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THE BANKS COUNTY NEWS • THE COMMERCE NEWS
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 29, 2016
2016 MainStreet Newspapers
All-Area Boys’ Track Team
Note: Each coach
in the area was
contacted to make
nominations and
provide comments.
Multi-talented
Jay Acker won state titles in both the 1,600 and 800 meters and placed sec
ond in the Class A (public) pole vault. He also helped lead the Tigers’ 4x400
relay team to a school record and gold medal at the Georgia Olympics. Acker
was awarded the High Point Trophy for Class A (public).
Photo by Cameron Whitlock
Athlete of the Year
Jay Acker,
Commerce, Sr.
Won the Class A Public state titles in the 800
meters (2:02.73) and 1,600 meters (4:47.44) and
was a member of the Tigers' state champion and
school-record setting 4 x 400 meter team (3:24.99);
finished as Class A Public Runner-up in the pole
vault; awarded the High Point Trophy for Class A
Public at the state meet, accumulating 30.5 points;
won area titles in the 800 meters, 1,600 meters
and was part of the Tigers' area champion 4 x 400
meter team; was a member of Commerce's Class A
Public state championship winning team.
Comment: Acker's coaches said he is one
of those athletes that very seldom come
along, not only producing state-championship
performances but also making those around
him better. Acker fulfilled preseason goals of
becoming an individual state champion and
leading his team to a state title.
• • •
Merit Fontinel
Apalachee, Sr.
Set school records in the 800 meters (2:00.15),
1,600 meters (4:40.95) and 3,200 meters (10:12.10).
Comment: Fontinel, who ran track and cross
country for four years, set the standard for distance
runners at Apalachee.
Kayne Berryhill,
Banks Co., Jr.
Won the 7-AAA pole vault title and placed first at
sectionals and third in Class AAA in that event;
achieved a personal-best height of 14-0 this year;
competed on Banks County's region champion and
state-qualifying 4 x 400 meter team
Comment: Berryhill is one of the top pole
vaulters in the state, consistently jumping
over 13 feet. He helped Banks County win the
Region 7-AAA title.
Andrew Elliot,
Banks Co., Sr.
Placed eighth in the state in the 800 meters and
ninth in the 1,600 meters; was part of a state-qual
ifying 4 x 400 meter team; owns PRs of 2:00.60 in
the 800 meters and 4:33.52 in the 1,600 meters;
finished as Region 7-AAA runner-up in the 800
meters and 1,600 meters; was a member of the
Region 7-AAA champion 4 x 400 team.
Comment: Elliot was a vital part of the Leop
ards' Beg ion 7-AAA championship team.
Demetrius Walker,
Banks Co., Jr.
Won the Region 7-AAA 110-meter hurdle title
with a PR of 15.82; finished fifth in the state in the
110-meter hurdles; finished as region runner-up in
the 300-meter hurdles and qualified for state in that
event; was a member of Banks County's section
al-qualifying 4x 100 meter team.
Comment: A talented hurdler, Walker was
one of the top performers in the 110-meter
hurdles in the state, while also running strong
in the 300-meter hurdles and 4 x 100 meters.
He helped Banks County win the Beg ion 7-AAA
championship.
Joey Parilla,
Bethlehem Christian, Sr.
Finished as the GISA Class AAA runner-up in the
100 meters and 200 meters; has PRs of 11.05 in the
100 meters and 22.94 in the 200 meters; ran anchor
for Bethlehem Christian's 4 x 100 meter team that
placed sixth at state.
Comment: Parilla, who competed in five
events for the Knights, was a major point-earn
er for his team. He finished with 28.75 points
at the Begion 1 -AAA meet and 16 points at the
state GISA meet.
Dylan Cofer,
Bethlehem Christian, Sr.
Won Region 1-AAA titles in the shot put, discus
and pole vault; qualified for the GISA state meet in
both the discus and shot put
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Comment: Cofer won the Begion 1-AAA
High Point Trophy with 32.75 points. A four-
year letterman, Cofer converted from a sprinter
to a full-time field event competitor. He com
peted in five events for the Knights, including
both relays.
Adam Gano,
Bethlehem Christian, Fr.
Qualified for the GISA state meet in the 110
and 300-meter hurdles as a freshman and was
part of the Knight's sixth-place 4 x 100 meter
team at state.
Comment: Gano became a quality hurdler
for the Knights in his first year of competition
in that event.
Adrian Vaquera,
Commerce, Sr.
Won the area and state titles in the Class A Public
shot put, throwing 46-6.5 to win the state shot-put
title; took runner-up at area in the discus and
finished fourth at state in that event.
Comment: Vaquera, a six-year member
of Commerce's track program, rose to new
heights this year with his state title in the shot
put. He also recorded PBs at the state meet in
both the shot put and the discus in helping the
Tigers claim the Class A Public title.
TreTez Barksdale,
Commerce, Sr.
Placed fourth at state in the 100 meters, fifth in the
200 meters and eighth in the high jump while also
running on Commerce's state champion and school
record-setting 4 x 400 meter relay team and its
third-place 4 x 100 meter team.
Comment: Coaches called Barksdale a "war
rior" at the end of the season as he scored
in five different events at state, helping the
Tigers capture the Class A Public state title.
Chase Kennedy,
East Jackson, Jr.
Won the Class AAA 3,200 meter championship
(9:17) and finished as runner-up in the 1,600 meters
(4:13).
Comment: Kennedy became a two-time
champion in the 3,200 meters. Simply put, he
is one of the best distance runners in the state.
Chandler Kennedy,
East Jackson, Jr.
Finished as runner-up in the Class AAA 3,200
meters (9:35) and fourth in the 1,600 meters
(4:20).
Comment: Kennedy is also one of the top
runners in the state. He has three state-runner-
up finishes in his career — all to his brother
Chase.
Elijah Stovall
Jackson Co., Jr.
Finished as the Region 8-AAA runner-up in
the pole vault with a personal record of 11 -06,
qualifying for state in Class AAA; qualified for
sectionals in the 300-meter hurdles
Comment: Stovall served as the Panthers'
leader in both action and words and excelled
in the classroom, earning the track program's
scholarship award.
Dontae Wilson,
Jefferson, Jr.
Won his second-straight Class AAA discus title
with a personal-best throw of 153-00; finished
seventh in the Class AAA shot put (47-07).
Comment: Wilson's coach called him a
"gamer." For the second year in a row, Wilson
wasn't ranked as the top thrower in the Class
AAA discus entering the state meet and got
the job done on the biggest stage.
Clay Pender,
Jefferson, So.
Finished third in the Class AAA 800 meters
by running a 1:56.27, breaking a 46-year-old
school record.
Comment: Pender's coach calls him one of
the most competitive athletes he's ever been
around "once the gun fires."
Addison Cochran,
Jefferson, Jr.
Placed fifth in the Class AAA 3,200 meters
(9:45) and eighth in the Class AAA 1,600
meters (4:24.22).
Comment: Cochran is praised by his coach
as a student of the sport and one of the best
leaders-by-example he's been around.
Jared Brown,
Jefferson, Sr.
Placed fourth in the Class AAA pole vault
(13-00).
Comment: In a program known for vaulters,
Brown waited his turn and made the most of it.
Max Higgins,
Jefferson, Jr.
Placed sixth in the Class AAA 800 meters
(1:58.17); achieved a PR of 4:25.01 in the 1,600
meters.
Comment: Higgins' coach calls him one
of the hardest-working runners he's ever
coached.
Brandon Fagan,
Madison Co., Sr.
Finished third in the Class AAAA pole vault
(13-06).
Comment: Fagan told coaches he would win
the pole vault state title and nearly did.
Cameron Stevenson
Madison Co., Sr.
Finished as the Region 8-AAAA runner-up in
the 110-meter hurdles and competed at state in
that event.
Comment: Stevenson had a solid high school
track career, according to his coach, as he quali
fied for sectionals the last three years and com
peted at state two of the last three years.
Jay Branch,
Winder-Barrow, Sr.
Finished as the Region 8-AAAAA runner-up in the
400 meters to qualify for sectionals; owns PRs of
50.03 in the 400 meters, 22.99 in the 200 meters
and 6-0 in the high jump.
Comment: NA
Tucker Allen,
Winder-Barrow, Jr.
Achieved a personal-best vault of 12-0 this year;
finished third in 8-AAAAA in the pole vault and
10th at state.
Comment: NA
• • •
Coaches of the Year
Chas Hardy and
Ron Minish, Commerce
These co-coaches for Commerce led the Tigers
to the Class A Public state championship, mark
ing the third state title for the boys'program.
Athlete of the Week!
sponsored by:
HYMAN BROWN
INSURANCE
AGENCY, INC.
SOUTHERN TRUST
INSURANCE
COMPANY
Taylor Boisclair
Graduate
Banks County High School
Boisclair recently signed a baseball
scholarship with Gordon College.
HYMAN BROWN
INSURANCE AGENCY, INC.
11 State Street • Commerce
(706)335-3900