Girls state track meet
Today’s events
Finals: 1600 meter run for classes AA, AAAA, AAAAA; 3200 meter run for classes A, AAA; field events
Heats: 4X100 meter relay, 400 meter dash, 100 meter hurdles, 800 meter run, 200 meter dash, 300 meter hurdles, 4X400 meter relay
Today’s events
Finals: 1600 meter run for classes AA, AAAA, AAAAA; 3200 meter run for classes A, AAA; field events
Heats: 4X100 meter relay, 400 meter dash, 100 meter hurdles, 800 meter run, 200 meter dash, 300 meter hurdles, 4X400 meter relay
Flowery Branch’s Kiara McCue-Woods ran what her coach Jimmy Sorrells termed, “her perfect race,” in the 1,600 meter finals Thursday at the girls state track and field meet in Albany.
And while the outcome wasn’t an individual state title, McCue-Woods fourth-place finish was exactly what the Flowery Branch girls team needed on the first day of competition.
“It feels really good because we came here as a team and we’ll finish as a team,” McCue-Woods said. “I’m just glad I could help out.”
McCue-Woods finished with a time of five minutes, 15.67 seconds, 15 seconds behind state champion Bret McDaniel of Riverwood.
“The girls that placed ahead of her were where they were expected to finish,” Sorrells said. “She did exactly what she needed to do: She gets on the podium, gets her medal and, most importantly, gets five points for our team.
“We’re just so excited that she got on that podium.”
McCue-Woods battled back to finish fourth after being in 10th after the first lap.
“You know, the race went good,” McCue-Woods said. “The beginning was good, but a little boxed in because the start was so fast. The second and third laps I was kind of by myself and the finish was good.”
McCue-Woods will race in her final competition, the 3,200 meter finals today.
“I want to get a better place than I did today,” she said. “The top three is my goal.”
If her qualifying time is any indication, McCue-Woods should meet her goal. The Flowery Branch distance runner comes in with a time of 11:33.47, 20-seconds better than the next best qualifying time of 11:53.56 set by Alison Bishop of Woodland.
The Jefferson girls track team competed in preliminary races Thursday at the state meet in Albany. While none of the Lady
Dragons’ runners qualified for Saturday’s finals, they had a good showing nonetheless.
The 4X100 meter relay team of Callie Holloway, Eden Starnes, Missy Parks and Marcayla Hester finished fifth in their heat with a time of 51.830.
Hester also competed in the 400 and 200 meter dashes placing fifth and eighth respectively.
In the 400 meters, she was just over two seconds off the winning time of 58.67 set by Queen Alford of Decatur. The best qualifying time on the day was reached by Antiqunita Reed of Early County (57.96) who ran in Heat 1.
Jefferson’s Iniki Allen finished seventh in her 100 meter hurdles heat (17.9) and Parks finished the same in her 100 meter dash heat (13.21).
Jasmine Grover of McIntosh Academy had the overall best qualifying time in the 100 meter dash (12.07) running in the same heat as Parks.
Jefferson’s Erin Knight just missed qualifying for Saturday’s 800 meter run finals — by .09 seconds — with a fourth-place finish and a time of 2:28.59.
The girls state meet will continue today with the field event finals, 3,200 meter run finals for classes A and AAA, 1,600 meter run finals for classes AA, AAAA, AAAAA and qualifying heats in the sprints for classes A and AAAA.
And while the outcome wasn’t an individual state title, McCue-Woods fourth-place finish was exactly what the Flowery Branch girls team needed on the first day of competition.
“It feels really good because we came here as a team and we’ll finish as a team,” McCue-Woods said. “I’m just glad I could help out.”
McCue-Woods finished with a time of five minutes, 15.67 seconds, 15 seconds behind state champion Bret McDaniel of Riverwood.
“The girls that placed ahead of her were where they were expected to finish,” Sorrells said. “She did exactly what she needed to do: She gets on the podium, gets her medal and, most importantly, gets five points for our team.
“We’re just so excited that she got on that podium.”
McCue-Woods battled back to finish fourth after being in 10th after the first lap.
“You know, the race went good,” McCue-Woods said. “The beginning was good, but a little boxed in because the start was so fast. The second and third laps I was kind of by myself and the finish was good.”
McCue-Woods will race in her final competition, the 3,200 meter finals today.
“I want to get a better place than I did today,” she said. “The top three is my goal.”
If her qualifying time is any indication, McCue-Woods should meet her goal. The Flowery Branch distance runner comes in with a time of 11:33.47, 20-seconds better than the next best qualifying time of 11:53.56 set by Alison Bishop of Woodland.
The Jefferson girls track team competed in preliminary races Thursday at the state meet in Albany. While none of the Lady
Dragons’ runners qualified for Saturday’s finals, they had a good showing nonetheless.
The 4X100 meter relay team of Callie Holloway, Eden Starnes, Missy Parks and Marcayla Hester finished fifth in their heat with a time of 51.830.
Hester also competed in the 400 and 200 meter dashes placing fifth and eighth respectively.
In the 400 meters, she was just over two seconds off the winning time of 58.67 set by Queen Alford of Decatur. The best qualifying time on the day was reached by Antiqunita Reed of Early County (57.96) who ran in Heat 1.
Jefferson’s Iniki Allen finished seventh in her 100 meter hurdles heat (17.9) and Parks finished the same in her 100 meter dash heat (13.21).
Jasmine Grover of McIntosh Academy had the overall best qualifying time in the 100 meter dash (12.07) running in the same heat as Parks.
Jefferson’s Erin Knight just missed qualifying for Saturday’s 800 meter run finals — by .09 seconds — with a fourth-place finish and a time of 2:28.59.
The girls state meet will continue today with the field event finals, 3,200 meter run finals for classes A and AAA, 1,600 meter run finals for classes AA, AAAA, AAAAA and qualifying heats in the sprints for classes A and AAAA.