While Westlake is more widely known for its football and basketball teams, track is actually the school’s signature program.
The Lions proved that point on Saturday as Westlake capped a historic day in Georgia high school track and field by being the only school in the state to win boys and girls championships. The boys won the Class AAAAAAA title by just seven points (62-55) over second place Parkview, while the girls won an even closer battle with Campbell (75-71).
The boys were paced by Cameron Murray, who won the 110-meter hurdles (13.84 seconds) and long jump (24-feet, 5-inches), and placed second in the 300-meter hurdles and as a member of the Westlake 400-meter relay squad. Rainey Anderson finished behind Murray in the 110 hurdles, while Rashaad Pollard, placed second in the 100 meters. It was the second team title for the Lion boys, who won the Class AAA crown in 2006.
The girls were led by Kennedy Simon, who won the 200 meters (23.74), 400 meters (52.94, third fastest time in the nation this season), long jump (18-11 ¾) and ran a leg on the Lions’ first-place 1,600-meter relay squad (3:47.34). Westlake qualified both of its 400-meter relay squads, finishing second and sixth, while Tai Brown and Trinity Flagler placed fifth in the 800 and 100 meters, respectively, and Jada Watson placed second in the high jump. For the Lion girls, this was their fourth state championship in the last five years, and the program’s fifth overall.
For the first time in the history of the state championship meets, the boys and girls competed on the same day in three separate venues – Berry College in Rome (Class A-Private, Class AAAA and Class AAAAAAA), Carrollton High School (Class AAAAA and Class AAAAAA) and Hugh Mills Stadium in Albany (Class A-Public, Class AA and Class AAA).
Here’s a look at the other classifications:
Class AAAAAA: In Carrollton, the Mays girls and Allatoona boys were two of the eight schools that won their first state track titles on Saturday.
The Mays girls, who won the state basketball championship in March, got a strong performance from Class AAAAAA Basketball Player of the Year Kamiyah Street who placed first in the 300-meter hurdles (43.98), fourth in the 400 meters, and tied for fifth in the high jump. Also, Sydni Gilmore won the triple jump (40-0 ½ ), Chloe Robinson took second in the long jump and the Raider 1,600-meter relay team won gold as well (3:47.34).
Allatoona was paced by Jacob Smith, who won the 200 meters (21.42) and placed second in the 400 meters. Blake Klepper was second in the 800 meters, while Adrian Hernandez finished third in both the 1,600 and the 3,200 meters and Tobi Adeyeye was third in the high jump.
Class AAAAA: In Carrollton, the Buford girls joined the long list of programs at the school that have won state championships, while the Cedar Shoals boys won their fourth title, but their first since 2005.
Buford was led by Alexa Rossum, who won the 100 (11.72) and 200 (24.03) meters. Harris won the 400 meters (53.80, just .15 seconds off the state record) and was second in the long jump, Erin Marsh won the 300-meter hurdles (42.48), was third in the 100-meter hurdles and fifth in the high jump, and Berkley Berrett was second in the pole vault. Buford’s 1,600-meter relay team took first (3:47.25) and its 400-meter relay squad was second.
Cedar Shoals was led by Rogerous Swain, who won the triple jump (48-5 ¼), while the Jaguars’ 400-meter relay team took first (40.74, just .08 off the state record) and their 1,600-meter relay team was second.
Class AAAA: In Rome, the Marist boys won their third state championship in the past five years, while the Chapel Hill girls won their first.
Marist was led by Brian Faust, the 400 (47.51) and 800 (1:54.68) meter champion. Leif Anderson won the 1,600 meters (4:20.39) and Knox Pittman took second. He also finished sixth in the 800 meters.
Chapel Hill won both the 400-meter (47.01) and 1,600-meter (3:54.12) relay titles, while Kayla Alexander was second in the 100-meter hurdles and fifth in the long jump, Aliyah Sangster was second in the 400 and fifth in the 200, and Angel Amadi was second in the 100 meters, fourth in the 200 meters and seventh in the triple jump, and Kendria Edouard was fifth in the 400 meters.
Class AAA: In Albany, the Cedar Grove boys won their third consecutive championship, while the Greater Atlanta Christian girls won their second in a row and fifth overall.
Jadon Haselwood won the 110-meter hurdles (14.52) and was third in the 300-meter hurdles, Terrance Lewin was second in the 400 meters, Israel Spivey and Kortney Cox were third and fourth, respectively, in the 200 meters and second in fourth, respectively, in the 100 meters. Also, Cedar Groves’ 1,600-meter relay team won the championship (3:19.89), while the 400-meter relay squad took third.
GAC was led by Jasmine Jones, who won the 100-meter (13.94) and 300-meter (42.97) hurdles, and Danielle Ship, who won the high jump (5-2).
Class AA: In Albany, the Vidalia boys and Jeff Davis girls were first-time title winners.
The Vidalia boys were led by Nathan McBride, one of the state’s top linebackers. Before heading off to Athens to terrorize offenses for the Georgia Bulldogs, McBride won the 100 (10.77) and 200 (21.71) meters, and led the team’s 400-meter (42.30) and 1,600-meter (3:26.56) relay teams to victories. Tyqwuan Powell was second in the 300-meter and sixth in the 110-meter hurdles, Mielon Parrish was third in the 400 and Deon Green was fourth in the 100.
Jeff Davis was paced by discus winner Tristan Herndon (132-7), who also took fifth in the shot put, and Morgan Carelock, who won the high jump (5-4), took second in the 110-meter hurdles and third in the 300-meter hurdles.
Class A-Private: In Rome, the Eagle's Landing Christian Academy boys won their first state championship and the Athens Academy girls won their second in a row.
ELCA was led by Jeffrey Uzzell, who won the 100 (10.66) and 200 meters (21.49), and Sean Queen, who won the long jump (22-8 ¾), took second in the triple jump and seventh in the 110-meter hurdles. Both were members of the Chargers’ 400-meter relay team, which took first (42.21).
Athens Academy was led by Julia Harisay, who won state titles in the shot put (40-1 ½) and discus (143-8), and Anna Maria Block, who won the 800 (2:13.60)
Class A-Public: In Albany, the Hancock Central boys won the state title for the second time since 2014 while Telfair County girls won the program's first state championship.
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