Buford, Lanier, and Seckinger track and field teams had athletes qualify to compete in the GHSA State Track and Field Championships after each had successful sectional meets May 3-4.
Buford
Buford competed in the GHSA Class 7A Sectional B (Regions 3, 5, 6, 8) meet at McEachern High School in Powder Springs. The Wolves will be able to compete in nine events for the boys and nine events for the girls at the Class 7A State Championships at Carrollton High School on May 9-11.
The Buford boys had first-place finishes from Jeremiah Colbert in the 100-meter dash (10.64 seconds), Ervin Pearson in the 400-meter dash (47.94), boys’ 4×100-meter relay team (41.29), boys’ 4×200-meter relay team (1:24.98) and Nathaniel Olofintuyi in the high jump (6-02).
Buford had fourth-place finishes from Colbert in the 200-meter (21.42) and Zachary Tamale in the long jump breaking the old school record set in 1986 at 46-10 1/2. Finishing in seventh place was Zylin Nixon in the 110-meter hurdles (15.65) and Paul Peterson in the high jump (6-00). Marcus Rasberry finished eighth in the discus (148-07).
For the Buford girls, Olivia Harris took first place in the 400-meter dash which broke the all-time Gwinnett County record held previously by her older sister Kimberly Harris and is currently the No. 2 time in the nation. Jaci Wright was first in the 100-meter hurdles (13.75) and the long jump (19-03).
The Lady Wolves got third-place finishes from the girls’ 4×200-meter relay team (1:40.80), Aiya Webb in the high jump (5-02) and Mya Rasberry in the discus (116-08). The girls’ 4×100-meter relay team came in fourth (47.68), Harris finished fifth in the 200-meter (24.13) and the girls’ 4×400-meter relay team was sixth (4:01.33).
Lanier
Lanier competed in the GHSA Class 6A Sectional A (Regions 1, 4, 5, 8) meet at Lakewood Stadium. The Longhorns were able to qualify four athletes for the GHSA Class 6A State Championship at Barron Stadium in Rome on May 9-11.
Tim Shorunke broke his personal record and the school record in the 400-meter dash after finishing first with a time of 49.46 seconds. Andrew Popp finished eighth in the pole vault at 13-00.
For the Lady Longhorns, Brooklyn Randolph qualified for state in two events. She placed fourth in the 100-meter hurdles where she broke her personal time and school record at 14.59 seconds. She got fifth place in the 300-meter hurdles (46.47).
Seckinger
In just Seckinger’s second year, their track and field team has qualified to compete in 10 events at the GHSA Class 4A State Championships at Hugh Mills Stadium in Albany on May 9-11. Seckinger competed in the Class 4A Sectional B (Regions 4, 5, 7, 8) meet at North Oconee High School in Bogart.
The boys’ team had first-place finishes from Chad Gaffney in the 400-meter dash (49.31) and the boys’ 4×100-meter relay team (42.55). Seckinger got a seventh-place finish from Braxton Miller in the high jump (6-00).
Jaylyn Johnson finished first in the 100-meter dash (12.10) and the 200-meter dash (25.27). The Lady Jaguars also got a first-place finish from Naysa Brewer in the shot put (38-04). Brewer also competed in the discus, finishing fourth (118-01).
The girls’ 4×100-meter relay team finished fourth (49.15) and the girls’ 4×200-meter relay team had a sixth-place finish (1:45.17).
