Top area track athletes qualify for state

The GHSA championships will be held at three different sites May 10-12.

The GHSA championships will be held at three different sites May 10-12.

A determined group of track and field athletes from Rome and Floyd County will be making their way to the final stages of the season next month.

Several area students spread out across North Georgia on Saturday at sectionals and finished as some of the best participants in their events to qualify for the GHSA state championships.

Most events had the top eight in each event qualify for the championships, which will be held at three different sites May 10-12.

The Floyd County teams in Region 7-AA competed in the sectional at Gordon Central High School on Saturday. Those who moved on will travel to Albany for the Class AA state championships.

Pepperell had nine individuals and two relay teams qualify. Brian Tanner had the best throw

in the boys’ shot put at 48 feet, 4 inches. He also made the cut in the discus at 130-10.

Dawson Melton qualified in both the boys’ 110-meter hurdles and 300-meter hurdles, posting the second-best time in both, while Caroline Clark qualified in girls’ shot put and discus.

Model’s Megan Kent topped the girls’ high jump standings by clearing 5-4, and Ellie Getchell was second overall in girls’ pole vault at 9-0. Armuchee’s Chaney Holder had top-three times in the boys’ 800 and 1,600.

Coosa’s Carah Arrant posted the best time in the girls’ 300 hurdles at 47.59 seconds and second in the girls’ 110 hurdles at 16.25. Teammate Lainey Simms qualified in both events as well, finishing right behind Arrant both times.

Rome High had 12 individuals and its boy’s 4x100 relay team qualify at Starr’s Mill High School. They will compete at the Class 5A state championships at Carrollton High School.

The Wolves’ 4x100 team of Cheneniah McKeever, Trai Hodges, Xavier Roberts-Donaldson and Marquis Glanton posted the fourth-best time at 42.33, but broke the school record in the process.

Jataria Jackson qualified in the girls’ 100 and 200, Jakobe Hamilton had top-eight times in the boys’ 110- and 300-hurdles, and Adam Anderson will compete in boys’ high jump and discus after a throw of 142-4.

Darlington had six athletes qualify in 10 events at the Class A Private sectionals at Landmark Christian. They will move on to the state championships, which will be held at Berry College.

Roth Wilcox qualified in the boys’ 300-hurdles, 100-hurdles and long jump, while Elijah Ball will be going in the boys’ shot put — where he had the second-best throw of 51-2 — and the discus.

Kacey Kemp qualified for girls’ discus after a second-best throw of 120-5 and girls’ shot put.