Led by Strand, Rebels triumph at state
The disappointment that the Rebels felt three months prior provided the push they needed.
In February, the Vestavia Hills High School boys track and field team felt the sting of losing the Class 7A indoor track and field meet by 3.5 points to Hewitt-Trussville. The Rebels flipped the script May 1, edging Hewitt 104.5-91 to win the state outdoor meet in Gulf Shores.
It was the second outdoor title in program history, with the Rebels winning previously in 2008.
“The adversity you had earlier is what motivates the kids for the next competition,” Vestavia Hills coach Brett Huber said. “These kids really care for each other and have a lot of team camaraderie.”
The girls put together a strong state meet as well, posting a third-place finish.
On the surface, it appeared like any other dominant meet from Ethan Strand, who has rarely been beaten by anyone the last few years. He won all four events he entered, but there was far more to the story than that.
After posting a time of 4:11.77 and winning the 1,600-meter run on the first day of the state meet, Strand was stricken with a bout of food poisoning.
“We didn’t think he’d be able to compete the next day,” Huber said.
But Strand refused to succumb to the illness. He was able to eat breakfast the following morning, then went out and set a state record in the 3,200 with a time of 9:12. Later in the day, he anchored the Rebels’ 4x800 relay team — which also included Max Armstrong, Will Jordan and Alex Leath — and led it to victory. He set a state record in all three of his individual events.
“What Ethan did and how important it was to him characterizes what it meant to this team,” Huber said.
The Vestavia boys won the Mountain Brook Invitational earlier in the season, a result that gave them confidence they could win the state meet if they performed to their potential.
Tyler Moore put together an incredible performance to snag second in the 100-meter dash at state. Leath was second in the 400 and third in the 800. Bo Webb had a strong meet, posting a third-place finish in the 300-meter hurdles and fourth in the 110 hurdles. Jonathon Wilson was fifth in the 110 hurdles. Sam Culbertson was fourth in the high jump as well.
The girls vaulted to third after finishing fifth at the section meet the week prior. Crawford West won in the 1,600 and 3,200 and finished second in the 800. Angelica Vines had a standout meet as well, finishing second in the 300 hurdles and third in the 100 hurdles. Gabby Walls placed third in high jump and Abbie Richenderfer was third in pole vault. Azaria Wright placed fifth in the 100 hurdles.
“Only two or three boys had ever been to state, so that’s special,” Huber said. “The girls got third in indoor and third in outdoor and I can’t say enough about them.”
Gigi Sharp, Kennedy Moreland, Catey Rose Callahan, Maggie Phillips, Ava Berry, Sally Isbell, John Stephens, Henry Strand, Jack Lockhart, William Elliot, Stephen Dease, James Bevill, Matthew Jemison, Matthew Rainer and Donald Mosley also competed for the Rebels.