by Jamie Harris
A small town. A mighty spirit. And now, a historic moment that will never be forgotten.
Junior Shayla Tanouye didn’t just make headlines she made school history, becoming the first state champion in Paw Paw history with a sensational performance in the Class A State Track & Field Championships.
On Friday, May 23, Tanouye wasted no time etching her name in the record books. On her very first attempt in the long jump, she flew through the air to a mark of 16’00” a distance no other competitor could match. That one leap was all she needed to claim Paw Paw’s first-ever state title.
Laken Dawson of Valley Wetzel (15’111⁄4”) and Pay- ton Trent of Doddridge County (15’ 103⁄4”) came close, but no one could sur- pass the Pirate phenomenon.
Also on Friday, Joselyn Smith added her own chapter to Paw Paw’s rising legacy. Smith launched the shot put 31’ 4” to earn 6th place and All-State honors. She also finished 9th in the discus with a strong toss of 99’01”.
Tanouye returned on Saturday determined to prove she wasn’t done. And in the 300- meter hurdles, she unleashed a dominating performance, crossing the line in 45.55 seconds a mere four-tenths shy of the state record (45.15, Samantha Kirk, Ritchie County, 2017). The next closest runner, Magnolia Lemley of Clay-Battelle, clocked 47.77, nearly two seconds behind.
But Tanouye wasn’ t finished. In one of the most exciting races of the weekend, she took on the 100-meter hurdles championship and battled down to the wire with East Hardy’s Madison Kerr. In a breath-taking finish, Kerr edged Tanouye with a time of 15.49, just ahead of Tanouye’ s 15.70. It was a race that showed her grit, talent, and a hunger for even more.
In total, Tanouye earned 28 individual points, just 2.5 points shy of the High Point A ward, which went to Charleston Catholic’ s Ara- bella Boggs (30.50). Along with Smith’ s 3 points, the Lady Pirates finished 8th overall out of 28 schools a jaw-dropping achievement for a two-athlete squad from a town of fewer than 500 people.
“Our athletes have consistently worked hard all season, and that hard work really paid off when it counted at the state meet,” said head coach Anne Helmick. “It was awesome to witness school history unfold at Laidley Field!”
“Two state championships and a second-place finish what a season! I think it’ s amazing and a true testament to her athletic ability how well she does in hurdles. This was a new event for her this year, and our school only has collapsible hurdles.”
Team Standings Class A Girls (Top 8)
Doddridge County HS – 104 pts., Saint Mary’s HS – 79.5 pts., Charleston Catholic HS – 73 pts., Braxton County HS – 48 pts., Tyler Consolidated HS – 44 pts., Clay-Battelle HS – 41 pts., Summers County HS – 33 pts. and Paw Paw HS – 31 pts.
From tragedy to triumph, the Paw Paw Pirates have found their spark. With Tanouye and Smith leading the charge, the future for this proud Morgan County school looks brighter and faster than ever.
