CHARMCO – Every high school athlete in West Virginia dreams of winning a state championship.
Countless hours of preparation go into every season, yet only a select few athletes get the opportunity to compete on the sport’s biggest stage, that being a state tournament. If fortunate, an athlete might get that chance only one time during their career. Even fewer will do it multiple times. Sometimes a school will get that rare year when two of their teams reach that pinnacle. In 2022-23, Greenbrier West hit the jackpot when six student athletes achieved the school’s first-ever, female trifecta of state tournament appearances within the school year.
The Cavalier volleyball team has been no stranger to Charleston in recent years. West volleyball has reached the state tourney for six consecutive seasons. Meagan Poticher was a four-year member of the program and performed well enough to garner Class A Special Honorable Mention honors as well as Coalfield Conference First Team accolades. A 2023 graduate, Poticher will continue her volleyball career and education at Concord University in the fall.
“Meagan is a good athlete that plays very smart and gives full effort all the time. She was a great senior leader on our volleyball team last year,” said former assistant and newly minted head coach Joe Robertson.
Preslee Treadway, a sophomore, collected Class A Honorable Mention honors and joined Poticher on the Coalfield Conference First Team. Treadway has quickly established herself as a force at Greenbrier West.
“Preslee is extremely athletic and very competitive. She came on strong last year after missing half of her freshman season for medical reasons. She was one of the better outside hitters in our area and made Honorable Mention All-State as a sophomore,” stated Robertson.
In addition to the All-State duo, Ava Barclay, Brooklyn Adkins, and Brilee Redden all contributed to a unit that won a sixth consecutive sectional championship and a third regional title in the last four years.
Roberston added this about the remaining trio. “Ava only played the one year for us after transferring, shared time in the starting lineup and contributed before getting injured on senior night. Brooklyn is also very athletic, gives maximum effort in everything she does. She improved in all aspects of the game during her freshman season and will be pushing for varsity time this season as a sophomore. Brilee is just an all-around great athlete and made big strides her freshman season and would’ve had several good years of high school volleyball. She’s focusing on her primary sport of softball.”
Robertson stated the obvious “they’re all good athletes.”
The Cavalier Competition Cheer team is also familiar with state-level competition. The Greenbrier West squad has become a mainstay in the Class A ranks. Hannah Sweet helped carry the team to a runner-up finish in the Region III competition and a berth in the state meet. The Cavaliers finished seventh overall in class, a major achievement. Sweet performed several roles for the team including side spot, main base, back spot, and flyer.
“Hannah is an amazing part of the cheer team. She is truly a team player. Her dedication, effort, and amazing attitude makes her a dream to coach” stated West head coach Shannon Gilkeson.
Lady’s basketball had experienced the longest state tournament drought of any sport at the school heading into the 2022-23 season. Once a tournament regular, Greenbrier West advanced to Charleston in the 1981, ‘84, ‘85, and ‘87 seasons. The ‘81 and ‘87 squads were state runners-up in Class AA. From 1988 to 2002, West collected five more sectional championships but was denied a regional title each time. That all changed during a remarkable season for Coach Mark Agee’s squad. After a thrilling 47-46 win over Webster County to claim the sectional title, the Cavaliers secured a Region III co-championship with a 62-51 victory over Riverview.
Poticher, Barclay, Treadway, and Redden all played pivotal roles in West’s tournament run. Barclay ran the show from the point guard position, averaging 9 points per game, and doling out over 80 assists. Treadway established herself as an emerging star, pouring in over 15 points per game. Treadway hit the 29-point mark three times for the Lady Cavaliers. Poticher was the solid, senior leader in the middle. Redden was hot out of the gate, tallying double-digits in three of her first four career games. Playing as a starter or off the bench, Redden provided stability for head coach Mark Agee’s 18-6 squad. Sweet saw some playing time as a junior, and Adkins was also a part of the girl’s tournament team. Her role will increase this year.
As winter sports gave way to spring, Barclay and Poticher continued to shine for the West Track team. Barclay qualified for the 100-meter dash and ripped off a 13.6 time, good for seventh place. Her time of 28.15 was good enough for an eighth-place finish in the 200-meter dash. Poticher capped her career with a 92-foot, 10-inch discus throw which was tenth overall, besting her regional distance by almost three feet.
Agee, who coached seniors Poticher and Barclay in both basketball and track, said he “enjoyed the opportunity to coach them.” He added they were “talented individuals who worked hard and played their role in all sports.” Agee closed by saying they “will be missed.”
Coach Tony Hinkle’s Cavalier softball team got off to a torrid start, ripping off 16 consecutive wins to open the season. Overall, the team racked up 23 wins in a season that saw the ladies qualify for the state tournament for the first time since the 2019 season. “These four athletes were a big part of our run to the state tournament this year” Hinkle proclaimed.
A huge factor in those wins was the freshman pitcher, Redden. West’s young hurler won 12 games in her inaugural campaign, collecting 175 strikeouts while establishing a blistering 1.382 ERA. Equally as effective at the plate, Redden led the Cavaliers with 42 hits and a .483 average. Redden earned Class A first team All-State honors for her efforts.
“Brilee was huge in the circle, stepping up early when injuries hit our other pitchers. She took the majority of the innings this year,” said Hinkle.
“Along with Preslee, (they) led us in hitting on their way to earning first team All-State honors.”
Treadway was hot on Redden’s heels with a .469 average, 38 hits, and a team-leading 7 home runs. Treadway also led West with 40 RBIs. Treadway also landed on the Class A All-State team, joining her teammate on the first team.
Hinkle confidently proclaimed, “Preslee was a consistent force all year on offense and defense.”
Adkins quietly established herself as a consistent talent that got better with every game. Adkins hit at a .300 clip and her 20 RBIs were above average for a freshman. Sweet was a key contributor and became known for her ability to lay down the crucial drag bunt, a fantastic weapon in Coach Hinkle’s arsenal of hitters.
Hinkle added “Brooklyn Adkins really came on strong in the second half, playing her way into the outfield with her speed and hitting ability. Hannah, a junior outfielder and slap hitter, had some big hits and RBIs in the region finals.”
If Greenbrier West’s success continues into 2023-24, these athletes have raised the bar. The expectations will be huge. Simply reaching the state tournaments will not be gratifying. Making some noise by collecting wins is the next step in the progression. Being seasoned in the atmosphere and the increased pressure of a state tournament will surely benefit these ladies and carry over from sport to sport. If so, look out for the Lady Cavaliers this school year!
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