Published: May 16, 2008 01:19 am      

State track meet set to start today

CHARLESTON — Weir’s Stewart Jones hopes to win the 3,200 all by himself this year at the state track meet. Berkeley Springs’ Rachel Buser has little to look forward to — except college.

Last year, Jones finished one second behind Winfield’s Zachary Noel in the Class AA race, but Jones was awarded first place when meet officials ruled the day after that Noel cut him off in the backstretch on the final lap.

The ruling didn’t exactly set off a celebration.

Taking his spot on the winner’s stand to receive the medal, “I felt pretty weird,” Jones said. “I felt like I shouldn’t have been up there, but I was up there.”

The race was the final event on a Friday night. The ruling on Saturday came about an hour before the 1,600, which Noel won and Jones finished fourth.

“It was a very long and drawn out process,” said Weir coach Adam Howell. “It threw Stew off a little bit going into the mile. “We waited from 7 o’clock that night until 11 the next morning to see what the ruling was. It was hard for him to prepare for the next race.

“I don’t know what the holdup was. I know they wanted to talk to both coaches and wanted to wait until the next morning to see us both. It just took a while.”

With Noel gone, Jones is the top qualifier this year in the 1,600 and 3,200. His closest competitor is expected to be Ravenswood’s Nathan Reese in both events.

“I’m just going to the state meet like usual, just hoping for the best. I know there’s a lot of awesome runners down there,” Jones said Thursday. “I really don’t think about last year. Last year was last year. You can’t really look at the past.”

Buser might be tempted to do just that. The state recordholder has stress fractures in both legs and won’t be competing at the state meet starting Friday.

“I know she’s upset,” Berkeley Springs coach Dave Mundey said by cell phone from the team bus traveling to Charleston on Thursday. “She’s become a real team player. She can help us in other ways. Obviously, she can’t score points but she does a lot to help her teammates out.”

Buser won three straight championships in the 1,600 and the 3,200. Last fall she joined Fayetteville’s Jessica Taylor as the second girl in state history to win four individual cross country championships.

With her, Berkeley County had a legitimate shot at a team championship. Those hopes have faded — Berkeley Springs finished second to Grafton in its regional.

“That’s all that we can ask,” Mundey said. “They know they’re not going to win a team title, but you can still reach for personal bests.”

Buser, who has signed a scholarship offer to run cross country and track at Eastern Kentucky, plans to cheer on her teammates, including Meghan Mock.

Mock is looking to win three Class AA events for the third straight year and perhaps four if she can capture the high jump for the fourth consecutive time. Standing in her way in that event is Sissonville’s Sydney Cummings, the only competitor to clear 5 feet, 7 inches this season. Mock holds the record at 5-8, set last year.

Mock also owns state records on the long jump (17-11) and the 300 hurdles (44.80).

The West Virginia University recruit won’t be running in the 800, where she finished second last year, but instead will compete in the 100 hurdles. She has the second-best qualifying time behind Winfield’s Morganne Bennett.

Mock will be very busy at the start of the meet. The high jump, long jump and 100 hurdles heats will take place in a two-hour span Friday afternoon.