Small but mighty Pirates send four to State Meet
by Jamie Harris
The Paw Paw Pirates Track and Field team may be small in numbers and limited in re- sources, but they proved on Friday that heart and hustle can still steal the spotlight. Competing at the Class A Region II Championships at Doddridge County High School, the Pirates turned in a gritty and impressive showing, highlighted by a dominant performance from the sibling duo of Donovan and Shayla Tanouye.
Donovan Tanouye, a senior, left no doubt that he is one of the top distance runners in the region. He captured regional championships in both the 800 meters (2:02.10) and 1600 meters (4:36.36), punching his ticket to the WVSSAC Class A State Track and Field Championships in Charleston with two convincing victories.
Not to be outdone, his younger sister Shayla Tanouye, a junior, electrified the hurdles events. Shayla swept the 100 meter hurdles (15.55 PR) and 300 meter hurdles (48.31), showing both speed and technical finesse— despite Paw Paw not having a regulation hurdles practice area.
Shayla added a third-place finish in the long jump (15- 01.00), earning her third berth to the state championships. Her performance earned valuable points as the Paw Paw girls placed 6th overall out of 15 teams with 42 points, ahead of several larger programs.
Joselyn Smith, a rising sophomore, made sure the Pirates will also be represented in the field events. She claimed fourth place in the shot put (30-09.00) and an impressive third in the discus (101-11 PR) to qualify in both throwing events for the state meet.
Senior Pricilla Corbin turned in a strong all-around effort in her final regional meet, finishing fifth in the long jump (13-09.00), eighth in the 200 meter dash finals (34.17), and setting a personal record in the 800 meters (2:52.24). Though just shy of qualifying, Corbin’ s performance exemplified the team’ s fight and depth.
On the boys’ side, sophomore RJ Ryan clocked 1:00.80 in the 400 meters to finish 14th, and several underclassmen gained valuable experience in the shot and discus events. Junior Tommy Santos placed 10th in discus (102-10), showing promise for next season.
The Paw Paw boys team scored 20 points, placing ninth overall in the standings, a notable finish given the limited roster.
With three athletes qualified for the WV Class A State Championships—Donovan and Shayla Tanouye in multiple events, and Joselyn Smith in both throws—the Pirates will head to Charleston with pride, purpose, and the kind of momentum that only comes from grit and heart.
Paw Paw State Qualifiers – Class A Region II
Donovan Tanouye (Sr.) – 800m, 1600m
Shayla Tanouye (Jr.) – 100m Hurdles, 300m Hurdles, Long Jump
Joselyn Smith (So.) – Shot Put, Discus
The WVSSAC Class A State Track and Field Championships will take place next weekend at Laidley Field in Charleston, this Friday and Saturday where the Pirates hope to make more history and maybe bring a little gold back to Paw Paw.
