High school track: Kell's Williams a dominant freshman
The annual Roswell Relays, run for the 14th time earlier this year, is the signature event of the start of the track and field season in Georgia. Now the Westlake/Chick-Fil-A at Camp Creek Invitational may become the state’s signature mid-season meet.
Run for the first time last Saturday, the one-day meet attracted more than 800 athletes and 40 teams from three states. The intense competition produced several outstanding performances:
Girls
1. Lassiter (68 points); 2. Westlake (61); 3. Stephenson (49): Kell freshman Kendell Williams continued her remarkable season by winning the long jump (19 feet, 9-1/2 inches), the 100-meter (13.79 seconds) and 300-meter hurdles (41.83). Williams' performances in the long jump and 300 hurdles are state bests. The second-place finishers in two of those events – Lassiter senior Julienne McKee in the long jump (18-9-1/2) and Westlake senior Shani "Re-Re" Chandler (41.99) in the 300 hurdles – registered the state's second-best performances. ... Westlake's 1,600-meter relay team (Aubrielle Wright, Shaquavia Porter, Aminah Blount and Chandler) won in a state-best time of 3:51.82. ... Shiloh's Creeann Porter, South Paulding's Jianna Williams and Ashley Johnson of Westlake finished first, second and third, respectively, in the shot put and discus.
Boys
1. Norcross (75); 2. Peachtree Ridge (54); 3. Westlake (48): Lovejoy senior David Smith won the high jump with a state and national best jump of 7-4. Smith, who has signed with Auburn, would have toppled one of Georgia's longest standing state records (7-3-1/2 ), set in 1983 by Dothel Edwards of Cedar Shoals. But state records can only be set at the state meet. ... Chapel Hill senior Johnathan Parks won the 110- (14.43) and 300-meter (38.14) hurdles. ... Banneker's 1,600-meter relay team (Robert Brantley, Nick Weaver, Demeatruce McNeal and Jevonte Ezzard) ran a state-best time of 3:18.03.
Bragging rights
Atlanta and Clayton also crowned champions when county and city bragging rights were earned last week.
Atlanta
Champions: Therrell (girls) and Carver (boys). Therrell's Jawanda King won the 100 (12.22) and 200 (24.43) meters and Khayla Williams of Mays won the 1,600 (5:34.56) and the 3,200 (12:10.80). ... Washington senior Antonio Goodman won the 100 (10.72) and 200 (state-best 21.40). Grady's Zane Cooper won the 1,600 (4:36.91) and 3,200 (9:54.10) meters and Deric Scott of Carver won the shot put(48-9-1/2) and the discus (131-4).
Clayton
Champions: Mt. Zion (girls) and Riverdale (boys). Mt. Zion senior Alycia Pryor won the 100 (11.78) and 200 (24.40) meters. Chatil Bradford of Morrow won the shot put (39-11) and the discus (117-8). Mundy's Mill sisters Maya Collins, a senior, and Kenya Collins, a freshman, finished first and second, respectively, in the 300-meter hurdles. Kenya won the 100 hurdles as well. Morrow senior Wayman Storey, a UGA signee, won the 100 (10.64) and 200 (21.65) meters and Riverdale senior Sylvester Baisden won the 110- (state-best 13.99) and 300-meter (38.99) hurdles.
