GHSA Track & Field Championship Results from Thursday

The GHSA Track and Field State Championships began on Thursday with the first of its three days of action and took place at three separate locations (McEachern, Hugh Mills, Carrollton). Preliminary rounds set the stage for Saturdays finals and champions were also crowned in several eventsincluding the triple jump, pole vault, high jump, shot put, long jump and discus.

In Class A Private, Mt. Pisgahs Savannah Simmons won the long jump with a 17-4.50 and Claire Harrison of First Presbyterian Day placed first in the discus with a 131-1. Ikeria Hamilton (East Laurens) won the Class 2A high jump with a 5-4 finish and Laneys Sinclaire Fryer placed first in the shot put with a 41-4, besting second-place Temples 40-8 throw. Also at McEachern, Kaylan McConnehead (Lowndes) won the triple jump after posting a 39-10.75 mark and South Forsyths Riley Jones tied with Waltons Rachel Valentine with a 12-0 in the pole vault.

Class 4A was hosted by Hugh Mills Stadium in Albany and Fayette Countys Imani Moore earned a top finish in the triple jump with a 38-0.50 and also took first place in the Long Jump (19-3). The Class 4A girls pole vault state crown went to North Oconees Rhiannon Held after her 11-9 mark.

Carrollton hosted Class 6As championship field events and Statesboros Jania Joseph bested the competition with a 5-8 high jump. In the girls long jump, Alexanders Adaejah Hodge earned first with a 19-7, but Westlake gained ground in the overall team rankings with Amaya Cooper and Madyson Wilson earning the Lions 14 points with second and third place finishes behind Hodge.

In Class A Public, Gordon Lee sent Madolynn Loyd and Arilyn Lee to the podium for the discus. Loyd won state and earned the Trojans 10 points with a 105-7 throw and Lees 101-9 throw resulted in eight points and a runner-up performance.