Walker County Messenger

Heritage girls claim region track crown

- By Scott Herpst

The next-to-highest spot on the podium isn’t a bad view, but it was a view that the Heritage Lady Generals wanted no part of this time around.

After finishing as the region runner-up to Pickens a year ago, a fire was lit - one that had been burning for nearly 12 full months - and after two days of competitio­n ended at Southeast Whitfield last Tuesday, the Heritage flame burned the brightest of all.

The Lady Generals won seven of the 16 events and amassed 155.5 points to win the Region 6-AAAA championsh­ip. Gilmer scored 139 points to finish second, while last year’s region champ, Pickens, was third at 98 points.

Northwest Whitfield (90.5), LaFayette (68), Ridgeland (31) and Southeast Whitfield (23) rounded out the field.

“Our girls kind of had a chip on their shoulders all year,” Heritage coach David Gibson explained. “Last year, they came in second place and they were just on a mission all this year. From Day 1, they’ve had this goal on their minds, especially our seniors. We had to gut out some races and jumps and throws and I couldn’t have been prouder of their effort.”

Raleigh Lewis, who won the discus during Day 1 on Monday (1100), followed up on Tuesday by winning the shot put (34-7) to sweep the throwing events, while speedster Nyzaih Moore continued her dominance in the sprints, sweeping both the 100 (13.00) and the 200 (27.00).

Hannah Smith raced to a win in the 800 (2:28.73), while the 4x100 “A” relay team (52.90) also claimed a region title.

Noor Sabeeh, who won the 1600 (5:42) on Monday, took second in the 3200 (12:57) on Tuesday. Kaylin McLaughlin was second in the 300 hurdles (50.47) and the 4x400 “A” relay team (4:28) also finished as region runners-up.

Earning third-place points was Mariah McCrary in the discus (86-3 1/2), Smith in the 400 (1:04.28), Taiya Ford in the 100 (13.49) and Alex Gass in the 3200 (13:38).

McLaughlin was fourth in the 100 hurdles (17.72). Madelyn Thompson was fourth in the 200 (29.07) and Joy Clark placed fourth in the shot put (28-6 3/4).

All top four finishers will advance the Class AAAA state sectionals at Blessed Trinity High School in Roswell this Saturday (April 29) where they will compete for spots in the Class AAAA state meet in May.

LaFayette finished with a pair of region champions in Dominique Southern, who won the long jump (15-3) and Madison Harris, who claimed first in the high jump (48) after winning a jumpoff tiebreaker.

Southern also took second in the triple jump (31-9), while the Lady Ramblers’ “A” team was second in the 4x100 (54.79). Tailor Harris was third in the triple jump (30-5 1/2), while Kelsie Burrows also qualified for sectionals after a jumpoff gave her fourth in the high jump (4-6).

Ridgeland will send three athletes to girls’ state sectionals. Jazzmyn Shelton

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