A new era for track & field in the state of Georgia begins next week with the GHSA state championships being staged at The University of Georgia’s Spec Towns Track & Field Complex, a newly renovated $60 million facility.
Multiple Greyhounds and Lady Greyhounds will be part of that window of history following last weekend’s sectionals. As a result, JCHS will have athletes competing Monday in a total of six events.
“They have a chance to finish way up on the podium in 4x800, they really have a chance to podium in every event,” said JCHS cross country head coach Geoff Moore, who also coaches the distance runners on the track and field team.
Armani Norris heads to next week with the best placement in sectionals for Jones County, taking second in the 400 meters on a time of 50.35.
But Norris is hardly alone in having his ticket punched to the state championship meet.
In fact, many of the same runners from last year’s boys’ cross country team, regarded as perhaps the best in program history, helped give JCHS a handful more of state berths.
“They do it for each other, they want to finish what they started, it’s fun to watch.”
Now, the venue shifts to Athens next week with each classification contesting all of its events on one respective day.
“Nobody wanted to be left out of this one, this will be fun,” Moore said. “They showed off the work they put in, and that’s what track is, all you are doing is showing off from the work you put in when nobody is watching.”
In the 800 meters alone, three Greyhounds are state-bound as Shaun Williams, Clay Lacy, and Ian Boresahole placed fifth, seventh, and eighth with times of 2:00.45, 2:00.51, and 2:01.27.
“To get three kids in this through this sectional, that’s very tough to do,” Moore said. “Ian, that kid has come from out of nowhere. He has bought into what were doing, and to medal at region and on Saturday get a spot in Athens, that’s exciting.”
The Greyhounds’ distance-event excellence continued in other events. Not only did the 4x400 relay team take fourth on a time of 8:23.09, but two qualifiers from Jones County came in the 3,200 and 1,600 meters. Runs of 4:28.21 and 4:31.51 in the 1600 by Luke Thornton and Tyler Marshall took seventh and eighth. In the 3,200 meters, Gavin Robinson and Thornton claimed fourth and fifth on times of 9:46.62 and 9:46.95.
The Lady Greyhounds also found success at sectionals, with the 4x800 relay team qualifying for state on a time of 10:39.41, finishing eighth.
“For our girls to do that, I was really proud to see that,” Moore said. “In this sectional, it’s hard to get into state, so I was proud of them for that.”
