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THE JACKSON HERALD
WEDNESDAY, MAY 10, 2017
COLLEGE WRESTLERS
Jackson County’s Chandler Saine (front row, second from left) and Kyle Graham (front row, second from right) will continue their wrestling careers at
Emmanuel College after both won state titles this past winter. Photo by Kyle Funderburk
Wrestling
State champion wrestlers sign with Emmanuel
By Kyle Funderburk
Chandler Saine and Kyle
Graham aren't your typical
state champion wrestlers.
They haven’t spent years
wrestling, they didn't even
wrestle in middle school.
They began wrestling
for Jackson County as
freshmen and this past
year Saine won a state title
in the 138 lbs weight class
and Graham won a state
title in the 195 lbs class.
Next year, the two will
continue their wrestling
careers into college at
Emmanuel College.
Emmanuel is in Franklin
Springs, just 42 minutes
from Jackson County High
School and Head Coach
Jason Powers expressed
his happiness that he can
easily get to go watch the
two wrestle in college.
“I am very proud of these
two young men and I am
excited to see what they
will be able to accomplish
in college,” Powers said.
“Both of these guys start
ed wrestling their fresh
men year of high school
and have made huge gains
in a short amount of time.
I believe that has a lot to
do with their love for the
sport.”
“They work hard
everyday out of the pas
sion that they have for
wrestling. It is this pas
sion that lead them both
to State Championships
this past season and has
propelled them to a col
lege career,” he said.
CHEERING AT THE NEXT LEVEL
Jefferson competitive cheerleader Madison Lucas has signed a scholar
ship with Brenau University. Photo by Ben Munro
Competitive cheerleading
Lucas signs cheerleading
scholarship with Brenau
Kennedys... continued from page IB
By Ben Munro
The lone senior on Jef
ferson High School’s com
petitive cheerleading squad
this past season will con
tinue her career on into
college.
Madison Lucas has
signed with Brenau Uni
versity after contributing a
top-15 team finish at state
this year.
“She was a wonderful
asset to our squad,” com
petitive cheerleading coach
Hillary Wood said. “She
came in very strong —
great back spot, good tum
bler ... I knew she was
going to go on and do great
things.”
Christy Potts, Jefferson’s
cheerleading program
coordinator, has worked
with Lucas since the sixth
grade.
“It’s exciting for our
program that Madison is
continuing and going on
to college to do something
that she has trained for for
years and years and years,”
she said.
Lucas became interested
in cheering at Brenau after
researching the school and
then reaching out to Brenau
coach Krista Britt. Lucas’s
pro Cheer coach also con
tacted Brenau about her.
“She (Britt) was really
interested in meeting me,”
Lucas said.
Lucas said she liked
the atmosphere Brenau
offered.
“It's just really pretty and
closer to home,” she said.
Lucas, who plans to
study nursing, had long
sought a cheerleading
scholarship.
“It’s very exciting,”she
said.
senior year greatly. He
was fortunate enough to
avoid such an ailment for
his entire career, until this
season.
“If you look at history,
most every runner has that
one injury that derails their
entire season,” he said.
But Chandler is focus
ing less on what could
have been and more on
what's ahead this week.
“These past few years,
I’ve been fortunate enough
to be up on the podium,
and I want to be some
where in the top five in
both (events),” he said.
The Kennedys' com
bined efforts over the
years have weighed heav
ily in state meets for East
Jackson. The cross-coun
try program has finished
no lower than seventh
in cross country during
their careers, culminating
with a state title this past
November. East Jackson
also finished as runners-up
in 2014. The Eagles have
boasted top-10 finishes at
state each year in track
and field ever since the
Kennedys’ sophomore
season.
“They’ve been a tre
mendous boost to the pro
gram,” Sitton said.
But beyond his run
ners’ impressive times and
high-point totals. Sitton
has also valued the time
he's spent getting to know
the talented tandem.
“I’ve been very close to
them,” he said. “I think
I've tried to be a positive
role model to them all four
years, and I've seen them
grow and they’ve really
made a lot of headway
over the four years.”
This week’s meet, how
ever, will be their last as
teammates as the two will
go their separate ways
next year.
Chase will run at Ken-
nesaw State, while Chan
dler will do the same at
Augusta University. In
addition to splitting up a
high-scoring tandem at
meets, they'll lose each
other as training partners.
Chandler said those
long runs together can’t
be underestimated.
“These distance days of
us running together, we
didn’t do that so many
times this year, and I can
see how it's affected our
season,” Chandler said.
“But he (Chase) is one of
the best training partners
I’ve ever had.”
Sitton, who years ago
saw a pair of potential
college runners, hopes the
brothers will look back
on their careers when the
state meet is over and
appreciate their collective
body of work at East Jack-
son.
“I would like for them
to finish well and not just
look at this season but
look over their four years
and all they've accom
plished and hopefully
they'll go on and do big
ger and better things in
college.” Sitton said.
Our 17 h year of developing players with passion for the game!
Summer Soccer Camps
Camp Sessions
SESSION ONE - Rabbit Hill Park. Dacula Georgia (June 5-9)
SESSION T WO — West Jackson MS Turf Field, Jefferson Georgia (June 12- IS)
SESSION THREE - Reynold’s Plantation at Lake Oconee (July 3-7)
SESSION FOUR — West Jackson MS Turf Field. Jefferson Georgia (July 17-20)
SESSION FIVE - Rabbit Hill Park. Dacula. Georgia (July 24-28)
Developmental Camp: For ages 4->4 (msshmi. u. m. v)
Goalkeeper Academy: For ages 8-14 (*u usstavs)
advanced academy Camp: For U9-U12 academy Piayers (srs&o* tv 4 V)
College Experience academy: For HS Pia yers (stssm*. i)
For More Information, Camp Descriptions, and Online Registration
www.dassicsocceracademy. com
404-386-9532
Sports camps
Jefferson hosting Future Stars Basketball Camp
The Jefferson boys'
and girls' basketball
teams will host their
Future Stars Basketball
Camp for boys and girls
June 5-8 from 9 a.m. to
noon daily at both the
Jefferson High School
Arena and old gym.
The camp costs $75
and is open to girls and
boys ages 6-14.
The camp will include
fundamental drills,
offensive and defensive
concepts as well as camp
games, including hot shot
and free throw shooting
competitions.
Jefferson High School
girls’ and boys' staff
members and players
will conduct the camp.
Parents can register
their children up until
the morning of June 6.
Registration forms can
be picked up at the Jef
ferson High School
Office.
JCCHS hosting youth soccer camp June 12-15
Jackson County will
host its youth summer
soccer camp June 12-15
at Panther Stadium
from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.
nightly.
The camp is open to
boys and girls who are
upcoming K-8 students.
The cost is $75.
The Jackson County
coaching staff and play
ers will host the camp
providing individuals
with the opportunity to
learn fundamental skills.
Areas of emphasis will
consist of the following
ball control, dribbling,
passing, receiving and
shooting. Games will be
included.
Camp participants will
receive a t-shirt and a
ball.
Registration must be
received by May 31 to be
guaranteed a t-shirt.
On-site camp registra
tion will be allowed on
the first and second days
of camp.
For more information,
contact Jackson County
boys' coach Bob Betz and
bbetz@jcss.us.
Athlete of the Week!
sponsored by:
HYMAN BROWN SOUTHERN TRUST
INSURANCE INSURANCE
AGENCY, INC. COMPANY
Maryanne Kilgore
Jefferson High School
Jefferson soccer player Maryanne
Kilgore knocked through the game-
winner in PKs on Friday in the Lady
Dragons’ state quarterfinals win
over LaGrange. The win advanced
Jefferson to the Final Four.
HYMAN BROWN
INSURANCE AGENCY, INC.
11 State Street • Commerce
(706)335-3900