KIPP Atlanta Collegiate won the Class 2A boys track and field championship — the school’s first state title in any sport — and in 6A, Buford claimed a track title for the first time in 43 years and ran the fastest 4x100 relay in state history in any class.
Other state champions of meets held over four venues Friday and Saturday were Hughes (Class 5A), Starr’s Mill (4A), Sandy Creek (3A), Bleckley County (A Division I), Mitchell County (A Division II) and Landmark Christian (3A-A private).
KIPP, a 14-year-old charter school, had state runner-up finishes in cheerleading and cross country but finally broke through for its first state title.
KIPP had no individual champions but prevailed on balance. KIPP essentially clinched the 2A title in the next-to-last event, the 3,200 meters. Runner-up Franklin County won the event, but KIPP’s Nasir January and Josiah Owens were fourth and seventh, respectively, with each running personal-best times.
Jayden White was runner-up in the 800 meters (1:59.8) and fifth in the 1,600 (4:40.5). Travion Callaway was second in the long jump and seventh in the 100 meters (11.36). Also scoring for KIPP were Michael Shields (triple jump), Warren Trawick (1,600) and Malachi Heard (long jump).
“It was a true team effort,” KIPP Atlanta coach Jerry Kosoff said. “We had to score points in everything from the 100 to the 3,200, different relays and field events. It was an exciting thing to see. We preached that we didn’t have to have individual champions to have a team champion. That’s even more special because we accomplished it together.”
In the highest class, Buford won its third state title and first since 1982, when it was a Class A school. Buford clinched the 6A victory with a win in the 4x400 relay and edged host school Carrollton by four points.
Buford also won the 4x100 relay and set an all-class best in the preliminaries with a time of 39.81 seconds. The record-setting relay team was Kameron Bethea, Ty Green, Jordan Allen and Michael Turpin.
“I thought if the weather was good, we had a shot to run low 40s, something like that,” Buford coach Fyrone Davis said. “We had talked about it all week. I knew it could be special after the first handoff to Jordan Allen to Ty Green. Friday was a perfect day with the weather. This is so amazing (that) no one has ever ran this fast in Georgia history.”
Credit: Buford High School
Credit: Buford High School
Bethea, a freshman, won the 100 meters (10.57) and 200 meters (21.48). Turpin, a senior, was second in the 200 (21.52) and fifth in the 400 (47.62). Turpin and Bethea joined Alexander Knight and Jameer Cantrell in the clinching 4x400 relay victory.
Hughes and Landmark Christian — Fairburn schools that are about five miles apart in south Fulton County — were champions of their respective classes.
In Class 5A, Hughes won for the third consecutive year. Maurice Gleaton won the 100 meters (10.51) and the 200 (21.39) and anchored the winning 4x100 relay team. Keyawn Spencer was runner-up to Gleaton in the 100 (10.68). Bryson Harris placed in the 200 and 400, and Cannon Kirksey was third in the triple jump (47-10.4)
In 3A-A private, Landmark Christian won its 11th state title and first since 2011. Jamari Rousseau won the 110 hurdles (14.57) and the 300 hurdles (39.9). Ian Tukes also placed in both hurdles.
Jaxson Campbell was runner-up in the 200 (21.83) and 400 (49.19) and third in the 100 (10.88). Blake Pollock won the 800 meters (1:54.6) and placed in the 400. Kamsi Ifeadi was the discus runner-up (153-1). Skylar Hamilton (high jump) and Dalloon Looney (triple jump) also scored points.
In Class 4A, Starr’s Mill of Fayette County won its first state title in the sport, beating out Cartersville by two points. Jared Moore won the shot put (63-6) and the discus (189-20), and the rest of the team’s points came on distance events. Starr’s Mill won the 4x800 relay and got points from Bankson Roach (1,600), Nate Pacetti (1,600, 3,200) and Jackson Underwood (800).
In 3A, Sandy Creek, also of Fayette County, won its third consecutive title and sixth overall.
Dalen Penson, who signed with Georgia Tech in football as a cornerback, won the triple jump (50-0.5) and the 100-meter hurdles (14.01) and was sixth in the long jump (22-1). Blake Davis won the high jump (6-6) and was second to Penson in the triple jump (49.4.25) and fifth in the long jump (22-5.55). Jude Adderley won the 300 hurdles (38.42).
In Class A-Division II, Bleckley County won its second state title and first since 2019, scoring all of its points in distance events. Ryder Garrett won the 1,600 (4:34.5) and 800 (1:58.6). Jack Harrell was runner-up in the 3,200 (9:55.4) and fourth in the 1,600 (4:39.5). Caleb Darsey, Harrison Rogers and Logan Camp also scored in individual events.
Finally, in Class A Division II, Mitchell County defended its title by scoring points in the 100, 200, 400 and 800 relays. Jonathan Isom and Darius Robinson both placed in the 110 and 300 hurdles.
Meets were held at Carrollton High (6A, private), Rome’s Barron Stadium (5A, A Division I), East Jackson High (4A, 2A) and Albany’s Hugh Mills Stadium (3A, A Division II).
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