Girls: Two team race as expected as Westlake wins 8th team title
Don't you love it when the team battle comes down to the 4x400m relay? This one wasn't quite as dramatic as it was last year on the relay, but Westlake still went into the 4x4 needing at least 2 points to win this thing outright. They ended up getting 4 points to win it by 3. They were propelled at this meet primarily by sprints, hurdles, and relays. Jaden Billings got an individual title in the 100 hurdles while finishing 4th in the 300. Danayja Harper and Zaniyah Jones also scored in both hurdles races while Zion Lockette did enough in the sprints to help her team by placing 3rd and 4th in the 200 and 100. Westlake also won the 4x1, finished runner up in the 4x2, and scored some jumps points with Lockette in the high jump and Caylie Jefferson taking 3rd in the long jump.
In 2nd place was a Marietta squad dominated by distance stars. Mary Nesmith did her job by winning the 1600 and 3200 while placing runner up in the 800 and helping Marietta win the 4x800m relay, almost putting Marietta on the podium all by herself. Maddie Jones and Nora Hart helped in the distance effort by scoring in the 1600 and 3200 while Camille Brown placed 5th in the 400 and Alayna Abrams and Lariyah Ivory took 5th and 6th in the shot put. Buford was in 3rd place led by Olivia Harris who won the 400 and placed 4th in the 200. Aiya Webb was 2nd in the High jump and they had Jaci Wright place 2nd in the long jump and 3rd in the 100 hurdles. Richmond Hill held off two game squads in North Cobb and Dacula for the final trophy of the day. They had a true team effort as they scored in all four relay events while also getting big throws points from Jada Brown and Mmekom Inyang.
Individually, the star of this meet was Jasmine Robinson. She put up a ridiculous time to win the 300 hurdles while also winning the 200m, placing 2nd in the 100 hurdles, and 7th in the long jump. What a meet for the sophomore. Ryan Davis also showed up when it mattered most coming in 2nd in the loaded 200m but winning in a potential upset over Somto Igwilo in the 100m. Kendall Johnson was sensational in the 800 holding off Nesmith for the win in one of the tightest races of the day. Lambert Girls won the 4x200m relay and McEachern won the 4x400m relay, just barely holding off Newton as both squads went sub 3:50. Danah Nembhard was the star in the field as she won the high jump, long jump, and triple jump. Adrianna Pelham was a solid runner up in the triple. Cassidy Woodham won her first state title in the pole vault while Christianne Akintayo and Kijana Callwood delivered in the shot put and discus.
Boys: Tight Team battle as Carrollton shows they were more than just a wild card
The prediction for this meet and the battle of Walton and Mill Creek ended up being a decent prediction. But I did list Carrollton as a wild card coming in and they definitely too that to heart. They came out early and often and showed they were a force to be reckoned with. In the end it wound up being a tight battle between Carrollton and Walton with Mill Creek not too far behind in 3rd. Carrollton got big points on day 1 by going 1-4-6 in the discus led by Kadan Spratling as C.J. Gamble and Jordan White also stepped up big time. Khalen Pinkard was big placing runner up in the triple jump while Connor Rolek got 3r din the pole vault and Javon McLean placed 4th in the high jump. Noah Martinson finished off a crucial day 1 for them by placing 6th in the 3200. Martinson also stepped up his game on Saturday by placing 3rd in the 800 after helping them win the 4x800. They finished off their big weekend by placing 6th in the 4x200 and sat back hoping it would be enough to hold off Walton and Mill Creek.
It turns out it was as Walton came up just shy, 3.5 points back, despite finishing right around where they were projected to finish. Joseph Minecci showed up big time for Walton as expected, and won the 1600 and 800 after placing 3rd in the 3200. They also scored in the 4x800. Omer Inan also played a crucial role by placing 3rd in the shot put and 5th in the discus as did Femi Stuart by placing 3rd in the triple and 6th in the long jump. Tyson Poole also showed up big time by placing 3rd in the 200. Mill Creek also got big points in the field events with Brayden Walters, Michael Savariau, and Devin Ancrum putting up 21 points between the 3 of them. Demarko Jr Lawler's win in the triple and 3rd place in the long jump were big in the team podium effort too. And rounding out the team trophies, holding off Westlake and Newton, was Parkview who got a monster weekend from Cortez Smith winning the shot put and placing 3rd in the discus. The rest of the weekend for them was a big team sprint effort led by Devan Sloan El as they won the 4x100, finished runner up in the 4x200, and scored in the 4x400.
Individually this thing had some serious firepower in the sprinting events. The highlight of the entire meet was when Ervin Pearson scored an upset over 400m superstar Sidi Njie in the 400 to set a new state record as both runners dipped under Njie's old record set at the state meet last year. That race is one of the greatest races in state history and can't be talked about enough. What a dive, I'm still blown away by it. Njie was able to come back and still get the win in the 200 though and Jaden Wiley just barely held off Floyd Samuels Jr in the 100. In the relays the 4x200 was incredible, with Parkview only finishing runner up because Wheeler set a new state record. Westlake took the 4x400m crown this year in a very impressive 3:12. In the hurdles Jorden Reddick held off Aaron Jones and Daniel James for the win in the 110 while Jones held off James for the win in the 300 hurdles. And the 3200 was an incredible race in the final two laps that was won by Jackson Hogsed over Ben Winn. Winn wound up runner up in the 1600 to Minecci while Zach Patell was runner up to Minecci in the 800. Elijah McDowell won the high jump on misses over Nathaniel Olofintoyi and Elijah Foote. Billy Cunningham got the long jump win over Lee Niles in his first ever jump of 24-0 and Will Frederick finally got his state title in the pole vault.
