TRACK TESTED

♦ Cedartown boys, Rockmart girls continue stretch as top teams at annual meet

The top track and field athletes in the county went head to head the other week to once again determine the best of the best among high school and middle school students with Cedartown’s boys and Rockmart’s girls emerging victorious.

Cedartown Memorial Stadium was the setting for this year’s Polk County Championships, which took place on March 21, with both sides of the county well represented as high school athletes continued to push toward region meets scheduled for later this month.

The varsity results saw Cedartown’s boys repeat as the overall team winner with a final score of 112-34, while Rockmart High School’s girls edged the Lady Bulldogs 99-96.

Boys highlights included Cedartown’s Quan Dorsey and Harlem Diamond, with Dorsey winning the 110-meter hurdles and the 300 hurdles, and Diamond speeding to first place in the 100 and 200 meters.

Cedartown won each of the four relay races as well as all track events to boost themselves to a solid team victory.

Rockmart’s standouts included Grant Lisk, who finished first in the discus and second in the shot put, and Lanear McCrary, who won the long jump competition with a leap of 20 feet, 11 inches.

Sophomores Trillion Banks and Kenshyia Cole led the Rockmart girls’ efforts as Banks came in first in the 100 and 200, while Cole won the high jump and the 300-meter hurdles. Cole also finished second in the 100-meter hurdles.

Paxton Kirby had a multiwin day for the Lady Jackets as well as she won the 800 and 1,600 meters. Lauren Marlow won the discus throw, while Zori Williams took first in the triple jump.

Cedartown’s Lezlie Bates won the 100-meter hurdles while coming in second in the 300 hurdles.

Rockmart will host the Region 7-AA Championships on April 24 and 26, while Cedartown will travel to Southeast Whitfield High School for the Region 7-4A Championships.

In the middle school county competition, the Cedartown boys rolled to a 116-29 win over Rockmart, while the Rockmart Middle School girls won 151-57.

Highlights for the Cedartown boys include Rohan Kent winning both the 100- and 300-meter hurdles, and Chad Green winning the discus throw and the shot put.

Averee Green led the Rockmart Middle girls by winning the long jump, triple jump and the 100-meter dash.

Jeremy Stewart Rockmart’s Brent Washington (left) and Cedartown’s Harlem Diamond take off on the first leg of the boys’ 4x100-meter relay during the Polk County Championships at Cedartown Memorial Stadium on Tuesday, March 21.

Jeremy Stewart Rockmart’s Lanear McCrary makes an attempt in the boys’ long jump competition during the Polk County Championships at Cedartown Memorial Stadium on Tuesday, March 21.

Jeremy Stewart Cedartown Middle School’s Rohan Kent competes in the boys’ 100-meter hurdles during the Polk County Championships at Cedartown Memorial Stadium on Tuesday, March 21.