This weekend, Charles Henderson runner Payton Ousley won a pair of state crowns at the Class 4A-7A State Track and Field Meet. 

Ousley captured the gold in both the 100-meter and 200-meter dash. While Ousley finished in third place during prelims in the 100-meter dash, she managed to capture the state championship with a time of 12.16, beating out the runner-up Zykeria Heflin of Central-Clay County with a time of 12.36

In the 200-meter dash, Ousley again finished third during prelims before then blazing her way to the state championship with a time of 24.92, beating out second place Heflin’s time of 25.13. The sophomore also won a state championship in the 100-meter dash last season, marking her as a back-to-back state champion. 

Additionally, the CHHS boys 4×100-meter relay team took a bronze finish, behind state champion Carver-Birmingham and Central-Clay. The 4×100-meter relay team is made up of Jamal Downing, Briece Baker, Terrance Thomas and Joshuan Daniels.
Charles Henderson also had four other Top 10 finishes at the state meet. Baker also finished in seventh place in the boys 200-meter dash with a time of 23.44. Skylar Wright came in eighth in the girls 100-meter hurdles with a time of 17.73 and Zachary Evans came in seventh in the boys 110-meter hurdles with a time of 16.21. The CHHS boys 4×400-meter relay team also took 10th. The Charles Henderson boys finished 18th overall in Class 5A. 

Pike County High School also had a number of athletes competing at the state meet. Khalil Foster took a ninth place finish in the boys long jump and triple jump. Kaylin Jackson finished with the bronze in the girls 100-meter dash, while her brother Braylin Jackson earned state runner-up in the boys 100-meter dash. Braylin Jackson finished with a time of 10.88, just behind state champion Keegan Chapman of Jackson High School with a time of 10.78. The girls 4×100-meter relay team finished sixth.