By: Adam Freeman
The Tucker County High School Mt. Lions track and field teams turned in a dominant showing at the Regional 2 Championship, with both the boys and girls teams earning runner-up finishes overall while collecting a remarkable number of individual and relay titles along the way.
The Mt. Lions showcased their depth in nearly every event category, producing multiple regional champions, All-Region honorees, and state qualifiers as they now prepare for the upcoming WVSSAC State Track Meet.
The boys team was led by several regional champions. Nate Ricottilli sprinted to a first-place finish in the 400-meter dash to earn All-Region honors, while Alex Collar captured the regional title in the 800-meter run and added a third-place finish in the 300-meter hurdles.
Distance standout Lynk Suesli delivered one of the meet’s most impressive performances, winning both the 1600-meter and 3200-meter runs to secure double All-Region honors. Suesli also placed third in the 800-meter run. Luke Barb added another regional title in the high jump and finished third in the long jump.
The Mt. Lions also saw fierce finishes from Reid Kisamore, who earned second place in both the 100-meter and 400-meter dashes, while Cameron Judy claimed runner-up finishes in both the 1600-meter and 3200-meter runs. Draven Bunnell added points with a third-place finish in the 1600-meter run and fourth in the 3200-meter run.
Additional top performances came from Landon Wilfong, who placed fifth in the 200-meter dash, and Evan Hexom, who finished third in the 110-meter hurdles.
Tucker County’s relay teams proved especially dominant. The quartet of Luke Barb, Keelyn Eichelberger, Nate Ricottilli, and Reid Kisamore captured the regional championship in the 4×200-meter relay, while Ricottilli, Eichelberger, Barb, and Kisamore also won the 4×400-meter relay title. Cameron Judy, Landon Wilfong, Alex Collar, and Lynk Suesli earned another regional crown in the 4×800-meter relay.
The Mt. Lions also secured third-place finishes in both the 4×100-meter relay and the 4×110 shuttle hurdles relay.
On the girls side, Tucker County continued its strong display with multiple regional championships and All-Region honors. Lela Wright sprinted to regional titles in both the 100-meter and 200-meter dashes, cementing herself as one of the area’s top sprinters.
Estoria Chase added another regional championship by winning the 3200-meter run, while Mayah Gross earned second place in the 400-meter dash and third in discus. Juniper Judy added runner-up honors in the 1600-meter run and placed fourth in the 3200-meter run. Livey Mayne also contributed with a sixth-place finish in the long jump.
The Lady Mt. Lions relay teams dominated throughout the meet. The team of Mayah Gross, Addi Moats, Rachel Hile, and Lela Wright captured regional championships in both the 4×100-meter and 4×200-meter relays. Addi Moats, Kenah Griffith, Livey Mayne, and Rachel Hile claimed first place in the 4×400-meter relay, while Moats, Mayne, Griffith, and Hile added another title in the 4×102.5 shuttle hurdles relay.
All first-place finishers earned All-Region honors, while all first- and second-place finishers automatically qualified for the WVSSAC State Track Meet.
With momentum building and numerous athletes advancing, the Tucker County Mt. Lions now set their sights on competing against the state’s best as they head to Charleston for the state championships.
