Winning what is believed to be your school’s first track and field state championship is a difficult accomplishment to top.

Verbena’s Marqueska Deramus did so this year by winning two state titles.

Deramus posted the best distances in two field events at this year’s Class 1A state meet at Memorial Stadium in Selma: 101 feet and 2 inches in the discus, and 34 feet and 7 inches in the shot put.

“My goal was to try to bring home all three this time,” Deramus said about her showing at the meet, which included a sixth-place finish in the javelin. “Unfortunately, that one didn’t work out for me.”

Deramus, of course, has plenty to be proud of after adding two more state championships to the one she won in 2011.

“I think she was excited even though Marqueska is a laid-back person,” coach M.J. Ballard said.

“We went to some bigger track meets this year. We went to Auburn High School. She was a little nervous going into that, but after seeing that she could compete even with the girls in higher classifications… She set Auburn High School’s record for the javelin. After doing that, I don’t even think [the state meet] fazed her.”

Deramus said she was happy to win the championships for her school.

“I think I’m doing good for Verbena,” she said. “I’m putting them on the map.”

Deramus’ performance allowed Verbena’s girls to post the best team ranking, 10th, among local schools.

Billingsley’s boys team was next with a 15th-place finish.

Deramus was the only local state champion, but several other athletes from the Chilton County area performed well at their state meets.

Maplesville’s Cameron Morrow finished second in two events, the 100-meter dash (11.24 seconds) and the 200-meter dash (23.06).

Teammate Apollos Abercrombie finished fourth in the 400-meter dash (52.93) and fifth in the 800-meter run (2:08.18), and Demetrius Parker finished fourth in the 200-meter dash (23.48) and sixth in the 110-meter hurdles (11.60).

Isabella’s Sarah Graham finished third in the 800-meter run (2:33.05) and fourth in the 1600-meter run (5:43.94).

Other local competitors included:

Billingsley

•Denzell Callens: high jump, fifth; and seventh, 110-meter hurdles

•Abram Dudley: triple jump, 15th; shot put, 16th; and javelin, 20th

•Andrew Dudley: discus, 12th

•Daryle Gardner: long jump, 21st

•Devion Hardy: shot put, 15th

•Darius Miller: discus, seventh

•Kaitlan Reed: 300-meter hurdles, fourth

•Matt Snow: 3200-meter run, 20th

•Trevor Tyus: triple jump, 12th

Chilton County

•Issac Ford: discus, 10th

•Austin Rossi: discus, 13th

Isabella

•Bobby Knox: discus, 17th

•Kennan Lewis: pole vault, 10th

•Christian Littleton: 300-meter hurdles, ninth

•Drew Parker: high jump, sixth; and triple jump, 17th

•Davis Ratliff: 3200-meter run, 17th

•Ignacio Rojas: javelin, eighth

Maplesville

•Myia Ramsey: 400-meter dash, 12th

Thorsby

•Megan Sanchez: javelin, fourth

•Zack Hensley, Samuel Gasson, Cain Castleberry, Chase Gottier: 4×400-meter relay, 14th