Georgia MS State Track & Field Championship Preview


Lilburn, Georgia will be the place to be this weekend for the 2019 Georgia Middle School State Track and Field Championships!  Over 1400 athletes will converge upon Parkview High School for middle school track and field supremacy.  This marks the championships' 10th year which will include a ton of surprises and fun for athletes and spectators.  Georgia Milesplit will be on-site providing live coverage and video of the event.   
        
Girls Sprints

 100m - Trinity Williams (Peachtree Charter) and Adajah Hodge (Bay Springs) will battle it out in the middle school division.  Look for Chloe Perryman (Shiloh) to have a say in the outcome as well.  Nia Wilson (Jackrabbit) returns as the club division state champion.  She'll have her eyes set on the state record.  Challenging her will be Grace Smith (Smyrna Elite) and Ronniah Wright (ATL Zoom).

200m - The reigning champion, Jordyn Parker (Chamblee) will get all she can handle as both Adajah Hodge and Trinity Williams attempt their own sprint double.  Jasmine Logan (ATL Zoom) is the top seed in the club division.  Newcomer Kirah Copeland (Unattached) Janai Jones (Jackrabbit), Serena Tate (ATL Zoom) and Kylan Rice (Unattached) will provide more than enough competition. 

400m - Jordyn Parker is the clear favorite.  Hurdle sensation, Olivia Powell looks to help Landmark win the team title by picking the 400 as her third event and contend for the 400m title.  Amilliana Simmons (Oak Hill), Davanae Fagan (Champion), and Madison Kitson (Faith MS) are all primed to clock sub 60 in the 400 that could test Parker as well.  Sydney Harris (Jackrabbit) leads a talented field in the club division.  Kirah Copeland, Madison Campbell (Lightning Spikes), and Kayleigh Stargell (Unattached) are also prepared for the task at hand.  

Boys Sprints 

100m - Who is Georgia's fastest middle schooler...?  We'll find out this weekend.  The middle division has 15 boys under 12 seconds.  Jessie Hawkins III (Morgan County), Chris Nelson (Lakeside MS), Will Sampson (Oglethorpe), Josh Nelson (Lakeside), Jayquan Billingsley (Tucker), and Bryson Virgle (Veterans Memorial) will have their speed on display.  Ayden Duncanson (Unattached), Khileel Branch (Dekalb Elite) and Luke Blanchard (Unattached) are set to chase the gold in the club division.  

200m - Some of the same faces in the 100m will be atop the 200 as well.  Look for Bryson Virgle to lead the way.  He'll have to clash with Kennedy Gregg (North Cobb Christian), Jessie Hawkins III, Chris Nelson, Josh Nelson, and Will Sampson (Oglethorpe).  Ayden Duncanson is the top seed in the club division and the fastest 100/200 runner in the state.  Duncanson will have to deal with Demetrium Moore (Unattached), Luke Blanchard and Kari Fuller (Dekalb Elite).  

400m - Kennedy Gregg leads the field as the top quarter miler in the state.  Jauquine Hines (TJ Elder), Jahmel Johnson (Veterans Memorial), and Na'Seir Samuel (Calvary Day School) will lend to a very compelling showdown in the finals of the middle school division.  Demetrium Moore is the man to beat in the club division.  He's gone under 53 seconds this year with gas still left in the tank.  Giving chase will be Mathias Carter (Jackrabbit), Marcus Guidry (Unattached), Devin Clark (Cobb PAL), and Rashad Williams (Dekalb Elite).

Girls Distance

800m - The state record could be in jeopardy...  Kenyah Conner (ATL Zoom) returns as the state champion.  She'll face major competition from Sydney Augmon (Jackrabbit), Shellease Stafford (Shiloh), Lizzie Wadsworth (Oglethorpe), Claire Shelton (Peachtree Charter), and Madison Campbell.  

1600m - This is one of the deepest events of the championships.  Sarah Harrison (Athens Academy), Ella Bailey (Woodstock/Freedom), Claire Shelton, Heidi Heppner (Unattached), Tristen Crosby (Unattached), Madison Kitson and Kenyah Conner are all capable of bringing home the gold.   

3200m - Ella Bailey has the fastest time of the season.  The top 8 will be hard to come by in this one.  Key competitors will be Isabella McArter (Jackrabbit), Clara Heppner (Unattached), Audrey Etris (Jefferson), Lizzie Wadsworth, Sarah Harrison, Gabi Comsudes (Marietta), and Megan Walter (Paideia).  

Boys Distance 

800m - 2018 brought us an epic finish with 3 athletes breaking the state record.  This year's race is shaping up to be just as good based on the verified entries.  Steven McCartney (Unattached), Luke McGarity (Oglethorpe), William Carlton (Renfroe), Jaylen Marsh (Cobb PAL), and Ryan Glass (Rome) are the frontrunners.  

1600m - Steven McCartney and Jared Fortenberry (Marietta) are the headliners as both have run lower than the state record this season.  Hopefully, the weather cooperates...  Adding to an already stacked field is William Carlton, Luke Churchwell (Unattached), Ryan Glass, and Luke McGarity.  

3200m - We'll be in for a treat during the last race of the evening on Friday.  Jared Fortenberry and Steven McCartney went head to head last weekend at the Rome MS meet which saw them both go under 10 minutes.  Fortenberry came out victorious and is only 3 seconds off the state record.  Luke McGarity and Tucker Wright (Rome) will add to the drama in this one.   

Girls Field Events

Triple Jump - Kelsey Chambers (Unattached) is ready to go after the state record on Friday night.  Savannah Prince (Athens Christian), Peyton Funderburk (Unattached), and Odajah Mitchell (Dalton) will have to dig deep to close the distance on Chambers.  

High Jump - Zarvione Chase (Shiloh) and Trinity Williams are the top returners from 2018.  Kendall Ward (Temple) has the best mark this season and will focus on keeping it that way by the end of competition. 

Long Jump - Trinity Williams is the reigning champion and is in great position to repeat.    She will have several formidable opponents in Grace Smith, Jordyn Parker, Adajah Hodge, Sydney Lucas (Greater Atlanta Christian), and Sequoia Farley (Drew Charter).  

Pole Vault - Olivia Clark (King's Ridge Christian), Natalie White (Athens Christian) and Miriam Hartry (Oak Hill) lead the pack of talented vaulters.  Nessa Stukalsky (Davis Academy), Breeanna Chandler (Dalton), Libby Jackson (Hebron Christian), and Amelia Johnson (Unattached) will make things interesting.  

Discus - Kameryn Hannon (Lightning Spikes) is the top returner.  She'll have to deal with Neely Rogan (Unattached) and Makayla Register (West Laurens) in pursuit of the gold.  

Shot Put - The Shot Put is wide open for the taking.  There will be a four-way battle between Nevaeh Taylor (Dalton), Jayla Gilbert (Unattached), Kameryn Hannon, and Christianne Akintayo (Jackrabbit). 

Boys Field Events 

Triple Jump - Athletes to watch are Cameron Carmichael (Carson), Kameron Edge (Central), Edrick Faust (Oglethorpe County), and Davajay Foster (Villa Rica).  

High Jump - Four athletes have already tied the state record this season.  The crowd will definitely be behind Kameron Edge, Ian Hodge (Paideia), Jamil Oliver Jr. (Veterans Memorial), and Max Tucker (Unattached) as they attempt a new state record.  

Long Jump - Jakilen King (Pike County) is the favorite.  Contenders will be Jessie Hawkins III, Isaiah Sanders (Marietta), and Kennedy Gregg.  

Pole Vault - State leading Luke Woerner (Pike County) is the one to beat.  Challenging him will be Dylan Faulkner (Unattached), John Mark Stevenson (North Cobb Christian), and Latham Hest (Perimeter Christian School).

Discus - Max Herman (Marietta) has dominated all season.  The question is now, can Max break the state record?  Other competitors to keep an eye on are Doc Pearson (Bremen), Emorrie Foskey (Richard B. Russell), and Jaden Williams (West Laurens). 

Shot Put - The state record will be challenged. Emorrie Foskey is the favorite and has thrown beyond the state record mark this season.  Other top seeds include Nathaniel Miller (Tucker), Ageminea Davis (TJ Elder), and Jayden Jones (Chamblee).   

Girls Hurdles

100m hurdles - Olivia Powell (Landmark Christian) and reigning champ, Jasmine Harmon (ATL Zoom) will square off in the high hurdles.  Keep an eye on Grace Smith, Zy Thompson (Pike County), Tushawn Williams (Drew Charter Junior Academy), and Maleah Tidwell (West Laurens).

300m hurdles - Olivia Powell will carry her undefeated streak into a loaded timed final on Saturday evening.  She has also run faster than the state record back in early March.  Look for Tia Hicks (Jackrabbit), Grace Smith, Kayleigh Stargell, Akhaila Makenna (Marietta), Shellease Stafford, and Ja'myah Cummings (Oak Hill) to apply pressure. 
 
Boys Hurdles  

100m hurdles - Michael Butler (Landmark Christian) is the top seed.  Brandon Ford (Richard B. Russell), Ezra Allen (Drew Charter), and Jude Holiday (Unattached will have something to say about the outcome in the finals.

300m hurdles - Jauquine Hines (TJ Elder) and Ian Hodge (Paideia) are the ones to watch in this race.  Look for Michael Butler and Deonte Parker (Central Middle) to add some intrigue to one of the most talented hurdle races ever in the championship era. 

Girls Team Competition

Look for Chamblee, Peachtree Charter, and Landmark Christian to pack the biggest punch in the individual events.  Shiloh clearly has the most depth of any school.  Oak Hill is the powerhouse that is always in contention every year.  The girls of Oak Hill have won the most state championships.

Boys Team Competition

The boys' competition is wide open.  Marietta, Landmark, Oglethorpe County, Veterans Memorial, and Tucker should all be around the top 3.