4A Boys State Meet Preview
Distance
Marist to have a chance at a team title needs to take advantage beginning Thursday evening in the 1600. Daniel Navarro is clearly the favorite with a 4:17pr this Spring and Michael Thurston can probably go lower than his 4:28c...It looms to be a battle for 2nd between Andrew Coggins of Lagrange, Hakeem Mustafa of Shaw, Thurston, Daniel Broadhead of Wayne County, Sam Bowie of Lagrange will be racing to score team points.
Navarro could double Friday afternoon as his pr of 9:14 looks untouchable to the field and teamate Jack Leahey will have the op to score big w/ a pr of 9:41 and be in a battle for 2nd with Mustafa of Shaw and Broadhead of Wayne Co. 3 other runners in the field have gone sub 10: including Brian Cato of Eagle's Landing, Jimmy Mehserle of Perry and Bowie of Lagrange.
In the 800m Andrew Coggins has clocked the fastest time this Spring at 1:57.82 but will have to hold off a tight pack of sub 2: runners including Roman Nepello of Redan, Demerius Williams of Rutland, Tyler Edenfield of Alexander, Drew Bellows of Pickens County and Caleb Watson from Mary Persons. Frank Pittman of Marist could have an impact for Marist's quest for a team points...
Sprints/Hurdles/Relays
Big team points will be on the line for Banneker, Rutland and Fayette County in the dashes. Ryan Clark of Banneker is the man to beat in the 200/400m races with pr's of 21.31/47.57 Big dual threats in the short sprints are Demoton Boyd of Lagrange as with Clarke not competing in the 100m could rack up big points for the Grangers with bests of 10.66/21.54. Mary Person's Nick Davis will be right in the mix with season bests of 10.63/21.56 Fayette's Treyveon Herring is also a contender having clocked 10.71/21.78 with Deion Reed of Redan in the same range. Rutland will hinge much of their team success on the 400m race with their duo of Kibwe Troup (48.17) and Deondre Person (48.89) Devon Diamond of Cross Creek also busted a sub 49 this Spring.
In the 100h Jackie Childs of Westover came out of Sectionals #1 at 14.41, but Taurean Ferguson of Jonesboro claims the top time this Spring at 14.39. Xavier Gates of Woodland-Stockbridge has a MileSplit 1st team elite performance also at 14.47 Others battling to score team points could be David Gilstrap of Marist (14.75) and Solomon Bolds from Sandy Creek (14.80) the Patriots will have 2 chances to score in the 300h w/ Bolds at 38.32 and Rex Willis 38.97. Other top contenders for the 300h crown should be Childs of Westover (38.37) Ferguson of Jonesboro (38.70), Gates (38.42) and Carrollton's Caleb Johnson (38.57) Better crank up the frame speed Phil, lol.
Sandy Creek looks strong in both relays clocking a 41.74 at Region and 3:22.23, Carrollton also has the potential to score points in both with times of 42.11/3:22.59, Fayette County sped to the #1 4x100m time at Region in 41.60 and Rutland has the top 4x400m squad at 3:18.28. Banneker also will be gunning for big points with 42.12/3:18.97 bests.
Field Events
Verticals
In the HJ we may be in for something special as Jefferson tends to bring out the best on the tarmac and Veteran's Malik Broughton has cleared 7 feet 2 inches at Sectionals last week. Looking to better than pr's and challenge Broughton could be Sean-Michael Rand of Cross Creek (6-8) and Justin Sumpter of Sandy Creek (6-8) the next best clearance in the state field is 6-04.
4A boasts the top vaulter in the State this Spring in Tyler Craig from Pickens County at 16-05. Tyler achieved this at the Sectionals just a few days ago and if you aren't busy watching your team, make sure to check him out. Jawaylyn Brooks from Grady is primed to take Silver with a pr of 14-02. Jousting for podium spots and glory will include Joseph Mosely of Carver ATL(12-6), James Leverette of Alexander (12-0) and a pack with bests of 11-6
Throws
Roc-m Nesbitt will attempt to double for Carver-ATL with a monster Discus pr of 182-2 and Shot best of 54-8.50. He is going to get intense competition in both events however from Marist's Kamryn Brinson in the Discus (180-7) and Shawayne Lawrence of Eagle's Landing in the Shot at 54-0. The hottest Discus competition will come from 4A including slingers Lawrence (163-5), Crooks DeLando from Carver ATL (155-4), Chris Washington of Burke (154-2), and Donald Daley Redan 152-2. In the Shot other top Putters include Markiel Brown of Rutland (52-3), Juwan Young of Albany (51-10) and Brinson of Marist (51-3)
Horizontals
A very talented group of horizontalists will be competing in the LJ including #1 jumper Kevin Williams from Monroe-Albany with a leap of 24-04. Challenging him will be 4 athletes w/ 23+ marks led by Nigel Hughes of Stockbridge (23-5), Jonathan Willman of NW Whitfield (23-1.5) and Demetrius Rooks of Carver-ATL at 23-00 (another team scoring op for Carver) The Triple Jump will feature Lanier's Devon Brooks with a deep 48-6 mark and joining him on the runway is teamate Simon Shafack pr of 46-11.5 Other top TJr's competing for podium spots will be Jeremiah Mercer of South Effingham (46-5), Williams of Monroe-Alb (46-3) and DeAntoine Cammons of Carrollton (46-1.5)