CLASS AAAAA
The champion – Tyler Anyan ran the nation’s second-fastest 3,200 meters to help Brookwood (Snellville) win its first-ever track and field state championship. Anyan’s time of 8:52.835 trails only the 8:49.76 of Jake Hursyz of Eastern Alamance (N.C.), according to DyeStat.com. Anyan, a senior who has not made his college choice, also was second in the 1,600, and Carter Hewitt was second in the 800. Patrick Kelly (first in the 300-meter intermediate hurdles), Keenan Harp (second in the 100 meters) and Robert Edwards (third in the 110-meter high hurdles) also contributed vital points. Gwinnett County had never won a boys state title in the highest classification of track and field, but now has won two straight. Brookwood’s rival Parkview won in 2009. This year, Gwinnett schools finished first, second and third (below).
Final team standings – 1. Brookwood (51), Peachtree Ridge (42), Dacula (34), McEachern (34), Chapel Hill (33).
Records broken – Anyan’s time in the 800 was nearly nine seconds faster than the AAAAA record of McEachern’s Ben Hubers (a current runner at Indiana) in 2007 and nearly eclipsed one of Georgia’s most revered all-class records, the converted time of 8:52.5 run by Ralph King of St. Pius in 1974.
High scorers – Anyan and Kirubel Erassa of Grayson are region rivals in 8-AAAAA and finished 1-2 in their two events, with Erassa winning the 1,600 and Anyan getting the 3,200. They became the first Georgia runners to break nine minutes in the 3,200 at the state meet in 36 years. Centennial’s Martin Jenkins, a football cornerback who has signed with Clemson, was first in the 100 meters (10.59) and second in the 200 (21.436).
CLASS AAAA
The champion – Bainbridge, a Southwest Georgia school that’s a century old, won its first state title in track and field. Its only first-place finish was the 400-meter relay team. Denzel Gamble was second in the 110 hurdles and triple jump, and Garrett Reynolds was third in the 100 and a member of the relay team that ran the fastest time in Georgia (41.317 seconds). Four other Bearcats finished fourth or fifth.
Final team standings – Bainbridge (52), Clarke Central (44), Madison County (34), Southwest DeKalb (29), McIntosh (26).
Davis Fraker, McIntosh
Courtesy photo
Records broken – Davis Fraker of McIntosh smashed the record in the discus, throwing 186-8, but the world-class thrower who has signed with Illinois fell 2 inches short of the 43-year-old meet record in the shot put held by Avondale’s Chip Kell (who went on to become an All-America lineman at Tennessee and member of the College Football Hall of Fame). Fraker threw 64-0.5, about 5 inches less than his personal best. Cal Ebbetts of Lee County set the AAAA pole vault record at 15-6.
High scorers – Jamal Cooper of Madison County, who is headed to Georgia Military College to play football and run track, won the 100 and 200 meters (10.6 and 21.4) and was second in the long jump (23-2).
CLASS AAA
The champion – Carrollton won its 18th title with the largest margin of victory (15 points) of any of the five champions. The Trojans got individual titles from Broderick Snoddy (100 and 200 meters) and D.J. Mann (high jump). Jonathan Jones was second in the 110 hurdles (14.026) and third in the 300 hurdles (38.57) and the long jump (22-9). Camaray Rouse was second in the triple jump (46-10.5).
Final team standings – Carrollton (78), Monroe (63), Elbert County (33), Peach County (29), North Hall (26).
Records broken – Paul Malquist of Gainesville set the AAA record in the pole vault at 16-8.
High scorers – Sir Paul Jones of Monroe in Albany defended his titles in the 110 and 300 hurdles events, was fifth in the high jump and ran on the winning 100-meter and runner-up 1,600-meter relay teams. His 34 points would’ve finished third in the team standings.
Class AA
The champion – Jefferson, running on its home track, won its first state title in six years despite getting points from only four athletes and winning no relays. Defending champion Westminster, an Atlanta private school, led entering the final event, the 4x400 relay, and needed to finish only third or higher to win, but its anchor-leg runner, Ralph David Abernathy IV (grandson of the late civil rights leader) got tangled with another runner in the final 25 yards and was disqualified. Jefferson’s point scorers were Tyler Porter (first in pole vault with a state-record clearance of 15-8), Josh Kles (first in shot put and discus), Derrick Perkins (fourth in the 110-meter hurdles and sixth in the 300-meter intermediate hurdles) and Sky Porter (sixth in pole vault).
Final team standings – Jefferson (41), Westminster (35), McIntosh County Academy (30), North Oconee (30), Chattooga (28).
Records broken – Justin Scott-Wesley of Mitchell County set the Class AA record in the 100 meters in 10.35 seconds. That’s 0.02 off the all-classification record held by Dangelo Cherry of Mount Zion (Jonesboro) in 2008. Westminster’s Maalik Reynolds, who is headed to the University of Pennsylvania to compete in basketball and track and field, cleared 7-2 in the high jump, breaking his own record by three inches.
High scorers – Jefferson’s Josh Kles (shot put, discus) and Mitchell County’s Justin Scott-Wesley (100 and 200 meters) each scored 20 points. While on the podium after winning the 200, Scott-Wesley announced his intentions to play football at the University of Georgia by putting on a red Georgia cap and holding a Georgia sweatshirt.
CLASS A
The champion – Pelham, a Southwest Georgia school, literally out-jumped the competition. Dominique Brown and Kenneth Randall, both juniors, finished 1-2 in the long jump, and Brown won the triple jump (45-8). Desmond Smith was second in the shot put (49-11.75) and fourth in the discus.
Final team standings – Pelham (68), Eagle’s Landing Christian (56), Athens Christian (55), Whitefield Academy (39), Warren County (30).
Records broken – Derek Roberts of Gordon Lee cleared 14-6 in the pole valut, beaking the previous record by four inches. Dooly County’s 400-meter relay team ran 41.912 in a heat.
High scorers – Irwin County junior Travis Tucker won the high jump and was second in the 400 meters and the 300 hurdles.
