COLD SPRINGS – A decade of dominating the Cullman County Track & Field event by Cold Springs ended in a dramatic comeback by the Fairview Lady Aggies today.
With four events remaining, the Lady Aggies were down 172 points to 144 against the Lady Eagles.
Fairview made up the deficit and soared to the championship Wednesday afternoon at Cranford Stricklin Stadium, scoring 47 points in the last four events with Cold Springs getting just 7.5.
The Lady Aggies tallied 191 points for their time on the track and in the field events. Cold Springs had 179.5 for the runner-up position with West Point third at 117.5, Holly Pond fourth with 102.5, followed by Good Hope with 58, Hanceville 17 and Vinemont 7.
While the Lady Aggies made it a dramatic finish, the Cold Springs Eagles were on their way to their third consecutive county crown one-third into the competition.
Through six of the 18 scheduled events, the Eagles were up with 99 points with West Point way back in second at 37. Cold Springs would cruise to first place, scoring 273 points, West Point second at 125 and Holly Pond third with 78.
Alexus Lindsey of Fairview was a big part of the Lady Aggies claiming the county title for the first time in a decade. Fairview had suffered narrow defeats to Cold Springs the last two years, losing by a point in the 2015 meet and three points in the 2014 championship.
Lindsey was the winner in the 100-meter hurdles, the javelin, the pole vault and the 300-meter hurdles, scoring 10 points per event for her team.
She would get 40 on the afternoon and share the MVP award with Cold Springs' Ashleigh White, who also claimed first place in four events.
White was the winner in the 800, 1,600 and 3,200 and was part of the winning team in the 4 X 800-relay with Abi Burrow, Sadie Terry and Alyssa Jackson.
Supporting Fairview's run to the top was Abby Schnittker with titles in the triple jump and high jump. In the high jump, Schnittker was in a first place tie with Melissa Clingman of Holly Pond and Jeri Beasley of West Point, but got 10 points for having less faults at 4-feet, 8-inches than the other two.
Cold Springs was superior in running events Wednesday with nine first place finishes, featuring Christian Crandall and Austin Burwell.
Crandall was on the winning 4 X 100-relay team, the 4 X 400-relay and won the 100-meter and 200-meter dash.
Burwell, who signed last week to run at the University of Montevallo next year, scored first place in the 300-hurdles, the 4 X 800-relay, the 110-meter hurdles and the pole vault.
These two would divide the MVP award at the conclusion of the meet.
Jared Stanley won the 3,200-meter for the Eagles and was on the 4 X 800-relay with Kramer Crider, C.J. Lang and Burwell.
Cayde Elliott got a title in the javelin and was a member of the 4 X 100-relay team that edged West Point by a mere 24 seconds (45.48 to 46.12).
The domination for the Eagles ended when they ran to first in the 4 X 400-relay with Crandall, Jessie Lee, River Banks and Trevor Slayton, coming in at 3:42.05, two seconds in front of Holly Pond's 3:44.12.
Heather Middleton of Good Hope scored victory in the 100-meter, the 200- and 400-meter dash, Melissa Clingman from Holly Pond won the high jump and shot put in earning recognition beside the performers from the Fairview girls and Cold Springs varsity.
West Point prevented the Cold Springs Lady Eagles from sweeping the relays, getting first in the 4 X 400 as Carly Colburn, Courtney Colburn, Bailee Yearwood and Sadie Junkins took a time of 4:42.79, eight seconds ahead of runner-up Fairview.
The meet was moved up to Wednesday in the quest to beat rain that is in the forecast for Thursday. All the teams will now begin preparing for AHSAA sectional meets that will get underway next weekend.
