Handley’s Nolan wins state shot put title

Handley’s Destiny Nolan came away with the county’s only gold medal at the state track and field meets in Gulf Shores and Cullman over the weekend, and for the second straight year the Wadley girls landed the highest finish among county schools in the team standings.

Nolan’s performance in the shot put was the high point of the weekend. Her throw of 34 feet, 10 inches was good for first place in that event, a full foot longer than second place finisher Chloe Dukes of Bibb County.

That individual state title accounted for 10 of the Handley girls’ 17 points, which gave them a 15th-place finish in the team standings.

The best team performance came from the Wadley girls team in Cullman. They finished ninth in the standings with a total of 31 points, 11 of which came from a solid performance by Cailin Birdsong.

Birdsong finished 4th in 300M hurdles (5 points), 4th in 100M hurdles (5 points) and 8th in 400M dash (1 point).

Wadley also got a pair of second-place performances, one each from A’mya Brown and Celest Angel. Brown’s silver medal came in the discus, with a throw of 100 feet, 4 inches. Angel earned silver in the javelin with a throw of 107 feet, 6 inches – just four inches shy of first-place finisher Brantleigh Williams of Decatur Heritage.

Wadley finished second overall in the team standings in 2021.

Here are the rest of the athletes who earned points for their teams at the state meets:

Handley girls – 17 points (15th place)

• Destiny Nolan – 1st in shot put (10 points)

• 4×100 relay team – 5th place (4 points)

• Takeira Tucker – 6th in long jump (3 points)

Handley boys – 14 points (20th place)

• Jay Haynes – 2nd in long jump (8 points)

• Maurice Cameron – 6th in triple jump (3 points)

• Devontae Higgins – 7th in high jump (2 points)

• 4×400 relay team – 8th place (1 point)

Woodland girls – 8 points (19th place)

• Ella Waites – 2nd in 800M run (8 points)

Woodland boys – 2 points

Austin Champion – 8th in shot put (1 point), 8th in discus (1 point)

RCHS girls – 2 points

• Anna Grace Henderson – 7th in triple jump (2 points)