Teamwork makes the dream work: Charleston co-captures Class 2 State Championship

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — It was a day of high drama and heart-stopping finishes at the MSHSAA Class 2 State Track and Field Championship as the Charleston boys’ team raced and leaped its way to a historic victory.

The Bluejays ended the meet with 47 points, which tied Summit Christian Academy for a share of the title at Adkins Stadium in Jefferson City, Missouri on Saturday, May 20.

“Winning a state championship with a set of teammates is a truly incredible feeling,” said senior Trey Stanback. “The sense of accomplishment and joy that comes from working together as a team to accomplish a common goal can be truly unparalleled. The satisfaction of putting in countless hours of hard work and dedication and finally seeing the rewards is unmatched.

“The camaraderie of being able to celebrate the victory with your teammates is something that no other experience can provide,” he continued. “Winning a state championship with a bunch of my younger cousins who I know can do great things in the future is a unique and unforgettable experience.”

Charleston earned 20 total points after the 400 and 800-meter relay teams claimed individual gold.

The 800 relay team of Zecobyion Ewing, Bernard Betts, Kamirion Wiley and DJ Williams won in one minute and 30.7 seconds, while the 400 relay team of Ewing, Betts, Trey Stanback and Williams won in 43.76.

“No one was even close,” said Charleston coach Justin Hutchings. “We were flying. We’ve worked so hard on handoffs and all the little things that go into being a successful relay team. We’re constantly working on the fundamentals and it really paid off for us.”

The Bluejays earned five total points in the 200-meter dash after Ewing finished sixth and Williams placed seventh with times of 22.64 and 22.68.

‘This means a lot to me to be able to help my team to a state championship,” Williams said. “From my freshman year getting canceled, to my sophomore year missing all-state by 0.1 seconds, I knew I had to step up and this year that’s what I did. It felt good to be named state champions in the [400 and 800 relays]. We worked hard all year on our relays and it was filled with a lot of talent. We were able to get the job done, and as a team, it feels great to win a state championship. it’s a great way to go out my senior year.”

Williams and Wiley earned 11 total points in the 400 after placing third (50.62) and fourth (51.28), respectively.

Stanback added a fourth-place finish in the high jump with a leap of six feet, 3.5 inches, earning five points; and Zachyran Thomas was third in the long jump after clearing 21-2, earning six points.

“[Thomas] busted out a huge one on his final jump,” Hutchings said. “He ended up getting third place which was a giant boost for us. Stanback was in ninth place with two scratches and jumped up to fourth place. That was huge because if he would have missed that we wouldn’t have gotten any points.”

Stanback is no stranger to the thrill of victory — in fact, this wasn’t his first time bringing home a state championship. The multi-talented athlete also helped lead the Bluejays’ basketball team to the state title in 2022.

“Being a champion in two sports is an incredible achievement that requires immense dedication, hard work, and talent,” Stanback said. “It is a rare feat that not many athletes have accomplished.”

Going into the final event of the meet, Charleston knew it had secured at least a share of the state championship, but they had to wait with bated breath to see if they would stand alone atop the podium or share the title.

Ultimately, Summit Christian Academy emerged victorious in the 1,600 relay, tying the Bluejays and ensuring that both teams would claim a share of the championship.

“We were excited,” Hutchings said. “But it was also kind of weird because we knew if [Summit Christian Academy] won that race, we were going to end in a tie. Our kids didn’t want to tie. It was bittersweet, but as the days go by, I’ve talked to some of the guys and we’re all getting more and more pumped as it kind of sinks in that we won the state championship.”

Charleston's meticulous preparation paid off, as the team had strategically broken down their potential points ahead of time, leaving no stone unturned in its quest for victory and planning a clear road map for what needed to be done in each event.

“My assistant coach Aaron Harland had everything put together going in,” Hutchings said. “He had how many points we could score and what we needed to do in each event. All we had to do was show up and perform. We did exactly what we needed to do.”

Inspired by the success of Charleston’s head basketball coach Jamarcus Williams, Hutchings implemented a strategy to keep his team focused and distraction-free throughout the state championship meet — and the results were clear.

“The first night, it still hadn’t hit home yet,” Hutchings said. “We took everyone’s phone. I learn that from [Williams] at the basketball state championship. We just tried to make sure everyone went to bed on time and was ready to compete the next day.

“Then we had such a great day that on the bus ride back, they told us to take their phones again,” he continued. “They were ready to get back to the hotel, eat and go to bed. They wanted to rest, hydrate and do everything the right way. That stems from the leadership of guys like Trey Stanback and DJ Williams. They’ve done a great job of corralling and taking the young guys under their wings to ensure that we would have the best meet possible.”

Although he may be a young coach, Hutchings has already achieved a major milestone in his career with the state championship victory, and he doesn’t hesitate to describe it as the crowning achievement of his coaching journey thus far.

“This is No. 1,” he said. “I won a conference championship in football my first year and was named coach of the year. We took third at state in my first season as the track coach, but this one is on top. It’s the pinnacle of everything I’ve done so far. I hope we can keep building on this success and accomplish more, but I’m on cloud nine right now.

“We’re probably going to get some more kids out,” Hutchings concluded. “Even though we had 50-something this year already. We can definitely continue to compete, but we’re going to have to work hard for that.”