Baldwin County was well represented at the AHSAA track and field state championships in Cullman last weekend and although many student-athletes returned with hardware, Bayside Academy senior Patrick Daves walked away with a state record as well.

The best from classes 1A to 3A competed at Oliver Woodard Stadium May 6 and 7 where Daves helped the Admirals sweep the Class 3A boys’ and girls’ team titles with wins in all four of his events, 400-meter dash, 110- and 300-meter hurdles and high jump, but it was his time in the longer hurdle race that broke a six-year-old record.

Winfield’s Trey Cunningham set the Class 3A state championship record in the 300-meter hurdles at 38.34 seconds May 7, 2016, but Daves finished his race in 37.73 seconds to etch his name into the record books. Alongside Daves in the hurdle races was Ryan McCullough, who took fourth in the 110-meter version (16.11) and second in the 300-meter version (41.08).

The Bayside boys’ team racked up 132 points to top Mobile Christian’s 93 team points.

Daves was joined by freshman Brandon Brevard in winning four events. Brevard took the crown in the ambulatory 100-dash (16.33), 200-dash (32.27), shot put (18’ 7.75”) and javelin (50’ 4”).

The Lady Admirals had a much tighter race to the finish in the team competition but their 101 total team points were enough to edge out Mobile Christian’s 99 team points.

The Bayside Academy girls’ team had four individual champions between two athletes. Freshman Annie Midyett won the distance events – 800-meter run (2:23.77), 1600-meter run (5:24.17) and 3200-meter run (11:42.40) – and senior Leah Jha claimed the 100-meter hurdle crown (15.64). Freshman Catherine Doyle was right behind Midyett and earned bronze in the 800 (2:29.22) and 1600 (5:24.61) and took silver in the 3200 (11:43.82).

Jha also took third in the 300-meter hurdles (49.00) and fourth in the triple jump (32’ 9.75”) where she was joined by freshman Madeline Dudley (31’ 2.5” for 7th) in scoring points. Dudley also registered points in the high jump (4’ 10” for 3rd).

On the Class 2A stage, Orange Beach sophomore Xander McLaughlin scored points in the 1600-meter run (4:42.93 for 4th) and 3200-meter run (10:14.79 for 7th) but just missed scoring a point in the 800-meter run (2:09.96 for 9th). He was joined in representing the Makos by sophomore Cole Hayward (54.11 in the 400-meter dash for 11th) and sophomore Hamilton Washo (2:20.09 in the 800-meter run for 20th; 5:21.32 in the 1600-meter run for 18th).

On the girls’ circuit, Orange Beach was represented by eighth-grader Kimberly Kaiser in the 400-meter dash (1:06.77 for 16th) and junior Claire Atkins in the 1600-meter run (6:26.46 for 24th).