Darlington sweeps boys, girls region team titles
Ƈ The Tigers and Lady Tigers put together impressive team performances to lead locals qualifying for the sectional.
Region championships are all about athletes giving their best when their best is required.
The Darlington girls and boys teams accomplished that this week, and they have a pair of trophies to show for it.
The Lady Tigers and Tigers put on some impressive performances across several events to finish atop the team standings and claim Region 7-A Division I championships when the meet wrapped up after two days of competition Monday and Wednesday at Darlington.
The Darlington boys put up 242 points to take first ahead of Pepperell (147), Dade County (115), Armuchee (73), Chattooga (49) and Coosa (44).
The Lady Tigers compiled 184 points to put themselves in the top spot ahead of a tightly contested battle for second place between Chattooga (123.5) and Pepperell (123). Armuchee (102), Dade County (58.5), Coosa (56) and Dalton Academy (8) rounded out the scores.
Darlington’s boys claimed 13 region titles, with Joseph Womack winning two of those — the triple jump (42 feet, 1.5 inches) and 400-meter run (50.11 seconds). Other top finishes came from Sammy Kunczewski in the 100 (10.97), Brooke Temple in the 200 (22.17), Anthony Natarella in the 800 (1:58.2), Hayes Parsa in the 1,600 (4:37.34), Aiden Parsa in the 3,200 (10:04.55), Grant Hutton in the long jump (20-9), Link Lignell in the pole vault (12-6), the 4x100 relay team (43.35), the 4x200 relay team (1:30.00), the 4x400 relay team (3:26.83) and the 4x800 relay team (8:32.69).
The Tigers’ other sectional qualifiers with top-four finishes were Kunc
zewski and Donaldson in the 200, Lignell in the 400, Brock Ferguson in the 800 and 3,200, Hayes Parsa in the 800, Grant Cross in the 1,600 and 3,200, Aiden Parsa in the 1,600, Connor Ellison in the 110 hurdles and triple jump, Hutton in the high jump and Noah Duggan in the pole vault.
Darlington’s girls had eight region championship finishes, with Evie Shropshire claiming the 300 hurdles (48.69) and high jump (4-11). Other first-place finishers included Emma Hunt in the 400 (1:01.92), Callie Dempsey in the long jump (15-1.25), Presley Dixon in the triple jump (33-4.5), Molly Ledbetter in the pole vault (7-0), the 4x200 relay team (1:49.46) and the 4x400 relay team (4:10.30).
The Lady Tigers’ other sectional qualifiers included Dempsey in the 100, Cora Fannin in the 800, 1,600 and 3,200, Shropshire in the 100 hurdles, Betty Phillips in the 100 hurdles and 300 hurdles, Kaylin Blackmon in the high jump, Hunt in the triple jump, Nora Knaak in the triple jump, Skai Albury in the shot put, the 4x100 relay team and the 4x800 relay team.
Pepperell’s boys were led by a trio of region championships, including Eliot Goggans in the discus (135-11) and shot put (46-2.5). Hayden Jones had the other by topping the high jump (6-2).
Other sectional qualifiers for the Dragons were Jeremy Price in the 400, Jones in the 110 hurdles and long jump, Erik Jensen in the 300 hurdles, discus and shot put, Chris Fife in the high jump, Peyton Owen in the discus and shot put, the 4x100 relay team, the 4x400 relay team and the 4x800 relay team.
The Pepperell girls had one athlete win a region title, with Sakiya Winston taking first in the 100 hurdles (16.73). Other sectional qualifiers for the Lady Dragons included Cloey Mitchell in the 100, Hannah Smith in the 200 and triple jump, Aidyn Hurst in the 400, Olivia Edwards in the 400, Emma Hann in the 100 hurdles, Winston in the high jump, Aubrey Allen in the discus and shot put, the 4x100 relay team, the 4x200 relay team, the 4x400 relay team and the 4x800 relay team.
The Armuchee girls claimed four region titles, with Marissa Kimple winning the 1,600 (5:27.42) and 3,200 (11:55.32). Sophie Thacker won the 800 (2:30.72), as did the 4x800 relay team (10:23.85) . Other sectional qualifiers for the Lady Indians were Kimple in the 800, Josie Harris in the 800, Grace Fellows in the 300 hurdles, the 4x200 relay team and the 4x400 relay team.
Armuchee’s boys got sectional-qualifying performances from Tyler Johnson in the 400, Drake Ballard in the 800, Sam Lindley in the 1,600 and 3,200, Evan Butcher in the discus and shot put, the 4x200 relay team, the 4x400 relay team and the 4x800 relay team.
The Coosa girls had six sectional qualifiers, including Sophia Cook in the 1,600 and 3,200, Alisha Cook in the 1,600 and 3,200, the 4x100 relay team and the 4x400 relay team.
Coosa’s boys qualified four for the sectional, including Xander Sledge in the 100, the 4x100 relay team, the 4x200 relay team and the 4x400 relay team.
Those who qualified will compete in the Class A Division I sectional next Saturday at Whitefield Academy, with action starting at 10:30 a.m. The competitors will be looking to finish in the top eight of their events to qualify for the state championships at Barron Stadium in Rome from May 9-11.