By Stephen Smoot
Pendleton County High School’s girls’ track squad took a leap ahead this year, relying on experienced athletes to lead while others worked and showed improvement.
One of the shining stars for the girls was Emma Hartman. Also a star on the volleyball squad, Hartman brought her competitiveness to track and field this spring. Head coach Christopher Wilburn shared that “on that side, she’s been a leader for us.”
Aubree Keiter showed her strength in races such as the 200 meter. At Frankfort in March, she ran for a 34.70 in that event, but sliced her time to 31.1 in a second place finish at Moorefield a little over a week later. At PVLs on April 24, she performed even better, running a 30.30.
Abigail Engle, who competed in the throwing events, “picked things up” and “learned quickly.” In late March at Frankfort, Engle threw shot for a distance of 19’ 10.5”. Almost six weeks later at the Jim Turbin Memorial, she threw for a 21-03.00.
The first year thrower showed even more dramatic improvement in discus. At the Jim Turbin Memorial, she threw a 70.00 and placed ninth, almost 13 feet more than her 15th place effort at Frankfort on March 28. Wilburn said he’s “very hopeful for next year.”
Ila Jones also competed well through the year, picking up a second place finish at East Hardy on May 1 in the 200-meter race and a third place finish in the same event at Moorefield in early April.
Jones, Hartman, Keiter, and Laney Sites-Woods formed the 4×400 relay team. Wilburn praised them, saying, “It was nice to see them gel at the right time,” and that from their team, “you could not ask for a better effort.”
Sites-Woods, a mainstay for the cross-country team as well, ran in the longer distance races for the Wildcats. At Moorefield on April 9, she clocked in at 3:01.4, then ran a 3:03.52 the next week at Keyser.
The main theme for the team through the spring lay in consistency and improvement. Times and performances got better over the season. With most of the mainstays competing as juniors, the 2025 season looks to be one in which the girls can push for big goals at the regional and even the state level.
“It was nice to see them improve from beginning to end,” Wilburn said of the girls’ team.
