McPhail steals show at indoor state meet

Cady McPhail has been building for this moment.

After overcoming challenging circumstances over the last couple years, McPhail broke through in a big way Feb. 6 at the Class 6A state indoor track and field meet. The Chelsea High School sophomore won all three individual events she entered, blowing away the competition in the 800-, 1,600- and 3,200-meter runs.

“Going into the races, I was super hungry for the state title,” McPhail said.

McPhail ran a 2:14 in the 800, 5:08 in the 1,600 and 11:05 in the 3,200.

McPhail moved to the area four years ago and initially went to Briarwood Christian School. After transferring to Chelsea during her eighth grade year, McPhail was not eligible to compete at Chelsea until the outdoor track and field season last spring, when she was in ninth grade.

She only competed in two events last spring before the COVID-19 pandemic ended the season. In the fall, she felt some disappointment given her performance in the cross-country season.

But she left no doubt on the indoor track at the Birmingham CrossPlex. She was nationally ranked in the 1,600 for a brief time early in the season, but at state, McPhail won all three events and scored 30 points. Her score was enough to finish sixth in the team standings on her own.

In each of her races, she employed a “sit and kick” strategy. McPhail was confident enough in herself to pace herself in second or third for the first few laps of her three races, before turning it on in the final stretch.

“I can kick at the end of races a little bit more than others,” she said.

Making McPhail’s sweep even more impressive was the condensed format of the state tournament this year, due to social distancing restrictions. As opposed to being conducted over two days, the 6A tournament was held entirely over a six-hour period. McPhail ran the 800 at 8 a.m., the 1,600 at 10:40 and the 3,200 at 12:40 p.m.

“It was definitely something else,” she said.

McPhail was running with a cause on her heart as well. She sported a green bow in her hair at state in support of Dylan Dorrell, a runner from her hometown in Texas, who died last August following a workout. Many of her social media posts since the fall have included the hashtag #runfordylan.

Other Chelsea, Briarwood and Oak Mountain athletes competed at state as well. For Chelsea, Miles Brush scored points for the Hornets by placing fourth in the boys 3,200. Cam Ray (sixth in 400), Joseph Bell (eighth in 1,600), Ansley Murphy (seventh in pole vault) and Riley Margene (sixth in pole vault) scored points for the Briarwood teams as well.

Several Oak Mountain athletes scored points. Michael Marvin and Jimmy Harris placed fourth and fifth in the 800. Hunter Wright finished fourth in the 3,200. Marvin and Harris both scored points in the 400 as well. Wright scored in the 1,600, Lauren Cole in the 3,200, Ethan Hammett in the high jump, Grace Knowles in the pole vault and Alex Mathis and Jack Stanfield in the shot put all got the Eagles on the scoreboard.