PARKERSBURG — The shuttles run for the girls Class AAA track team at Parkersburg High School stretched to four consecutive years after the Big Reds held off Huntington on Friday at the state meet in Charleston.

PHS assistant coach Amelia (Wolfe) Roedersheimer was more than amped to see her thinclads deliver on the biggest stage in the Mountain State once again.

“First of all, I’m incredibly proud of these girls,” she admitted. “They were not expected or predicted to win this year. Huntington has a very good group of hurdlers and they have beat us in every match up.

“My hurdlers wanted to win. They came to the state meet ready to compete and defend their titles. Huntington ran their best time of the year at states. We just ran better.”

For the fourth consecutive season, Addison Gherke anchored the victorious team. She was joined by fellow senior Claire Tatterson, who was a three-year member of the squad during the run.

Junior Katie Rutherford and sophomore Daysha Hastings have now appeared on the winning shuttles team twice apiece.

“It was really fun,” Hastings said Saturday afternoon. “I’m proud of my girls. They are like a family to me. We just came so far to make it this year here again.

“I’m very proud of us for doing that and our coach for believing in us when we didn’t believe in ourselves and I had fun. I’m going to miss them.”

It wasn’t an easy year for the red and white as the team had to deal with health issues throughout the campaign.

“Through lots of injuries, more than normal, they continued to work hard,” Roedersheimer added. “Practices were adapted. Finally, at regionals, everyone was healthy enough to run as a team.”

Gherke, who is off to compete at Marshall University, was unsure how things would play out.

“This year has been a little nerve racking for me because Huntington’s time, I mean they are amazing, and I was having some problems with my shins,” Gherke said. “I was really worried about what was going to happen, but I’m so incredibly proud of all of us for pushing through and making it. It was one of the most important things for me. It’s our biggest accomplishment, for me, especially since it’s my fourth year and I wanted this so bad, and I’m so happy I got the opportunity to get it.

“I’ve had some shin splints in the past, but this year was by far the worst. Toward the beginning of the year everything seemed fine and then when things got more serious it just kept declining, and then for the Russ Parsons meet, our last home meet, I didn’t run. It was definitely sad, but I knew I needed to do it to better myself. It was really, really scary. I didn’t know what was going to happen. At one point I was scared about that (missing regionals).

“I was really nervous, but I had a feeling that I would push through because I feel like I always do, and I needed to.”

Roedersheimer noted “this is a special group of girls. Individually, Addison is the rock. She leads quietly as a role model for the others. Everyone respects and admires her. She is exceptionally talented, but works very hard to improve. Claire and Katie are similar in the fact that their only hurdle event is the shuttles. Claire is in the sprint relays and Katie is a mid-distance runner.

“They too are talented and clearly play a critical role on the team. Daysha is our baby. She is a raw talent. She has grown up a lot this year and is working to improve with each race. All of them love shuttles. They have a sisterhood, for sure. I am going to miss Addison and Claire tremendously. Luckily, Katie and Daysha will be back. I absolutely love these girls and I can’t say enough how proud of them I am.”

Contact Jay Bennett at jbennett@newsandsentinel.com

Four-peat

Year (time) team members

2024 (1:03.68) – Daysha Hastings, Katie Rutherford, Claire Tatterson, Addison Gherke

2023 (1:02.06) – Daysha Hastings, Claire Tatterson, Lily Wharton, Addison Gherke

2022 (1:04.28) – Lily Wharton, Katie Rutherford, Kendal Domenick, Addison Gherke

2021 (1:05.68) – Lily Wharton, Claire Tatterson, Kendal Domenick, Addison Gherke