USATF GA Association ReCap
This was a great meet again, this season held at Starrs Mill's Panther stadium which produced some outstanding times and marks with the the top 6 from finals qualifying to the Regionals in Newport News, Virginia on July 5-8. Quite a few of the top marks and times of the meet came from the Intermediate age groups. The Intermediate age events featured athletes that would be considered emerging Elite and Freshman classes from USATF Junior Outdoor Nationals and the New Balance Nationals from the previous weekend. The great aspect of the USATF Association championships is that it allows athletes to begin participating at the primary levels including from 6 years of age up to the Midget (11-12 year olds entering Middle School) The USATF GA Association state championship has grown every year as evidenced by the number of athletes competing and what sets it apart now for many years from the AAU Summer meets is the organization itself, how the meets are ran and officiated.
Javianne Oliver representing TK's Electro TC (Monroe Area) was the fastest woman in 11.90. Oliver also took home the 200m gold in 24.19 (24.00 in prelims) Grayson freshman Aliyah Abrams burned up the track in the Intermediate age group at 24.05 in the finals. Chelsea Caldwell of the DC Express clocked the fastest 400m time on the Young Women age group side at 55.41. But youth prevailed in this event as Abrams won in 54.43 followed by Cierra Dunston in 54.75. Lauren Jackson of Sprint Athletics owned the 800m race in an outstanding 2:12.35 Tatyana Hodnett of Quicksilver was the top 1500m lady of the meet at 4:56.04 followed by Alex Cameron in 4:58.11. Savannah Carnahan of the Forsyth Flyers moved up in class to Intermediate and clocked the top time of the meet in the 3000 meters in 11:08.49 after tuning up winning top female in the ACS 3K Summer Series race a day earlier. Cameron proceeded to win the 2000 Steeplechase followed by Carnahan...Tatiyana Rayford of First Light was the top 100m hurdler in the Intermediate finals in 14.74 although Monti Willis had a better prelim effort an age group up in 14.65. Willis also had the top time in the 400 hurdles, this time in the finals round in 1:03.91. In the 4x100 and 4x400 relays Split Second TC won the 4x100 in 47.31 narrowly defeating Titans TC in 47.33, but the Titans took the longer relay back in 3:46.89 besting Split Second TC. Hadley Reed Hancock had the top vault of the meet in 11-5.75, Alyssa Felton had the top LJ mark at 18-11.75, Kaitlyn Taylor took the TJ best in 38-9.75, Avava Story of T1d had the top Hammer Throw at 172-4. Monti Willis dominated the Young Women's Heptathlon with 4490 points and Erica Evans took the Intermediate Heptathlon with 3850 points.
Alex Phillips representing Southside Pioneers (Fayette County) was the fastest man in the USATF GA Association meet clocking a 10.70 with Major Impact's William Brown 2nd in 10.79. The only sub 22 200m times was clocked by William Brown (Soutside Pioneers) in 21.68. Nicholas Parks of Titans TC had the top 400m time of the day in the finals at 47.31 followed by Alexander Reese in 47.71 There was a great battle in the 800 meter race between Brandon Coombs (greenbrier) and Andrew Whetten (Druid Hills) with Coombs pulling out the win in 1:54.20. Whetten turned in the top 1500 meter performance early Sunday winning in 4:04.47. Paul McCloud was the top 2000 Steepler of the day churning and steepling to a 7:08.71 Dyarius Tucker was the top 110 hurdler of the meet sliding over the flights to a 14.66. Alan Frye false started in the 110 finals, but redeemed himself in the 400 Intermediates winning in 53.57 besting Tucker (54.68) The 4x100 relay action was hot as 3 squads went sub 42 led by the Southside Pioneers winning effort in 41.19. The Quad City Striders blew away the competition in the 4x400 with a sweet time of 3:13.46 James Wenk (Harrison) and Austin Eckenroth (Flowery Branch) had a sort of post HS best of the best match up after GA Olympics as both cleared 15-5 with the win going to Wenk on misses. Kenneth Brinson won 3 Golds in the Intermediate throws taking the Javelin, Discus and Hammer Throw. Kenneth Fisher took golds in both Young Men's horizontal events, Roc-M Nesbitt won golds in the YM Discus and Shot Put. Jordan Jackson of The Heat TC was the top Decathlete of the meet with 5202 points.