GMC rolls again to GHSA track title
After two days, it was a race in the Class A Public team standings at the GHSA girls track and field meet in Albany.
Then came Saturday, and it was a race no more.
GMC started the final day with a win in the 4x100-meter relay and proceeded to cruise to a whopping 51-point win over Telfair County to win its second straight championship.
The Bulldogs scored 115 points to 64 for the Trojans. A year ago, GMC topped Portal 97-49.
Cassondra Hall’s as-expected wins in the 100 and 200 helped Warner Robins stay in the Class AAAAA hunt, but the Demons’ second-place finish in the 4x400 relay left them in second place for the meet, six points behind North Springs.
And that was how the relay ended, North Springs winning by about three seconds over Warner Robins. Ironically, last year, Northside — where Hall went to school before transferring to Warner Robins — was second in the meet, finishing fourth in the day-ending relay.
Westside contended throughout the weekend and finished fourth in Class AAA, three points behind third-place Westminster. That was one spot lower than last year.
Jeff Davis was fourth in Class AA, while Northeast tied with St. Vincent’s for fifth.
FPD tied for fifth with Our Lady of Mercy in Class A private, while Tattnall Square was 10th.
Mary Persons and Baldwin were 9-10 in Class AAAA.
Hall won her fourth straight 100 championship and third straight 200 title, although those previous wins came when she attended Northside.
Hall barely missed the Class AAAAA record of 11.45 in the 100, recording an 11.49.
Mary Persons’ Amecia Pennamon was also a double champion, with firsts in the Class AAAA 100 and 200.
She approached the Class AAAA record of 23.64 in the 200, finishing in 23.81.
Telfair County’s Brandy Mackey was first in the 100 and 200, and she ran a leg for both third-place relay teams.
Bleckley County’s Ellen Powell won her third straight title in the 800 in Class AA, while also taking second in the 1,600 on Friday.
Westside’s foursome of D’Nautica Chappell, Danautical Murphy, Iycis Hammock and Zoe Jordan won the Class AAA 4x100 title.
Hammock also was second in the 300 hurdles and fifth in the 100 hurdles.
GMC was led by Calli McMullen and Abigail Kirkland.
McMullen was first in the 400 — for the third time in her career — and second in the 200 while running a leg on both winning relays. She also won the high jump on Friday
Kirkland won the 300 hurdles and was fourth in the 100 meters while running the anchor leg on both relays. She was fourth in the triple jump on Friday. Allie Kauzlarich and Cire Foston rounded out the victorious relay teams.
This story was originally published May 7, 2016 at 6:20 PM with the headline "GMC rolls again to GHSA track title."