Track teams set records; students head to sectionals

Pike County track teams saw some adversity at their most recent meet but battled hard with many setting new personal records and several school records being set as well. Many of the athletes advanced to the state sectionals which will be held at GAC Saturday, May 7 with the top 8 advancing to the state competition which will be held in Carrollton May 12-14.

The boys track team faced a tough Crisp County which brought some state champion sprinters to the event. The final score ended up with Mary Persons in first and Pike County only 6.5 points behind in second place and Crisp County in third, just half a point behind Pike. The half point was created when Gage Lee tied for sixth in the high jump and points were split. The meet came down to the last three or four races going back and forth amongst the three teams.

“We had some battles and competing going on. We had multiple people run the fastest times of their career as they knew what their job was, but so did Mary Persons. It was like watching a heavy weight boxing match where both guys are landing punches. We went into finals 4.5 points behind first place Mary Person and 4.5 points ahead of third place Crisp after an amazing 3200 race where Aiden Potter, Andrew Edwards and John Barber all ran personal records in the race, but like I said, so did Mary Persons. Our team had narrowed the lead going into the final race. The boys 4 by 400 went on the track with an alternate and a new member and proceeded to break the school record, but so did Mary Persons. We are very proud of the battle and the heart by many,” said coach Clay Woerner.

The girls track team competed strong and scored as many points as possible to end up in a solid second place. 

“Several students will advance to the sectionals and some broke school records and personal bests along the way. I’m very proud of this team. We had to overcome some adversity at the last meet and 95% of the team responded in an unbelievable way. I’m very proud of the way they battled and competed,” said coach Woerner.  

For the girls team, sectional qualifiers include the 4 by 400 team of Jada Colbert, Yasmin Davis, Chloe Lowery and Sadie Bray who set a new PR by more than 10 seconds. Sadie also set a PR in the 100h and the 300h during the meet and placed fifth in both. Jada Colbert was state ranked in the 300h with a 49.45 and new PR. She also was state ranked with a high jump of 5’2” and a new PR. The 4 by 800 team of Callie Williams, Bailey Morris, Morgan Boynton, and Eden Buice set a new PR. Callie Williams set a new PR in discus at 94’. Naudia Brown set a new PR at 92’10”. Other sectional qualifiers include Yasmin Davis in the Long Jump, Bailey Morris in the Triple Jump, Victoria Bradford in the Pole Vault, Alycia Williams in the Pole Vault with a new PR of 7’ and Madison Oskey who set a new PR and school record with a Pole Vault of 8’1”.

Boys who became sectional qualifiers includes the 4 by 200 team of Gage Lee, Jason White, Tyson Clark, Wyatt Cochran, the 4 by 400 team of Gage Lee, Jason White, Brayden Keiser and Trenton Lackey who set a new PR and school record at 3:37.88. The 4 by 800 team of Aiden Potter, Xander Potter, Andrew Edwards and William Gray set a new school record 8:41.68 and are state ranked after breaking their own PR and school record by 30 seconds. Gage Lee who is ranked third in AAA in Pole Vault State Ranked and Luke Woerner who is state ranked in Pole Vault State Ranked and matched his PR at the meet at 1600. Other sectional qualifiers include Jack Barron in Pole Vault, Jakilen King who set a new PR in 100m at 11.15, Rylee Gordon who set PRs in both 100h and 300h, Lane Woodward who set a PR in 300h, Aiden Potter who set PRs at 3200 and 1600, William Gray who set a PR in 1600 and Dylan Sims who will compete in discus and set a PR in Shot Put.

For the 2022 track season, the girls team earned first in the Quad meet at Jackson, fifth at the Trinity Invitational, first at the Lagrange Invitational, first at the home meet vs. Manchester and Crosspoint, fourth at the Chattahoochee Invitational, first at the Upson, Schley, Manchester home meet and second in region 2-AAA.

The boys earned first place in the Jackson quad meet, fourth at the Trinity Invitational, first at the LaGrange Invitational, first in the home meet vs Manchester and Crosspoint, third at the Chattachoochee Invitational, first in the Upson, Schley, Manchester home meet and second in Region 2-AAA.