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The ADVANCE, December 29,2021 /Page 3B
Photo by Mike Branch
State Runner-up Heritage Eagles - (L to R, Front): Head Coach Seth Sitzman, Jackson
Franklin, Luke Moxley, Jackson Poole, Ethan Sikes, Jackson Williamson, RJ Wells, Jake Ad
ams, Ledger Curl, Coach Walter Banks; (Back): Hardy Franklin, Greer Posey, JT Cofield,
Chris Reaves, Jacob Dean, and Mason Beacham.
Review
continued from page 2B
It was the tenth Region
Championship in a row for
Lady Crusaders and eighth
in a row for the Crusaders.
Jashaun Powell and Kylie
Acosta were the high point
winners for the meet And
both girls Coach Jake
Wilkinson and boys Coach
Rodger Walker were named
Region Coach of the Year.
RTCA track teams then
competed in the GISA State
Track Meet on April 29-May
1, hosted by Strong Rock
Christian School in Locust
Grove. The girls track team
are the GISA-AA State Run-
ner-Ups, falling a little short
of bringing home a third
state title in a row. However,
they had several second-
place finishes throughout
the weekend with the
4x100m relay triple jump,
and pole vault. The Varsity
Boys track team finished 5th
overall with sophomore
Jashaun Powell winning
State in triple jump with a
jump of 43’3” and he placed
5th overall for High Points
in GISA-AA Boys.
Soap Box
The Southeast Georgia
Soap Box Derby celebrated
its 29th running this year,
and their fifth running at
Partin Park on the new
Derby Hill. The weather on
Saturday was perfect with
lots of sun. The SuperKids
were spread out this time
over the one-day event giv
ing them the chance to head
down Derby Hill. There
were also nearly 50 cars that
participated in the South
east Georgia Soap Box
Derby across the Stock, Su
per Stock, and Masters divi
sions.
There were again a lot
of familiar names that
worked their way toward the
finals. In the Stock division
Noah Gordy finally broke
through with a win after sev
eral years of coming close.
He won by the differential of
just .091 seconds. He beat
out Quinn Driggers in the
finals, another familiar last
name at Derby Hill.
For the Super Stock di
vision, we saw Alexis Head
get the win. She beat Aidyn
Driggers in the finals by the
slim margin of just .014 sec
onds. In just the second run
ning of the Masters in the
local race, Alyssa Head
earned the top spot as she
defeated Emma Waters in
the finals by a differential of
just .049 seconds.
The Southeast Georgia
Soap Box Derby took seven
racers to Akron, OH, for the
All-American Soap Box
Derby World Champion
ships. After the pandemic
resulted in canceling the
2020 racing season for the
first time since World War
II, more than 260 boys and
girls from across the country
participated in the 83rd
FirstEnergy All-American
Soap Box Derby in Akron
for the chance to win
$36,000 in college scholar
ships.
Aidyn Driggers had the
best finish of the local racers
in this year’s World Champi-
onships as she brought
home second place in the
Rally Super Stock Division.
Driggers fell in the finals by
.003 seconds, which equates
to about two inches of the
nose of the car. The winner
of the race was Karlye Mur
phy from Hilton, NY.
VHS Track
The Vidalia High
School track programs made
a big statement capturing
both the girls and boys Re
gion 2AA Titles at East Lau
rens. The Lady Indians
scored 215 points, outdis
tancing Swainsboro by 104
points. The Indians also
lapped the field with 215
points, beating Swainsboro
by 110 points. Vidalia also
had both the girls and the
boys High Point Performer,
with Sarah Owens taking
the girls title with 32 points
and Michael Madison scor
ing 25 points to take the
boys’ title.
Owen finished in 1st in
the 800m, 1,600m, and the
3,200m runs and was also a
part of the relay teams. My-
esha Hall was 1st in the long
jump, 1st in the 200m dash,
and 2nd in the triple jump.
Jasmine Smith took 1st in
the shot put and was 1st in
the discus. Kyleigh Johnson
was 1st in the 300m hurdles
and was 2nd in the 100m
hurdles. Hayden William
son was 1st in the high jump
and tied the school record
and was 3rd in the triple
jump.
Madison was the top
earner for the VHS boys as
he was 1st in the 100m and
200m dashes, along with be
ing on relay teams. Luke
Palmer finished in 1st in the
1,600m and in the 3,200m
runs. Cameron Glasper was
1st in the 300m hurdles, and
2nd in the high jump. Jaylin
Bums was 1st in the shot
put. Hunter Manning was
1st in the pole vault.
The 4x100m relay team
of Madison, Williams, Pow
ell, and Tyran Jacobs fin
ished in 1st place. The
4x400m team of Middleton,
Mincey, Williams, and Mad
ison also took 1st place. And
the 4x800m team of Andrew
Hodges, Daniel Hodges,
Gabbard, and Palmer also
finished with a 1st place.
The Vidalia High
School track & field teams
competed at the GHSA
State Championships re
cently as they made the jour
ney up I - 75 to Powder
Springs and McEachern
High School. The Indian
teams, who were well repre
sented on both the girls’ and
boys’ side, were able to post
some impressive personal
records (13) with the girls
finishing 6th and the boy’s
8th.
VHA Track
The Vidalia Heritage
Academy Eagles track team
competed at the State Meet
and brought home several
individual titles.
Jackson Williamson
took 1st place in the long
jump and the triple jump
and was 3rd in the 100m
dash. Lauren Cook finished
1st in both the 100m hur
dles, the long jump, and the
200m dash. And Lydia Sam
mons was 1st in the triple
jump, and she was also 2nd
in the 100m hurdles.
VHA Tennis
The Vidalia Heritage
Academy Eagles boy’s ten
nis team finished first in the
GAPPS Region 2 Tourna
ment in Macon, with broth
ers Will and Jack Puckett
winning the boys doubles
bracket. The brothers beat
the top team from St. John
Bosco Academy in the finals
to take home the trophy.
The VHA girls team
also competed, finishing
fourth in the Region. Josey
Harrell did well, advancing
to the second round of the
singles competition before
making it to the finals of the
consolation round.
VHA Baseball
It was a great season for
the Vidalia Heritage Acade
my’s varsity baseball team as
they made a run to the State
Championship in just their
third year of having the high
school team.
In the semifinals of the
GAPPS State Playoffs they
swept Horizon Christian
Academy on at home at the
Ed Smith Complex. Heri
tage had some first game
heroics to take the win, and
then came back with a run-
rule victory in the second
game.
VHA then hosted the
State Championship against
Please see Review page 4B
The Vidalia High School track & field teams competed at the State Meet and both the
boys and girls had a good showing ,
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