The GHSA Track and Field state championships are back for three days of historic action that will take place on May 11-13 at Hugh Mills Stadium (3A & 4A), Kinnett Stadium (A-DII & 5A), McEachern (2A & 7A) and Barron Stadium (A-DI, 6A & Adapted). The championship meets and battle for the team titles will set the stage the following week for the Wingfoot Night of Champions at Georgia Tech presented by the Atlanta Track Club.
At Kinnett Stadium, the defending Class A-Public state champion Montgomery County boys will have a great opportunity to capture a consecutive team title in the newly-formed Class A Division II after a strong performance at sectionals that qualified Eagles across the events. The team will have an opportunity to score high in all four relays and Jordyn Patterson is seeded second in the 400 meter race and third in the 800 with a chance to have a big individual performance. Georgia Military, McIntosh Academy and Schley County are also highly projected to have strong showings at state after succeeding at Sectionals.
On the girls side, Montgomery County, Charlton County and Georgia Military Prep have an opportunity to win the first-ever Division II state title. Georgia Military last won back-to-back Class A-Public titles in 2015-16, while Montgomery County and Charlton County are looking to win for the first time. A major star to watch will be Montgomery County’s Marley Bell—who will be a favorite in four different events—including the 100 and 300 meter hurdles, the triple jump and the high jump. In Class A Division I, the Mt. Vernon and Bleckley County boys will be in a tightly-contested race for the title, while the Oglethorpe County girls look like the team to beat as they vie for a third-straight championship after clinching back-to-back Class 2A titles this past season.
In Class 5A, Arabia Mountain’s Davenae Fagan clocked a personal record 11.75 in the girls 100 meter dash and Greater Atlanta Christian’s Nia Wilson finished first in the Sectional B with a 11.74. The two senior standouts also finished first in their respective Sectionals in the 200 meter with Fagan clocking a 24.47 and Wilson posting a blazing 24.13.
CLASH OF CHAMPIONS
Class 4A will have a new team take the title this season with defending girls and boys state champion Marist moving up to Class 6A. Among the newcomers to Class 4A will be Whitewater and the Wildcats will have the spotlight on them in the 400 meter. At sectionals, Joe Kennedy set a new school record in the event with a 47.60—narrowly edging his senior teammate Braeden Osofu-Kwarteng’s 47.61. Both times were personal records for the Wildcat teammates and they will go head-to-head at Hugh Mills Stadium for the state crown with an opportunity to crowd the podium and give Whitewater valuable points in the team standings. Defending boys and girls state champion Westminster will also headline the Class 4A field with Pace Academy—who won last year’s Class 2A title—and Holy Innocents’—who won last year’s Class A-Private boys state title.
RAISING THE BAR
The Langston Hughes boys have had a successful season and have done particularly well in the relays. The Panthers set the state meet record last weekend in the boys 4x100 meter relay with a time of 40.63. The Panthers’ relay team features Jaden Barnes, sophomore Marice Gleaton, Dorian Page and Robert CJ Lockhart. The Hughes boys will be featured in a crowded Class 6A Field that includes defending state champion Shiloh along with four-time state champion and reigning Class 4A champion Marist. On the girls side, defending state champion Alexander will also have to contend with the War Eagles in the bolstered Class 6A landscape.
In Class 7A, Pebblebrook’s Dwight Phillips clocked a 10.32 finish in the 100 meter dash at Sectionals and remains the state’s fastest sprinter. Defending Class 7A boys state champion Marietta will look to defend its crown after claiming the program’s fifth title last season, while the Lowndes girls will defend their spot at the top in search of back-to-back titles, and their second in program history. The Shiloh boys have excelled this season and will attempt to win a back-to-back Class 6A team title and fourth all-time championship.
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