It's time to Vote for the Georgia Track and Field Breakthrough of the Week!
Breakthrough of the Week is meant to highlight performances of athletes who achieved big improvements and stepped things up to a new level.
We will do this once a week and we will have up to 10 nominees for both boys and girls each week
Here's the lineup for this week's vote:
Azaria Lee (Heritage) ran 15.50 in the 100m hurdles at the McEachern Invitational, improving from her previous best of 16.27 set in April 2026. The junior ranks #133 in Georgia and #33 among juniors after placing 7th of 16 competitors. Lee also set a PR in the triple jump, improving from 35-2.5 to 36-1 at the same meet.
Sydney Brubaker (Wesleyan School) clocked 11:41.52 in the 3200 meters at the Creekview Distance Showcase, dropping from her previous mark of 12:06.80 from March 2026. The freshman finished 6th of 8 competitors and ranks #124 in the state and #15 among freshmen.
Marley James (Hardaway) cleared 5-2 in the high jump at the Westover Relays, improving two inches from her previous best of 5-0 set in April 2026. The senior placed 2nd of 9 competitors and ranks #71 in Georgia and #20 among seniors. James also recorded a PR in the long jump, going from 14-6 to 16-0.
Kyla Shuman (South Effingham) ran 25.09 in the 200 meters at the South Effingham Invitational, improving from 25.63 set in March 2026. The freshman placed 2nd of 24 competitors and ranks #122 in the state and #10 among freshmen.
Sydney Costen (Woodward Academy) ran 2:18.49 in the 800 meters at the McEachern Invitational, improving from her previous best of 2:21.85. The sophomore finished 3rd of 25 competitors and ranks #52 in Georgia and #12 among sophomores.
Ceyonce Reid (Alexander) clocked 27.03 in the 200 meters at the McEachern Invitational, improving from 27.90. The senior also improved her 400m time from 1:02.79 to 1:00.99
Voting Closes on Sunday at Midnight!
Note - This is not necessarily the most improved performances of the week, but a way to highlight those that may have had their best performance so far among athletes who should be competitive during the championship season.
Once an Athlete wins, they will no longer be nominated for athlete of the week. We will keep a running tally of each week's winner and then after the season have a final vote for athlete of the year.
Past Winners
Week 1: Piper Atwood - Parkview - Improved her PR from 10-0 to 11-1 to win All Comers Series #1
Week 2: Lauren Johnson - Woodward Academy - Improved her Pr in the discus from 97-11 to 107-10 to break 100 for the first time at Westminster Varsity Home Meet
Week 3: Janelle Taylor (Model) ran 2:21.38 in the 800 meters at the Model Six Lane Spectacular on March 5, improving from 2:27.56 set in May 2025. The junior won among 6 competitors and ranks #78 in Georgia and #14 among juniors.
Week 4: Monica Mathis (Northside Columbus) ran 26.62 in the 200 meters at the Rome Relays on March 14, improving from her previous best of 27.03 set in March 2026. The sophomore finished fourth of 35 competitors and won her heat.
Week 5: Lauren Lauer (Houston County, Warner Robins) ran 11:52.87 in the 3200 meters at the International City Relays on March 18, dropping from her previous time of 12:08.56. Lauer won the event among 16 competitors and ranks #143 in Georgia.
Week 6: Anjali Smith (Northside Columbus) cleared 5-8 in the high jump at Harris County Wednesday Night #2 on March 25, improving from her previous best of 5-2. The mark ranks #4 in Georgia and #1 among freshmen, and set a school record for Northside Columbus. Smith also recorded personal bests in the 200 meters (26.84, down from 26.90) and 300m hurdles (49.32, down from 49.78) at the same meet.
Week 7: Alexis Isenhour (Brookwood) ran 58.44 in the 400 meters at the Archer Invitational, dropping from her previous personal best of 1:00.96 from March. The time places her #136 in the state and #24 among juniors, finishing 5th in a field of 45. Isenhour also set a personal record in the 800 meters, improving from 2:31.63 to 2:30.37.