Spartans girls avenge indoor result, win state outdoor

The Mountain Brook High School girls track and field team made good on its mission in the spring season.

After losing the indoor state meet by fewer than two points to Northridge, the Spartans girls avenged that result by winning the program’s first Class 6A state outdoor title since 2011. It was another tightly contested meet between Mountain Brook and Northridge, with the Spartans outscoring the Jaguars 116-111.5 at the meet, held May 5-7 in Gulf Shores.

“To be able to put it together is pretty special,” Mountain Brook coach Michael McGovern said. “We had a great start to the first day and that set the tone for the weekend. We kept it rolling.”

Beyond Mountain Brook and Northridge, St. Paul’s was a distant third, followed by Homewood and Saraland.

Mountain Brook led after each of the first two days of competition, but Northridge put forth a rally on the third and final day of the meet, which was not unexpected. But in the final two events, the 800-meter run and the 4x400-meter relay, Mountain Brook scored 34 total points to claim the win.

The Spartans girls swept the top three spots in the 800 and 1,600. In the 800, Lucy Benton crossed the line first, in 2:10, followed by Reagan Riley and Hunter Anderson. Riley won the 1,600 with a time of 4:51, as Benton and Anderson followed close behind.

All three runners had big weeks and scored big points in all four events they ran. Riley also took home the top prize in the 3,200, winning that in 10:55. She was also on the 4x800 relay team that won in 9:35. Benton was fourth in the 400 and Anderson came across seventh.

In the 3,200, Mary Katherine Malone and Kennedy Hamilton finished fifth and sixth. 

McGovern gave significant praise to Lucy Redden, a contributor on the Mountain Brook volleyball team for several years. She had a terrific spring, capping it off with a third-place in the 100-meter hurdles, a fourth-place finish in the 300 hurdles and as a part of the winning 4x400 relay.

In the field events, Ellie Fooshee finished second in the javelin throw, reaching 119 feet, 10 inches. Camille Gillum, a senior headed to compete at Washington and Lee University, took home fourth in the high jump competition as well. 

The Mountain Brook boys tallied 28 points, good for eighth place in 6A. Scottsboro won the the state meet, beating McGill-Toolen 79-76. St. Paul’s, Homewood and Clay-Chalkville finished third through fifth. 

Davis Plowden led the way for the Spartans, winning the 800 in 1:52.2, his fastest time of the year. He also anchored the 4x800 relay team that finished third and was on the 4x400 team that placed fourth. Plowden was also ninth in the 1,600.

Davis Lee finished sixth in the 400, Caleb Mumm was sixth in the pole vault, and George Lloyd and Gri Cashio placed eighth and ninth in the javelin.