TRACK & FIELD
All roads as far as track and field are concerned point toward the GHSA state meet the second week of May and the qualifying meets leading up to it. That is why posting strong times and performances leading into that span are key, and that is what Jones County’s track and field teams did at last week’s Lamar County Brick By Brick Invitational.
The Greyhounds distance runners doubled up, also competing at the McEachern Invitational against a field loaded with runners from the Atlanta area. Jones County’s top showings there were in the 3,200 meters, with Austin Sullivan finishing ninth with a time of 10:23.99 and Lilly Palmer being seventh at 12:14.17.
The Distance Hounds dominated at Lamar County, posting a combined six finishes of third or better in the boys 800-, 1,600and 3,200-meter events, while sweeping the top two in the girls 800, 1,600 and 3,200 meters.
Kyle Whipple took first in the 800 meters with a time of 2:10.04 with Aaron England and Shaun Williams being third and fourth with times of 2:13.18 and 2:18.71. Tyler Marshall, Luke Thornton, Clay Lacy and Grady Newby swept the top four in the 1,600 meters, timing in at 4:53.75, 4:54.94, 5:03.92 and 5:06.85. A time of 10:52.15 by Andrew Marshall won the 3,200 meters, and Gavin Robinson and Gunner Kent were second and third, running an 11:04.13 and 12:15.33 For the Lady Hounds in distance events, Camryn Womack’s 5:44.94 won the 1,600 meters, one spot ahead of Lilly Palmer and a time of 5:52.14, in front of Addison Robinson in third place, bringing home a 5:53.94. Katlin Malone and Addison Newby took the top two places in the 3,200 meters with times of 14:17.85 and 15:20.44. In the 800 meters, Landry Fletcher and Genesis Price ran 2:49.65 and 2:50.54 to sweep the top two spots.
Jones County was hardly a slouch in other events, either.
Tyler Stewart and Zion Ragins stole the show in the boys 100-meter dash. Stewart surged to run a 10.88 to win first, one spot in front of Ragins in second with a 10.97. The Greyhounds swept the 400 meters, too, thanks to Tay Lattimore’s first-place time of 55.87 and Princeton Whitening with a 56.20. JR Kent ran a 17.18, good for third in the 110-meter hurdles, supplementing an effort in running events that also saw first place in the 4x100 and 4x400 relays and a second in the 4x200.
Three first-place showings came the way of Jones County in field events via Lattimore in the long jump, Jaivon Solomon in the triple jump and Austin Hanks in the discus. In the shot out, Derrick Cleveland and Omarion Tucker were second and third.
For the Lady Hounds, Shakiya Betha and Mya Anderson were first in the 100 and 200 meters with times of 12.84 and 28.82. JCHS was also first in the 4x100 relay. Anderson picked up first place in the long jump.
