Defending champ GMC favored again at GHSA track and field meet

GMC’s girls team will open defense of its GHSA Class A public school championship when the state track and field meet commences Thursday at Hugh Mills Stadium in Albany.

And odds appear to be with the Bulldogs to do just that. They have 17 individual qualifiers and three relay teams, many of whom were on the title team.

Northside and Baldwin were among the contenders a year ago in their respective classes, but the Eagles are without sprint champ Cassondra Hall, who transferred to Warner Robins.

Action begins Thursday morning with field events. Qualifying heats in running events start at 4 p.m. Things heat up on Friday and Saturday.

Baldwin should be again among the teams in the hunt on the final day. Ga.Milesplit.com projects the Braves to finish fifth and Mary Persons eighth, based on seeding times, distances and heights.

Warner Robins, thanks to Hall’s expected impact, is projected to finish seventh in Class AAAAA.

The website predicts Westside to finish second in Class AAA, Jeff Davis fourth in Class AA and FPD sixth in Class A private.

GMC is expected to win again, its predicted point total of 102.5 hammering that of Elite Scholars Academy’s 68. Ga.Milesplit.com has Telfair County third.

Hall is among the area individuals back to defend state titles, being joined by Bleckley County’s Ellen Powell (800) and Calli McMullen of GMC (400). Hall enters with the top times in the 100 and 200 meters, events she’ll try to defend for the second time. She is the two-time All-Middle Georgia Girls Track Athlete of the Year. She has three titles in the 100 and two in the 200, as well as competing in relays.

Warner Robins has the top qualifying time in the 4x400 and third-best in the 4x100, while Kate Boland of Jones County has the No. 3 qualifying time in the 1,600 and No. 2 in the 800.

Zykeria Williams of Baldwin is the Class AAAA top seed in the 100 hurdles, while teammate Brittany Trawick is seeded third in the triple jump, and Mary Persons’ Amecia Pennamon fourth in the 100. Pennamon is second in the 200 and Williams fourth.

Shatrice Dixon of Washington County has the top qualifying mark in the Class AAA long jump. Deashia Carson-Hall of Westside and Nausia Woolfolk of Peach County are second and fifth in the shot put. Zoe Jordan of Westside is second in the triple, while Jada Brown of Rutland is fifth.

Breanca Davis of Rutland has the fourth-best qualifying time in the 100. Westside’s Iycis Hammock is second in the 300 hurdles and fourth in the 100 hurdles Southwest’s Alexious Potters has the No. 4 time in the 200 field. Westside is seeded first in the 4x100 relay.

In Class AA, Northeast’s Kamare Ways and East Laurens’ Ja’Mya Canady are 1-2 in the triple jump, with Lamar County’s Daishia Almond fourth. Morgan Carelock of Jeff Davis has the top qualifying high jump, by 5 inches, and teammate Mariah Gibbs is third in the shot. Monticello’s Alina Jablonski is second in the 3,200.

Fitzgerald’s Karen Garcia, Bleckley County’s McKinley Cranford and Northeast’s TeAmbrea Solomon are 2-3-4 in the 1,600. The 100 hurdles has major competition among area runners, with Carelock, Vidalia’s Courtney Madison, Ways, and Fitzgerald’s Kirstin Cook in the top six. Carelock and Ways are 2-3 in the 300 hurdles. Tristan Herndon of Jeff Davis has the No. 3 distance in the discus. Courtney Madison of Vidalia has the third-best long jump, while Fitzgerald’s Markeela Bozeman has the fourth-best. Vidalia and Northeast are 4-5 in the 4x100 relay time in the 4x100.

Maggie Johnston of FPD has the top discus mark in Class A private while teammate Carson Dingler is first in the pole vault, by 2 feet, and goes for her third title. FPD’s Madison Griffin is third.

Tattnall’s Jordan Allen is first in the triple jump and second in the long jump. Mount de Sales’ Jessy Tallant is No. 2 in the 800.

McMullen of GMC has the best time in the the Class A public 400 by more than three seconds and best in the 200. The Bulldogs’ Abigail Kirkland is seeded first in the 300 hurdles. Telfair County’s NyAsia Howard has the top triple jump and teammate Brandy Mackey the top long jump, while teammate Arneshia Hardee is second in the 800.

Mary Elizabeth Jones and Cade Bass of GMC are 3-4 in the discus, while Taylor Scott is second in the high jump, and GMC’s Allie Kauzlarich and Emma Mercer are 2-3 in the 1,600. Mercer is third in the 3,200.

GMC is seeded first and fourth (Telfair County is third) in the 4x400 relay and second in the 4x100 relay.

Middle Georgia qualifiers

Here are the Middle Georgia qualifiers for the GHSA girls track and field meet that starts Thursday at Hugh Mills Stadium in Albany:

Class AAAAA Houston County

Jaylah Bailey, 400

Jones County

Kate Boland, 1,600, 800; Erin Leonard, 1,600, 3,200

Northside

4x400 relay participants: Toleah Martin, Toneah Martin, Jordan Shealey, Rynesha Smith, Tylynn Toliver, Michelle Walls

Warner Robins

Aniya Clay, 100; Cassondra Hall, 100, 200; India King, triple jump; Shaianna Sipsey, 400, 800; Eugenia Sosa, pole vault; 4x100; 4x400

Relay participants: Shani Brooks, Clay, Hall, A’Sha Jennings, King, Le’Terria Mathis, Sipsey, Shanena Sipsey, Jordan Thomas

Class AAAA Baldwin

Nysherria Braddy, high jump; Laneka Ross, 400; Nekebah Smith, pole vault; Brittany Trawick, long jump, triple jump, 100; Zykeria Williams, 100 hurdles, 200; 4x100; 4x400

Relay participants: Makayla Butts, Shakeria Collins, Kaylee Duncan, Jakayla Hubert, Ross, Trawick, Williams

Howard

Jordan Rozier, 1,600, 3,200

Mary Persons

Rosa Bell, 200; Morgan Haney, 1,600; Olympia High, triple jump, 300 hurdles; Amecia Pennamon, 100, 200; 4x100; 4x400

Relay participants: Bell, Nicole Gier, Haney, High, Daizha Outlaw, Pennamon, Darmeshia Taylor

Perry

Alyssa Mountin, 3,200; Tiffany Mountin, 3,200

Veterans

Annie Ervin, 100; Janai Scott, 100 hurdles, 4x100

Relay participants: Amira Askew, Kya Cochran, Ervin, Scott

West Laurens

Carlandra Jones, 400; Kiya Springer, triple jump; Jamia Stone, 300 hurdles

Class AAA Central

Kyla Odom, 400, 800; 4x400

Relay participants: Tamiaya Braswell, Makyla Gordon, Zaren Harris, Kamry Hassan, Ambreya Hughes, Odom

Dodge County

Europe Brown, high jump, 400, 200

Peach County

Keera Belton, 1,600; Maiyah Willis, 300 hurdles; Nausia Woolfolk, high jump, shot put

Rutland

Jada Brown, triple jump; Katelyn Bryant, 100 hurdles; Breanca Davis, long jump, triple jump, 100; 4x100

Relay participants: Brown, Bryant, Davis, BreAsia Davis, Erin Fortson, Jasmine Hughes

Southwest

Alexious Potters, 400, 200

Toombs County

Divoria Gafney, long jump, 100

Washington County

Jada Darrisaw, shot put; Ashlee Dixon, 1,600; Shatrice Dixon, long jump, 200; Nijeria Jordan, high jump; 4x100; 4x400

Relay participants: Darrisaw, Dixon, Dixon, Nia Johnson,, Jordan, Aniah Poole, Octavia Roberts, Cyntoria Thomas

Westside

Deashia Carson-Hall, discus, shot; Diamond Davis, long jump; Iycis Hammock, 100 hurdles, 300 hurdles; Zoe Jordan, triple jump, 200; Danautical Murphy, 100; 4x100

Relay participants: D’Nautica Chappell, Mya Ford, Hammock, Jordan, Murphy

Class AA Bleckley County

McKinley Cranford, 1,600, 3,200; Tori Deeson, 3,200; Faith Harris, pole vault; Kendal Morton, discus; T’Keyah Pasby, shot; Ellen Powell, 1,600, 800; Fellesia Young, long jump, triple jump

Crawford County

Kandace Prather, triple jump

East Laurens

Ja’Mya Canady, triple jump

Fitzgerald

Markeela Bozeman, long jump; Kirstin Crook, long jump, 100 hurdles, 300 hurdles; Karen Garcia, 1,600, 800; Imani Jones, triple jump

Jeff Davis

Morgan Carelock, high jump, 100 hurdles, 300 hurdles; Marie Ann Escobar pole vault, 800; Maria Gibbs, discus, shot put; Tristan Herndon, discus, shot put; Jasmine Johnson, 800; Mellisa Jorden, pole vault; Keiana Littleton, triple jump; Hannah Mason, high jump, 400; Stephanie Rumph; 300 hurdles; 4x100; 4x400

Relay participants: Carelock, Justis Conaway, Brenda Franco, Khaliyah Jenkins, Johnson, Jorden, Littleton, Mason

Lamar County

Daishia Almond, triple jump, 100; Courtney Crumbley, pole vault

Monticello

Alina Jablosnki, 1,600, 3,200; Talia Norwood, 200; Kamia Thomas, 300 hurdles

Northeast

Alexis Mitchell, long jump, 400, 200; TeAmbrea Solomon, 1,600, 800; Kamare Ways, triple jump, 100 hurdles, 300 hurdles; 4x100; 4x400

Relay participants: Ashanty Hightower, Mitchell, Kineallie Rutland, Solomon, Ways

Putnam County

Cody Chandler, discus, shot put; Ebony Hargrove, high jump

Vidalia

Oschia Hodge, long jump, 100, 200; Courtney Madison, long jump, 100 hurdles, 300 hurdles; Jasmine Phillips, triple jump; Tyler Phillips, high jump; 4x100; 4x400

Relay participants: Calista Brodgen, Justyce Eason, Hodge, Jai’osha Hollan, Madison, Siana Moody, J. Phillips, T. Phillips, Megan Scott

Class A Public GMC

Cade Bass, discus; Lyssa Blair, 800, 3,200; Cire Foston, 400; Mary Elizabeth Jones, discus, shot put; Allie Kauzlarich, 1,600, 800; Abigail Kirkland, triple jumjp, 300 hurdles, 100; Calli McMullen, high jump, 400, 200; Emma Mercer, 1,600, 3,200; Taylor Scott, high jump; 4x100 relay; 4x400 (two teams)

Relay participants: Lauryn Barber, Bass, Annie Benson, Taylor Curtis, Foston, Kauzlarich, Abigail Kirkland, SUtton Long, McMullen, Ciara Rice, Alfreda Sarinana, Taylor Scott, Jordan Waller

Hancock Central

Heavenly Barnes, 100; Kiamber Usry, shot

Johnson County

Beth Richard, 3,200

Montgomery County

Kailey Eudy, discus; Daniella Garcia, 3,200; LaShayla Johnson, shot

Telfair County

Grace Cook, 1,600; Arneshia Hardee, 1,600, 800; NyAsia Howard, long jump, triple jump; Brandy Mackey, long jump, 100, 200

4x100; 4x400 (two teams)

Relay participants: Jelexius Givens, Hardee, Howard, Lauryn Johns, Tymeisha Livingston, Mackey, Mikoya McRae, Tyshiana Rozier, India Wells, Haley WHite, TyAmber Wilcox

Treutlen

Mikayla Blackshear, triple jump; LeAndrea Gillis, 800; Taniya Moy, 300; 4x100 relay

Relay participants: Denisha Beacham, Blackshear, Gillis, Moy, Tralasia Rogers, Wright Shanovia

Wheeler County

Natera Perkins, 300 hurdles; Lakaitlyn Wright, long jump

Class A Private FPD

Carson Dingler, pole vault; Saide Frame: 100 hurdles; Madison Griffin, pole vault; Maggie Johnston, discus, shot put; Emma Lako, 300 hurdles; McKenzie Peterson, 3,200; Christiny Reeves, long jump; Peyton Worsham, triple jump

Mount de Sales

Faith Siror, 3,200; Jessy Tallant, 800, 1600; Anna Vorisek, 100; 4x100 relay;

Stratford

Mary Wilson Avant, discus; Faith Boyington, triple jump; Ashlee Francis, discus; Aysha Roberts, long jump; Sarah Kate Sellers, high jump

Tattnall Square

Jordan Allen, long jump, triple jump, 100

This story was originally published May 4, 2016 at 4:23 PM with the headline "Defending champ GMC favored again at GHSA track and field meet."