PUSH FOR STATE

♦ Cedartown and Rockmart athletes earn the right to compete for state championships.

The sample size of track and field athletes still in the running for a state championship got a little smaller over the weekend. A group of Polk County’s top performers are still in the hunt.

Saturday saw hundreds of high school track and field athletes compete across the state at sectional competitions in an effort to qualify for the GHSA championship meets. Rockmart hosted the Class AA “B” sectional, while Cedartown athletes traveled to Central- Carroll High School.

Rockmart High School welcomed the top performers from half of Class AA’s regions Saturday for an all- day event that narrowed down the field to eight qualifying spots for this week’s state finals.

Tyshawn Johnson qualified in three individual events after placing fourth in both the boys’ 100-meter dash and 200- meter dash, as well as sixth in the boys’ long jump.

Rockmart’s region championship boys’ 4x100- meter relay team captured third overall with a time of 42.73 seconds, while Cam Ferguson came in third in the boys’ 400 meters, earning a time of 50.07 seconds.

Lanear McCrary qualified in both the triple jump and the 300- meter hurdles, coming in sixth and seventh respectively.

For Rockmart’s girls, Zion Turner had a personal- best performance in the discus with a throw of 102 feet, 11 inches to claim second place and earn her way to the state finals.

Trillion Banks qualified for the girls’ 100 and 200 meters, while Paxton Kirby finished in a high enough spot to move on in both the girls’ 1,600 and 3,200.

Cedartown’s Tae Harris set another PR with a 10.73-second 100-meter dash to come in fourth overall and qualify for the state finals. Teammate Harlem Diamond qualified with a sixth- place time of 10.85. Diamond also qualified

in the 200 meters.

Quan Dorsey earned fourth overall in both the boys’ 110-meter and 300-meter hurdles events, while Dalton Benefield qualified in both the boys’ 1,600 and 3,200.

Khamarion Davis, meanwhile, qualified for both the boys’ long jump and triple jump state finals, coming in sixth and fourth respectively at sectionals.

The GHSA State Track and Field Championships are scheduled to be held Thursday through Saturday at four sites across the state.

Cedartown’s state qualifiers will compete in the Class 4A meet at Hugh Mills Stadium in Albany, while Rockmart will be at the Class AA meet at McEachern High School in Cobb County.

Here is a listing of all of the state finals qualifying participants from Cedartown and Rockmart.

Jeremy Stewart Rockmart’s Cam Ferguson (left) gets the baton from teammate Rakaylin Glover for the final leg of the boys’ 4x100-meter relay during the Class AA “B” sectional at Rockmart High School on Saturday, May 6. The team finished second overall with a time of 42.73 seconds to earn a spot in the state finals this week at McEachern High School.

Jeremy Stewart Rockmart’s Tyshawn Johnson (right) pushes ahead of Eagle Landing Christian Academy’s Jacque Holley during the Class AA “B” sectional at Rockmart High School on Saturday, May 6.

Jeremy Stewart Rockmart’s Ryan Mitchell clears the final hurdle during the boys’ 110-meter hurdle race during the Class AA “B” sectional at Rockmart High School on Saturday, May 6.

Jeremy stewart Rockmart’s Trillion Banks competes in the girls’ 100-meter dash during the Class AA “B” sectional at Rockmart High School on Saturday, May 6.