Berkeley Springs Track & Field shines with All-State finishes in Charleston

by Jamie Harris

The Berkeley Springs Lady Indians delivered a strong and promising showing at the 2026 WV Class AA State Track and Field Championships at Laidley Field, finishing 10th out of 20 teams overall with 29.5 points and highlighting a program on the rise with multiple All-State performances.

Leading the way was sophomore Abigail Close, who earned Runner-Up All-State honors in the 300-meter hurdles, finishing second with a personal-best time of 49.38. Close’s breakthrough performance established her among the top hurdlers in Class AA while also contributing a sixth-place finish in the high jump (4-10.00).

Fellow sophomore Reese Souders secured a podium finish in the high jump, placing third with a personal-best clearance of 5-0.00. She also added a ninth-place finish in the 800 meters (2:34.84), demonstrating her versatility across events.

In the distance events, sophomore Bella Shoemaker earned All-State recognition with a seventh-place finish in the 3200 meters, clocking a personal-best 13:06.13.

Senior Aviona Ambrose contributed an All-State performance in the 100-meter hurdles, placing eighth in 18.09 after posting a personal-best 16.95 in the preliminaries to qualify for the finals.

In the throwing events, junior Katie Risinger placed fifth in the shot put (32-2.75) and also competed in the discus, finishing 13th.

The Lady Indians also found success in relay competition. The 4×102.5 shuttle hurdle relay team of Aviona Ambrose (12), Ava Michael (9), Maci Michael (10) and Abigail Close (10) earned All-State honors with a sixth-place finish (1:13.08).

Additional relay performances included:

4×200 relay (12th, 1:58.41) Isabelle Bingaman (11), Reese Souders (10), Ava Michael (9), Abigail Close (10)
4×100 relay (16th, 55.56) Aviona Ambrose (12), Maci Michael (10), Lilli Stevens (12), Xavia Willcox (9)

Senior Maddie Close added an All-State effort in the pole vault, finishing sixth at 8-0.00.

On the boys’ side, Berkeley Springs tied for 19th place out of 22 teams, led by sophomore Landon Tausen, who earned All-State honors with a fifth-place finish in the long jump (20-1.00). The 4×800 relay team of Josh Walls (12), Joshua Lucas (9), Haven Ailor (11) and Jay Nazelrod (11) placed 11th with a time of 9:20.46.

A defining theme of Berkeley Springs’ performance was the impact of its underclassmen. Several key contributors, including Abigail Close, Reese Souders, Bella Shoemaker, Landon Tausen, Ava Michael, Maci Michael and Xavia Willcox, are freshmen and sophomores.

With multiple personal records achieved on the state’s biggest stage and several All-State finishes secured by returning athletes, the Lady Indians have positioned themselves as a program with significant upward momentum.

As the team looks ahead, expectations will continue to rise for a young core that has already demonstrated its ability to compete among the best in Class AA.