Local track standouts qualify for GHSA state meets

FORT VALLEY — Several Albany-area athletes secured their place at next week’s GHSA Class 3A Track and Field State Championships after strong performances Saturday at the sectional meet in Fort Valley, while Lee County athletes competed in a separate Class 5A sectional in Villa Rica.

The meet, which determined who would advance to the May 9-10 state championships at Hugh Mills Stadium in Albany, featured competitors from all three Albany high schools — Dougherty, Monroe, and Westover — with each school sending multiple athletes through to the next round.

Monroe High’s girls team produced some of the day’s most dominant performances. Senior Marianna Wright continued her standout season by winning both the 400-meter dash and the 300-meter hurdles. Teammate Madison Goddard also claimed a victory, finishing first in the 800-meter run, while Kaitlyn Williams earned second place in the 200-meter dash. Monroe’s Kie’Aundria Acree added a seventh-place finish in the triple jump.

Westover’s Sydney Donaldson took second in the high jump and sixth in the 100-meter dash, while Janiyah Winslow placed fourth in the discus. Dougherty’s Grace Smith qualified for state with a seventh-place showing in the shot put.

On the boys’ side, Westover’s Jaylan McCloud led the local contingent with a first-place finish in the long jump. He also placed fifth in the 400-meter dash and seventh in the 200. Joseph Ingram added to Westover’s total with a fourth-place finish in the discus.

Monroe’s Sedrick Roundtree finished third in the 800-meter run, while Dougherty’s Zaterious Griffin placed sixth in the same event.

Dougherty’s hurdle standout Zeterria Kegler advanced in both events, finishing sixth in the 110-meter hurdles and fourth in the 300-meter hurdles. Teammate Jaquavus Hallman placed fifth in the triple jump.

In relay events, all three Albany schools saw their boys’ 4×400 teams qualify, with Monroe placing third, Dougherty fifth, and Westover seventh. Dougherty and Westover also qualified in the 4×100, placing sixth and eighth, respectively.

All four of Monroe’s girls relay teams advanced. The 4×100 team finished sixth, while the 4×200 and 4×400 squads each took second. The 4×800 relay team placed sixth.

In Villa Rica, Lee County’s Ja’Mari Arnold qualified for state with a fourth-place finish in the long jump. Trey Felton finished fifth in the discus, and Jayden Daniels placed fifth in the shot put.

Lee County’s girls were led by Jade Cintron, who placed seventh in both the 100- and 200-meter dashes. The Lady Trojans’ 4×400 relay team finished third, and the 4×800 team came in fifth.

The top eight finishers in each event advanced to next week’s state championship meet in Albany.