The state meet and a chance to shine among the state’s absolute best awaits for a number of track and field athletes from Jones County.
Last weekend in McDonough, the Greyhounds and Lady Greyhounds were entered in multiple events at sectionals, needing finishes that would qualify them for this this week’s GHSA track & field state meet in Columbus. For as attention-grabbing as any finishes earlier this season may have been, sectionals decide whether or not a trip to the state meet will occur.
Multiple JCHS track & field athletes met that challenge. Zion Ragins finished second in the 100- and 200-meter events by a combined 26 tenths of a second with overall times of 10.91 and 22.17. He takes the momentum of finishing so close to the front to the state meet with hopes of repeating as a state champion in two events.
The Greyhounds will also be taking two of their relay teams to state. With a time of 43.21 seconds, the 4x100 relay placed sixth with an eighth-place showing on a time of 1:32.00 being good for a state berth, as well.
Austin Sullivan will be headed to state as well. Leading the Greyhounds distance runners, his time of 10:14.63 earned a fourth-place finish.
The Lady Greyhounds Amaris Ridgeway was Jones County’s top finisher in the field events at sectionals. His jump of 35-9 in the triple jump placed fourth. Meanwhile, in the high jump, Tranasia Parker was sixth.
The Hounds Distance Company will have a Lady Greyhound bound for state, too, with Camryn Wommack’s time of 12:53.57 having given her an eighth-place finish last weekend.
Columbus will play host to this year’s state meet for the AAAAA and AA classifications starting on Thursday with field events, finals in the 4x800 relays and preliminaries in the 4x200 relay.
Other than the 3,200 meter run, all of Friday’s events will be preliminary running events with finals set for Saturday starting at noon.
