Newspaper Page Text
THE JACKSON HERALD
PAGE 3B
WEDNESDAY, MAY 10, 2017
O
O
Boys’ track and field
Dragons hope quantity and quality pay off at state meet
By Ben Munro
For the Jefferson boys’
track and field team, it's
more than a numbers game
at this point.
The Dragons have qual
ified athletes in 12 events
for this week’s state meet at
Berry College and all those
competitors have the poten
tial to score points.
“We’ve still got a lot of
quality ... you’ve got to have
some quality when you get to
this thing because the points
get spread out so much,”
coach Tim Corbett said.
Jefferson steps into a fierce
competition in many events
in its first year in Class 4A.
Corbett pointed to an event
like the 1,600 meters, where
there’s a separation of only
three seconds between the
No. 1 and No. 9 runners
among qualifying times.
Jefferson hopes the field
events will yield big results
on Friday with Dontae Wil
son and Jonathan Paolozzi
competing in the discus after
finishing first and second in
that event in Class AAA last
year.
“They could do it again,”
Corbett said. “They could go
1-2, they could go 1-3, they
could go 4-5. It’s just that
competitive. It comes down
to that day.”
Thomas Martin, who
vaulted to a second-place
finish at sectionals, also
competes that day in the pole
vault.
On the track. Clay Pender
and Tanner Carson both enter
the state meet on the heels of
a pair of second-place fin
ishes at sectionals. Pender
took runner-up in both the
400 and 800 meters, while
Carson was second in the
110- and 300-meter hurdles.
The 4 x 400 team, which
owns a PR of 3:24.16, has
the chance to break the
school record of 3:23 in that
event, and as a result, pro
vide valuable points in that
event.
“I think every event there’s
a reasonable chance to score
points for our kids,” Corbett
said.
Though Jefferson saw its
streak of region titles end.
the program is still vying for
its fourth-straight top four
finish which would be the
ultimate benchmark of its
season.
“If we perform well,
meaning everybody per
forms at their highest level
they have during the season,
there’s a chance we could be
in that top 4, 5 and 6 teams,”
Corbett said.
The coach said there’s a
mix of teams in the running
for the Class AAAA state
title and points to Marist as
a potential front runner for
the crown, though others
could have a say in that, too.
Corbett makes it clear
that he’s not certainly pre
dicting a state title but
believes his team could be
in the running should it pro
duce a number of peak per
formances and have some
help along the way.
“I’m not saying we will,”
he said. “I’m just saying
we’ve got an opportunity
like a lot of other people. I
think the kids have done a
pretty good job of putting
themselves in a good spot.”
This meet will be unlike
any the Jefferson track pro
gram has seen in decades
simply because the Dragons
aren’t hosting it. The GHSA
opted to do away having
all classifications compete
at Jefferson — which had
been the tradition since
1972 — and the school
then declined hosting rights
for Class A Private. Class
4A and Class 7A due to
renovations being planned
for Memorial Stadium.
Travel logistics aside, not
playing host does have its
benefits.
“We "re actually going to
be able to watch our kids,”
Corbett said. “There have
been times at our place that
our kids have won state
championships even and I
didn’t even see it because I
was busy dealing with some
kind of issue.”
RISING TO THE TOP
Tanner Carson will be a state competitor in both
the 110-meter hurdles and 300-meter hurdles.
Photo by Ben Munro
VAULTING TO GREAT HEIGHTS
Commerce’s Greyson Burke will aim for his sec
ond-straight Class A Public pole vault title.
Photo by Amy Flint
Track and field
Track Tigers take aim in Albany
By Charles Phelps
Two seasons ago. Kate
Massey took home sec
ond-place finishes in both
the 1,600-and 3,200-meter
run at the Class A Public
girls’ state meet.
Last season as a soph
omore, she took home
the gold in both events.
Now, she is the one being
sought after to dethrone
in Class A Public girls’
competition.
Massey will look to
make a repeat in both
events as she. along with
the entire Commerce
High School boys’ and
girls’ track teams, travel
to Albany for the Class A
Public state meet.
The meet begins on
Thursday and ends Sat
urday.
Massey will be joined
by Brittany Webb in both
races.
Anna Hardy is also
looking to repeat as a
state champion for the
Lady Tigers in the pole
vault. Last season’s jump
earned the Lady Tigers
their first-ever state title
in the competition. She
jumped 7-06.
Hardy is one of two
seniors (Will Thomas)
that will represent Com
merce in Albany.
For the guys, an overall
title repeat would be a
long shot. The Tigers will
be represented by six com
petitors: DaJuan Wood
(400-meter dash and 300-
meter hurdles), Greyson
Burke (pole vault), Tucker
Flint (pole vault), Thom
as (discus). Easley Smith
(discus) and Jose Diaz
(3,200-meter run).
Burke is also looking
for back-to-back champi
onships. Last year, Burke
jumped 11-00 to win the
title.
“We (coach Ron Minish
and I) feel pretty good
about everyone going
doing well,” head coach
Chas Hardy said. “Our
goal is to go out and com
pete each time we step on
the track.
“We emphasize per
sonal-best performances
every time we compete.
If our kids give a person
al-best performance, they
have done all they can do
and should be proud of
that no matter what place
they finish. The good
thing about our kids is
that they are tremendous
competitors. There is no
doubt in our minds that
they will do well.”
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