Ardmore track teams host for state meet this weekend

For the first time in three years, the Class 5A-6A state track meet will be at Noble Stadium. Both Ardmore coaches hope that will help their teams in the Class 5A divisions.

“It’s nice we get to do it here,” Ardmore boys coach Chuck Minkley said. “It’s nice to showcase our facility. It’s good for our kids to run at home. The school has gone all out to make this run off well. It’s supposed to be a really good weekend. We’re ready to go.”

“That’s one good thing about it,” Ardmore girls coach Brenda McHatton said. “We’re home. That should be an advantage for us. I think the girls are ready. They’ll run the best times they can, and being on our own track will help that. I’m excited, and they’re excited. I think we’re ready. This is what we’ve worked all year for.”

Both coaches believe there will be one team which will provide the stiffest competition.

“If everything falls into place the way it looks like time-wise and distance-wise, Tulsa East Central will win,” Minkley said. “But Shawnee, Ada and us will be there. We’ll score our points. But last year at the state meet, things happened and made the meet turn upside down — and we came out first. It may happen again this year, and it fall into place the way it’s supposed to. If someone slips up, we could get lucky — and we hope that happens again.

“We’re going to have to change up some of our relays personnel-wise, which may hurt us in the short (400-meter) and mile relays. We’ve got to try to get points in other spots. That will be difficult because we’re limited on the points our people are going to score.”

“I think it can go any way,” McHatton said. “The points are going to be split up. Tulsa East Central will be the one to content with. Shawnee and Bixby will have some good athletes. I hope it comes down to the mile relay, we win and take home the state championship. I think it’s going to come down to who works the hardest. I think it’s going to be close. We just need to go out and perform.”

The weekend could be a historic one for one lucky Tiger. Senior Geoffrey Tabor will try to accomplish a feat never done before in recent memory — win state titles in the discus and shot put in all four years of competing at the state meet.

“Tabor has the chance to set the record as four-time state champion in both the discus and shot put from his freshman year through his senior year — and that’s unique,” Minkley said.
David Seeley, 221-6527
david.seeley@ardmoreite.com