won the discus at the Homewood Invitational with a throw of 151 feet, 6 inches.

GRANT WEIGHALL, HOOVER: Won the javelin at the Homewood Invitational with a heave of 182 feet.