(photo by Daniel McCauley)
What a great 2 days of competition it was at the 2016 GA MS State Track Championships as new champions were crowned and 9 meet records were set. SMART Athletics did a great job keeping the meet rolling, clerking, timing and judging all events, as well as utlizing 'yellow cards' for some false starts, giving the young athletes a second chance to get it right. There were a few athletes that ventured into 'Lane zero' during a distance event due to lack of racing experience. The stands were packed and the action hot on Parkview's new 6-lane track, keeping the patrons involved in every event. MileSplit GA was onsite Saturday shooting a volume photo gallery (which is posted) and cover shot artist Daniel McCauley is preparing 2 photo collages to be posted in the next 2 days!
Girls MS State Track Event MVP is Nyah Hernandez (photo by Daniel McCauley)
Girls- Nyah Hernandez ended her MS career by blowing away the field in the 3200m setting a new State meet record time of 10:58.25, and the Friday made it a sweep of the distance events taking the 1600m in 5:08.86. This earned Nyah State Meet MVP honors. Jasmine Jones from Greater Atlanta Christian will be a welcome addition on the HS squad in 2017 as she claimed 2 Golds of her own setting new State meet records in the 100 hurdles going 14.14 and the Long Jump with an outstanding mark of 18-9.25!
The Visitors side of the Field was full of patrons (photo by Daniel McCauley)
Lashanti Williams of Carrollton Jr High was also a dual Gold medalist as she swept the short Sprints clocking a 12.08 in the 100m and later a 25.25 in the 200m. Other Individuals setting new State meet records and taking home Gold were Chakiya Plummer of Exchange Zone in the Girls 300h (46.39);
Girls Field Event MVP Morgan Bentley (photo by Daniel McCauley)
Morgan Bentley (unattached) in the Triple Jump with a mark of 36-7.75 and Janae Profit of Chamblee MS in the Discus with a record breaking toss of 107-10.50. Club squads dominated the Girls Relays (no surprise as Clubs are basically all-star teams with athletes coming from different schools) Star Track TC was a dual winner taking the 4x100 (48.69) & 4x400 (4:03.46) while Jackrabbit TC hopped to the 4x800 win in 10:22.68.
The competition for the team honors were quite intense as 4 schools (Clubs not allowed to score as a team) were separated by only 8 points. Carrollton Jr High came out on top though with 53 points driven by Lashanti Williams dual Golds, relay points, Peyton Phillips 2nd in the Pole Vault. GAC led by Jasmine Jones exploits came in 2nd Overall 4 points back, Shiloh Generals ended up in 3rd place teamwise (thought they were a Club, may be wrong) while Westminster out of Atlanta was a solid 4th with 45 points.
Zack Truitt - Boys Track MVP (photo by Daniel McCauley)
Boys- Some of the biggest highlights of the meet for the Boys were 7th grader Zack Truitt of Landmark (Meet MVP) topping Paideia sophmore Griffin McCauley's 2014 record time in the 3200 meters clocking a 10:11.04, placing 2nd in the 1600m at 4:44.51, and was on Landmark's winning 4x800 squad that clocked a 9:24.09.
Alex Thomas of Malcolm Bridge 1600m Champion (photo by Daniel McCauley)
Alex Thomas from Malcom Bridge MS set a new MS State record in the 1600 meter race clocking a 4:40.26! Jaden Carter of the Georgia Elite had a leap of 21-01 setting a new State mark in the Long Jump. Myles Hilton of Greater Atlanta Christian earned Boys Field Event MVP by winning the Shot Put and taking 2nd in the Discus.
Myles Hinton of Greater Atlanta Christian earned Boys Field Event MVP by winning the Shot Put and taking 2nd in the Discus. (photo by Daniel McCauley)
Woodward's Boys are the new 2016 Ms State champions scoring 87 points, including winning the Gold Medal in the 4x100 relay posting a 44.45 and had 2 Individual Gold medal winners in Hunter Sellars as he won the 400m dash in 51.29 and Malachi Wiley had a bar of 10-2 taking PV Gold. Hilsman MS (Cedar Shoals feeder) was 2nd Overall scoring 68 points with Terrance White taking Gold in the HJ on a JD clearing 5-8. Landmark Christian will continue to do well at the HS level for a while as they placed 3rd as a team scoring 58.50 points led by Zack Truitt and their 4x800 squad picking up Golds. Marietta MS was a close 4th at 57 points led by Jevan Terry who doubled in the 100m dash and 100h.
Comments by SMART ATHLETICS:
Coaches and Parents,
We would like to sincerely thank you for making the 2016 Georgia Middle School State Championship a huge success!! Your participation and the competitive spirit and sportsmanship that was exhibited on Friday and Saturday was exceptional. So exceptional that we saw 9 Records Broken!
Alex Thomas - Malcom Bridge - Boys 1600m Run - 4:40.26
Jasmine Jones - Greater Atlanta Christian - Girls 100m Hurdles - 14.14
Nyah Hernandez - Unattached - Girls 3200m Run - 10:58.25
Zach Truitt - Landmark Christian - Boys 3200m Run - 10:11.04
Chakiya Plummer - Exchange Zone - Girls 300m Hurdles - 46.39
Jasmine Jones - Greater Atlanta Christian - Girls Long Jump - 18-09.25
Jaden Carter - Georgia Elite - Boys Long Jump - 21-1
Morgan Bentley - Unattached - Girls Triple Jump - 36-7.75
Janae Profit - Chamblee Bulldogs - Girls Discus - 107-10.5
With so many great performances across both track and field, we may need to consider an Best Overall Athlete award for 2017. This year we had 84 Teams and 1,354 Athletes competing. With that said, we just wanted to thank you for your patronage and let you know that the meet will be bigger and better next year. We will be sending you information throughout the year to keep you in the loop as we develop the 2017 event. The dates have already been set for April 21 and 22, 2017. Save it on your calendar and tell your friends to come out and join us for the best Middle School track and field event in the country!!
Yours Truly,
SMART Event Management
Executive Committee
COMPLETE RESULTS
PHOTO GALLERY
2016 MS State Track and Field Champions:
GIRLS
Girls 100m- Lashanti Williams Carrollton Jr (Dual Gold Medalist)
Girls 200m- Lashanti Williams Carrollton Jr
Girls 400m- Ashton Lindley Holy Innocents
Girls 800m- Royal Delay Exchange Zone
Girls 1600- Nyah Hernadez Unattached (Dual Gold Medalist)
Girls 3200- Nyah Hernadez Unattached (State Record)
Girls 100h- Jasmine Jones Greater Atlanta Christian (State Record)
Girls 300h- Chakiya Plummer Exchange Zone (State Record)
Girls 4x100- Star Track TC (Dual Gold Medalist)
Girls 4x400- Star Track TC
Girls 4x800- Jackrabbit TC
Girls High J- Camille Trotman Boys&Girls TC
Girls Pole V- Skyler Hess Georgia PV Club
Girls Long J- Jasmine Jones Greater Atlanta Christian (Dual Gold Medalist)
Girls Triple J- Morgan Bentley Unattached (State Record)
Girls Discus- Kayce Dorsey Jackrabbit TC
Girls Shot - Janae Profit Chamblee MS (State Record)
BOYS
Boys 100m- Jeremiah Kelly Howard Middle
Boys 200m- Jevan Terry Marietta Middle (only Boys Dual Gold Medalist)
Boys 400m- Hunter Sellers Woodward Academy
Boys 800m- Nahil Perkins Flash Athletics
Boys 1600- Alex Thomas Malcom Bridge (State Record)
Boys 3200- Zack Truitt Landmark Christian (State Record)
Boys 100h- Jevan Terry Marietta Middle
Boys 300h- Aj Hale Unattached
Boys 4x100- Woodward Academy
Boys 4x400- Georgia Elite Mustangs
Boys 4x800- Landmark Christian
Boys HJ - Terrance White Hilsman
Boys PV - Malachi Wiley Woodward Academy
Boys LJ - Jaden Carter Georgia Elite (State Record)
Boys TJ - Mecose Todd Carrollton Jr
Boys Disc- Myles Hinton Greater Atlanta Christian
Boys Shot- Jackson Ramey Banks County
