Lowndes' Wolfenden inks with Columbus State, Toombs with Georgia Southern

VALDOSTA — After looking at several different schools to further his career and education, Columbus State made a deal Kaleb Wolfenden couldn't pass up.

The Lowndes senior track and field star signed a national letter-of-intent Wednesday to run for the Cougars, joining Vikettes' track star Savyon Toombs — who signed with Georgia Southern — in a ceremony at the school's media center.

"They had a good facility," Wolfenden explained why he chose Columbus State after also getting looks from the University of Tampa and Tennessee among others. "The coach offered me a good deal. He said he'll make me faster and he said he'll help me get to the Olympics. And he said when that happens, he'll quit his job and we're both going to go to the Olympics together. 

"That's the long goal, the 2020 Olympics."

But first Wolfenden has work to do at Lowndes, where he already holds the school record in the 3,200 meters at 9:22.40 and has the second-best time in the 1,600 meters at 4:18.27. Both of those personal bests were set at the Georgia High School Association state meet in the spring. Now he hopes to continue lowering those times. He briefly had the school record in the 1,600 before teammate Chance Roe, who signed with Troy University last spring, passed him.

"The short-term goals are to keep grinding, work hard and I'm trying to go for the four-minute mile and we're trying to go under nine minutes in the two-mile," he said. "Right now, my mile time is 4:18 and my two-mile is at 9:22 so 18 seconds and 22 seconds, I think I can do that."

Lowndes boys track and field coach Terry Quinn believes it too.

"I think they're getting a great person with a great attitude," he said. "The kid doesn't realize his potential so they're getting an incredible young man in the classroom and on the track.

"Incredible and unbelievable. The guys have worked hard and hard work pays off."

That work paying off touched Wolfenden after signing Wednesday.

"It means a lot," he said. "A lot when I was younger and everything, I got bullied a lot. This just shows that you can still come from a difficult background and still push through and grind hard and get to where you want to be."

Toombs also has reached where she wants to be after signing with Georgia Southern on Wednesday as well after also looking at LSU, Kennesaw State and Florida Atlantic.

"Well I loved the facility and the coaches and I like the fact they had tutoring and stuff, make sure you've got that education wise," she said about choosing the Eagles. "They just saw how I could fit in with the environment there at Georgia Southern."

Joe Robinson, the Lowndes girls track and field coach, has no doubts about how Toombs will fit in.

"Southern is getting a phenomenal athlete in Savyon," he said. "She's a kid that ever since she came to Lowndes High School has been a really hard worker. She actually made this program better than it alread was even though it was a good program. She just always has a can-do attitude, a winning attitude and they're actually getting a steal in getting her. 

"She's a very talented athlete and I think she'll be able to help them out her freshman year."

Toombs, though, first wants to help the Vikettes out her senior year. Finishing seventh in the state in the 400 meters last spring, Toombs holds school marks in the 200 (24.72) and the 400 (55.72) while also being a member of the record-holding 4x400 relay team. She's also fourth in program history in the triple jump.

"Before I leave I want to do a lot," she said. "I want to bring my time down even more, break more records and be the best."

Both Toombs and Wolfenden already are the best in their preparation, Lowndes cross country coach Martha Mazurkiewicz said.

"A hard worker, absolutely," she said about both athletes. "Somebody that always has a positive mental outlook when they get on the track, go to do speed work, when they get on the hills, there's nothing stopping them with those attitudes."

Jamie Wachter is the sports editor of the Valdosta Daily Times and can be followed on Twitter @jlwachter.