By Rubin E. Grant
The drought is over.
The Homewood boys ended their four-year dry spell without a state indoor track title by dominating the competition in Class 6A to win their first championship since 2020 and eighth overall.
The Patriots amassed 99 points, far outdistancing second-place Northridge, which had 49.5 points, in the 55th AHSAA Indoor Championships held Jan. 31-Feb. 1 at the Birmingham CrossPlex. Mountain Brook finished third with 43.5 points.
“It was about time,” second-year Homewood coach Logan Cornutt says. “We told everybody we didn’t need anyone to be a hero, but just to go out and execute, and for everyone to compete.”
Cornutt continues: “Guys stepped up and competed for each other. I was so happy for the team and proud of them. We knew we had a good team heading into it. I was so happy for our seniors. They’ve been the cornerstone of our team, and I’m glad to see them win it. I’m thankful to have this opportunity, coaching these kids. They all worked hard, and I’m tremendously blessed to be a part of it.”
Homewood senior Colvin Bussey earned two gold medals. He won a close race in the 800 meters against Mountain Brook’s Hudson Rukstalis-Williams, finishing with a time of 1:54.33. Rukstalis-Williams clocked 1:55.74.
Bussey also won the 400-meter dash, clocking 49.60 seconds, and he ran a leg for the 4×400 relay team that finished second in 3:27.11. Bussey, Isaiah Davis, RJ Teter, and Liam Limbaughwere the other relay team members.
“Colvin came up huge,” Cornutt says. “He had great practices leading up to it, and he stepped up big time in the 400, the 800, and also ran a great leg in 4×4. It’s his first individual championships, so good for him.”
The Patriots’ 4×800-meter relay team of Davis, Charles Stone, Wade Thomas, and RJ Teter also finished second in 8:13.79.
Homewood junior Tomon Felton took gold in the long jump, leaping a personal-best 22 feet, 2.25 inches. Junior John Esslinger was second with a season-best mark of 21-7.25. Esslinger also placed fourth in the triple jump with a personal-best 44-9.75.
Davis finished third in the 800 meters with a personal-best time of 1:56.25. Senior Zaire White had a strong showing in the 60-meter hurdles, finishing second in 8.23 seconds. Senior Foster Laird placed third in the 1,600-meter run with a personal-best 4:19.94 and third in the 3,200-meter run, clocking a personal best of 9:40.69.
In the field events, junior John Martin and senior Garner Johnson both cleared 6 feet in the boys high jump, placing third and fifth, respectively.
Mountain Brook’s Kerr sets pole vault record
Mountain Brook senior Annie Kerr set a new pole vault record in the Class 6A girl’s competition. Her 13-01 clearance broke her own AHSAA Class 6A indoor state meet girls’ pole vault record (13-0), which she set in 2024.
Kerr set the state record overall in a regular season meet at the CrossPlex on Jan. 4 with a 13-09 vault. She attempted 13-06 in the state indoor meet but failed to clear on all three tries, closing her indoor career with the new mark.
“It was fun,” Kerr says. “I was pretty much consistent over 13 feet all season. I wanted to hit that 14-foot mark. I’ve been close all season, but that just gives me more motivation for outdoor.”
Kerr, who has signed with North Carolina, also won the Class 6A triple jump with a leap of 37-09.25. “That was unexpected,” she says. “I went in ranked fourth or fifth. I really hadn’t jumped well all season, so I didn’t know what to expect, but I ended with a personal record by over a foot.”
The Spartans, however, saw their two-year reign as state champions end. Chelsea scored 86 points to win the program’s first indoor state title, edging Mountain Brook, which was second with 76 points.
Mountain Brook, which has 24 girls’ indoor state crowns in its legendary program, trailed 78-66 after 14 events, then won the 4×400 relay for 10 points in the final race. But Chelsea captured second place to take the team title with 86 points.
“We are really young,” Kerr saiys “We have only four seniors and three juniors, and the rest are sophomores, freshmen and eighth-graders, so finishing in second place was pretty cool. I was excited at the end winning the 4×400 relay. That was really special.”
The Spartans dominated the relays, winning four state titles. The girls 4×400-meter relay team of Lilla Holley, Kennedy Hamilton, Kerr and Ella Trotter claimed gold in 4:03.61. The boys 4×400-meter relay team of Owen Dayhuff, Turner Ezelle, Cayden Hofbauer and Tate Hoffman took first place in 3:26.63.
The boys 4×800-meter relay team of Joseph Chapman, Luke Cribbs, Hoffman and Rukstalis-Williams won in 8:09.11, while the girls 4×800-meter relay team of Hamilton, Caroline Russell, Grace Stuckey, and Emelia White won in 9:46.72.
In the girls 3,200 meters, the Spartans’ Anna Erdberg claimed the state title with a time of 11:14.17. Hamilton finished third in 11:28.61.
Vestavia Hills boys and girls place second
Vestavia Hills boys and girls finished second in Class 7A as Hoover swept the indoor state titles for the fourth consecutive year.
The Bucs, who now have 14 boys and 13 girls state indoor titles, posted 125.7 points to take the 7A boys title. Vestavia Hills was second with 95.5. Hoover’s girls compiled 108.5 points to capture the 7A girls crown. Vestavia Hills was second with 61.
Vestavia Hills put together two gold medal performances in the 4×800-meter relays. The boys relay team of Ethan Meadows, Jackson Mize, Jack Bentley and Mitchell Schaaf set a state record, winning in 7:55.69 (No. 4 nationally). The girls 4×800 relay of Anna James Litty, Claire Spooner, Riley Zeanah and Abby Allen won in 9:33.58.
The girls 4×400 relay of Litty, Zeanah, Spooner and Allen finished third in 4:04.62.
In the boys’ competition, senior Chase Webb turned in one of the top performances of the meet, finishing second in the 60-meter dash with a personal-best time of 6.86 seconds. He also placed fourth in the 400 meters, running 48.88.
The Rebels excelled in the distance events, led by John Hayes, who was third in the boys 1,600 meters (4:19.05) and second in the 3,200 (9:31.80). In the girls distance races, Litty claimed the 1,600-meter title in 5:08.38.
In the boys’ field events, Jack Stubbs won the long jump, soaring 22 feet, 5 inches. In the high jump, Tyler Dressback finished second (6-4), and Brady Ferrell was third in the pole vault (14-0). In the shot put, Drake Renta (51-6.75) and Chase Kaiser (51-0.75) both set personal bests to finish second and third, respectively.
On the girls’ side, Kennedy Moreland was third in the pole vault (11-6), and Barclay Brown was third in the high jump with a leap of 5-2.
In the boys’ ambulatory events, freshman Vaughan Rainer set two state records, winning the 60 meters in 10.42 seconds and the shot put with a throw of 15-1.50.
