FAIRLEA- After the most dominant girls track season in Greenbrier East history, the state tournament cemented the fact that the 2026 Greenbrier East Lady Spartan track team is the best to ever step foot on a track and field.
Greenbrier East capped their season, in which they won multiple events, with a Class AAA state championship with a total team score of 125. To put that in perspective, the Winfield Lady Generals came in second with an 81.
A 44-point victory. DOMINANCE.
“We knew we could win the title coming into the year with the success of the team showing at states in 2025 with the highest ever 3rd place finish in AAA and we had overwhelming majority of the team back. On paper and reality sometimes do not match especially in the sport of Track & Field. We knew we had a great “core” group of runners who have been with us for several years. We knew we had some potential gaps to fill to help make us an even stronger contender to make a run for the state title,” assistant coach Robert McClintic said.
Annie Whited, the Marshall track signee, won three individual state titles in the 100m, 200m (set state meet record), and the 400m, and was the last leg on the 4×400 state title winning squad. Whited has been a force since her junior year when she exploded onto the track scene during the 2025 season and finished with two state titles then as well.
“We were led by multi-state champion Annie who we knew would run the 100, 200, and 400 again this year. The hard part was trying to figure out what relay to run in since you can only do a max of 4 events,” McClintic explained.
Then there weas young freshman Emma Erskine who won the states in the 100m hurdles. Her teammate, junior Avery Thompson, finished just behind her in second place. Erskine also was a part of the 4×102.5m shuttle hurdle team–along with Mia Rowan, Mykah Judy, and Emma Jo Palmer–that captured a state championship.
The 4×100 team of Kala Waller, Noelle McClintic, Kiana McClung, and Thompson, also were state champs in the 4×100, proving that no team would stand in their way this season.
Speaking of McClung, she was second in the 200m behind Whited and is a heavy favorite to keep East’s state title hopes alive next year in that event.
Not to be outdone, Neena McClintic had two top 3 finishes in the 800m (third) and 1600m (second).
All-in-all, this was a season to remember and will go down in Greenbrier East lore. The coaching staff deserves a ton of credit for the work and dedication they have put in the last few years. No female track team in the history of the school–and there have been a lot of them– ever came close to doing what the 2026 version did.
“Of course, winning the Regional title was a great team win but everyone was hoping to put ourselves in position at regionals to make a push for the team title and bring the first ever Track & Field Championship for boys or girls to Greenbrier East,” McClintic concluded.
Well, maybe one has. Last year’s 2025 team with the same bunch of ladies.
What a ride–or run.
Some other coaches’ comments on the boys’ and girls’ seasons:
Nikola McClintic, Head Coach: This season was about much more than medals, records and championships. It was about commitment, sacrifice, faith, teamwork, and a group of young men and women believing in one another every single day. These athletes represented Greenbrier East with tremendous class, heart, and determination, and we could not be prouder of what they accomplished both on and off the track. The girls and boys’ teams showed what can happen when athletes buy into something bigger than themselves and work together toward a common goal.
Jamie Baker, Assistant Coach: This season was built on hard work, dedication and heart. These girls gave everything they had, and watching it led to a State Championship was incredible. I’m proud of every single one of them and the legacy they have created together.”
Robert McClintic II, Assistant Coach: As a member of East Runner-up football team in 1988, this is something they will remember for the rest of their lives. What a season and most of all, we are very proud of the culture and chemistry these athletes have built for Greenbrier East Track & Field. Records that were broken: 200m, 4×200 Relay and 4×400 Relay. Many people do not understand the magnitude of this…. This means these ladies have run the fastest times in these three events ever in the state of WV. Huge accomplishment. The Boys and their three records and scoring the highest point total ever in East History is truly remarkable. We thank our parents and coaches for their support! 1 Corinthians 10:31 So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. We are truly humbled by this verse and thank God for his blessings upon this team.
Tracy Asbury, Assistant Coach: Besides being a very talented group, our girls worked extremely hard and followed our training schedules. The most challenging aspect of preparing this team to be at their very best, at the right time, was convincing them that they didn’t need to go hard every day. They struggled with the concept of rest and recovery early and late in the season.
Having a group of healthy and trained athletes, peaking at the right time all going in the same direction is how we were capable of winning it all in dominant fashion, with elegance and class.
