Teams converge on Selma for state championship

Published 11:23 pm Tuesday, April 17, 2012

Morgan Academy’s Rachel Gomes competes in a hurdle event during the 2011 AISA state track championships at Memorial Stadium. Gomes, a senior, has dominated the hurdling events in the state and looks to close out her career with another state championship.

When Alabama Independent School Association track and field teams arrive in Selma on Wednesday, they’ll be bringing business for local stores with them.

The two-day AISA State track meet will start Wednesday at Memorial Stadium at 12 p.m.

More than 25 teams from AISA schools from around the state will be in Selma for the event, and many will bring family and fans along with them.

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Rob Robinson, track and field coach at Morgan Academy, said the event is good for Selma because of the business that all of those visitors will bring along with them over the course of two days.

“It brings a lot of people in, so the restaurants will be getting business, they’ll be buying gasoline and some of them — the teams that are from farthest away — will be spending the night, too,” Robinson said. “It gives the local hotels some business, too.”

Preliminaries will start at 12 p.m. on Wednesday with field events kicking off the day, and running events following immediately after.

Finals will be Thursday, with field events at 11 a.m. and running events following.

Morgan, along with local schools Ellwood Christian Academy and Meadowview Christian School, will be among the participants, and Robinson said his team has a good chance of bringing home some top honors.

“In the boys, Hunter Rogers has a good shot at winning the shot put, and we have lots of events we’ll be competing in with the girls,” Robinson said. “Sarah Frazier will compete in the 100 meter dash, 200 meter dash, 400 meter dash, and the long jump. Rachel Gomes is the defending champion in both the 100-meter hurdles, and the 300-meter intermediate hurdles. Megan Lee Siddens has won the high jump in each of our previous track meets, and we’re pretty strong in the relays, too. We expect a good day. It’s going to be really competitive.”