Hoaglund signs, Westminster boys win state

Maddie Hoaglund will start in the fall at a new school, which is something she hasn’t had to do in about 13 years. 

On May 3, the Westminster School at Oak Mountain senior signed a letter of intent to continue her cross-country and track and field career at Washington and Lee University in Lexington, Virginia. The move signals the end of an era for Hoaglund, who has attended Westminster since kindergarten. 

“It’s kind of a surreal feeling, honestly,” she said. 

Hoaglund began running for Westminster in seventh grade. For much of the past six years, she has been the linchpin of the Knights’ program. She won five state individual championships on the track and notched five All-State performances in cross-country. 

Hoaglund’s individual excellence has translated to team success. In 2013 and 2014, she helped propel the Knights to back-to-back state outdoor track and field titles. Her fourth-place finish at the state cross-country meet last fall spurred the Westminster girls to their first state championship in program history. 

For her career, Hoaglund holds personal bests of 2 minutes, 26.27 seconds (800 meters), 5:19 (1,600 meters), 11:30.37 (3,200 meters) and 19:16.9 (5,000 meters). She also played four years on the school’s soccer team.

Despite her myriad accomplishments, Hoaglund hasn’t let her identity rest on them. 

“I hope I leave a legacy of building a community based on the love of Christ,” she said, “and showing that love to the ones who need it on the team, and the youngest ones.”

Hoaglund said visits to Washington and Lee’s campus convinced her it would be the ideal college destination. She got her first glimpse of it last summer and said she was struck immediately by the school’s beauty and rich history. Washington and Lee was founded in 1749 and is near the Blue Ridge and Allegheny mountains. 

Hoaglund took another campus visit earlier this academic year. She said her decision became clearer after interacting with professors and meeting the team.

“It just stood out to me right away,” she said. “It’s an incredible place, and I’m so honored to be able to compete and take classes there.”

Two days after her signing, Hoaglund traveled to Cullman to race at her final state outdoor track and field meet. She registered a pair of top-three finishes and contributed to the Knights’ first-place 4x800-meter relay team. The Westminster girls secured a runner-up team finish in Class 1A, placing second to Whitesburg Christian Academy, 135-106. 

The Westminster boys won the 1A team title. They prevailed over runner-up Marion County, 110-103, to claim their first state championship in program history. 

Nate Collins paced his team. The junior captured first-place finishes in the 800-meter (2:06.1), 1,600-meter (4:33.61) and 3,200-meter runs (9:58.76). The Knights went 1-3 in the 800, as Scott Landers and Pierce Moffett finished second and third to Collins. The Westminster boys also won the 4x800-meter relay. 

Among other notable performances, eighth-grader Hunter Wright placed second in the 3,200 and fourth in the 1,600.