Cobb County Championships Preview

The Cobb County Track and Field Championships will take place Saturday and Monday at Marietta High School.  Expect some great performances in this highly competitive meet.
 
Field Events:
Talk here begins with Kendell Williams of Kell who will take part in both the high jump and long jump.  Based on her current form, there should be a new meet record in the high jump and the long jump mark is in jeopardy as well.  The girls vault should be very competitive with Elise Moffatt (Allatoona) and Jordan Shealy (Kennesaw Mountain) both over 10 feet already this season.  The best battle in the throws for the ladies should come from Monica Phillips (Pope), Janessa Jackson (Marietta) and Andrea Vahoua (Pope) who have all thrown past the 38 foot mark.  For the boys Jordan Chambers should be the class of the field in both the Shot Put and Discus.  The long jump and triple jumps should be tight battles with each having 5 athletes within 1 foot of each other.
 
Sprint/Hurdle Events:
Tayla Carter of Walton comes off a victory at the Coaches Invitational and enters with the best 100 meter time in the state at 11.80, but expect a challenge from Kelli Hardnett of Campbell who has a faster 200 meter PR.  With 7 athletes already under the minute mark, the 400 meter run should be very tight.  Kendall Williams will again be the favorite in the 100 meter hurdles, where she has won the last two years and owns the county record.  However, the Kendall-less 300 meter hurdles will still be a great match-up with Amber Bryant-Brock (McEachern) and Monit Willis (Campbell) coming in with PRs under 43 seconds.  Amba Etta-tawo (McEachern) comes into the 100 meter dash as a clear favorite with a 10.58 under his belt this season, but the 200 meter dash will be the deepest event with Etta-tawo chasing after Alexander Reese (Lassiter) and Michael Newton (Sprayberry).  Reese and Newton will also battle in the 400 meter dash along with Martez Hester (North Cobb).  The boys hurdles should be some great races with top performances coming into the meet from Alan Frye (Campbell), Tye Richardson (Sprayberry), and the Kell teammates Devon Williams and Quincy Mauger.
 
Distance Events:
Marci Merriman (Lassiter) is the favorite in both the 1600 and 3200 meter races, but each event includes other top distance runners including Molly Schenck (Pope), Kaylee Isaacs (Harrison), and Alexa Womack (Walton).  The 800 meter race should see a tight battle between Maria Boff (Harrison) and Lia Sewell (Walton).  The boys race brings back the defending champion in the 800 and 1600 meters in Cameron Thorton (Whitefield Academy).  Adel Yoonis (Wheeler) is the top returner in the 3200 meter run.  However, expect others to have a say in who stands on the victory podium, including: Patrick Fleming (Pope), Ben Pleak (Marietta), Paris Carson (Wheeler), and Brian Sullivan (Walton).
 
Relays:
In the 4 x 100 meter relay McEachern and Walton have both gone under 48 seconds this year and should have a tight battle.  While the McEachern 4 x 400 meter team put on a show last weekend and is a clear favorite.  The 4 x 800 should be a tight race as traditional rivals Walton and Lassiter are the top seeds.  The boys 4 x 100m has seven teams within a half second of each other and should be wide open.  However the boys from McEachern are the favorite as they have already dipped under 3:20.  The 4 x 800 will be a tight battle with Wheeler and Marietta as the top seeds.
 
Team Scores:
Girls team scores should be a close battle between the depth of Walton and Wheeler and the sprint heavy McEachern and Campbell.  Wheeler looks to have the depth to be the favorite, but there will be a tight pack of teams chasing them including Campbell, Kell, Pope, McEachern, Marietta, and Walton.
 
 
Travis Gower
Walton High School