The area's top female athletes have flocked to Albany this weekend for the 2016 GHSA state track and field championships -- and a number have their eyes on gold.
Amongst the dozens of hopefuls that will begin competition on Thursday at Hugh Mills Stadium are former champions and those also looking to push their way onto the medal podium for the first time.
(NOTE: For a look at every northeast Georgia-based athlete qualified for each event in Albany, simply scroll down.)
Buford's Erin Marsh (300 hurdles), East Jackson's Sue Ann Morales (1,600 and 800 meters) each won class crowns last season and are right back in the hunt this year. Marsh owns the fourth best seed (43.57 seconds) for the Class AAAA 300 hurdles and faces stiff competition for the spot but will expect to be in the thick of things this weekend. She also anchors the 4x400 team that has the second best qualifying mark in the 4x400 (3:50) -- though they will have to be locked in to knock off Monroe (Albany), which posted a 3:44 in sectionals.
Morales, meanwhile, owns the top qualifying time for Class AAA sectionals in the 800 (2:18) and the second best 1,600 time (5:16) -- just behind region rival Audrey Honiotes of Hart County.
Meanwhile, former champ Jenna Gearing of White County will be looking to close out her career on a high note despite only recently recovering from a broken leg suffered in the state cross country meet in November. The senior only began competing again about a month ago but is right back in the hunt with the third best seed in the Class AAAA 1,600 (5:17) and fifth best in 3,200 (11:44) -- just a second ahead of teammate Jaelen Alexander. Read more about Gearing's final push for gold here.
In Class AA, Union County's Emma Garrison is looking to notch her first title after posting the best 800 time in sectionals (2:21). She also owns the third seed for the 1,600 (5:25).
Commerce also features two athletes with the best sectionals marks in the Class A Public competition. Kate Massey owns the top 1,600 (5:37), and 3,200 (12:45) seeds, while Anna Hardy's 9-0 mark in the pole vault makes her the favorite in that event.
There are plenty more athletes hovering around the gold medal mark, including Jefferson's Maggie Dyer, who owns the second best 3,200 qualifying time (11:59) in Class AAA. Jackson County's Sadondra Wells cleared 8-9 for the third best pole vault mark, and West Hall's Mia Mckensey shares the No. 3 seed with several other athletes in the Class AAA high jump (5-2).
North Hall's Mattie Bohanan also has high hopes in the Class AAAA 800 meters with the fourth best mark of 2:22, while Taniyah Worth owns the fourth best Class AAAAA high jump qualifying mark of 5-4.
There are also talents such as North Hall's Trini Puente and Jefferson's Akera Benton, who each qualified in three individual events and also have spots on qualified relay squads.
There's sure to be plenty of surprising and memorable performances over the next three days -- and you can be certain northeast Georgia's best will play a role.
For more information on the entire event, click here.
To follow along and track live results, click here,
AREA COMPETITORS QUALIFIED FOR GHSA 2016 GIRLS TRACK & FIELD CHAMPIONSHIPS
May 5-7, Hugh Mills Stadium, Albany
CLASS AAAAAA
Habersham Central
Scarlett Mayes, high jump, 5-2
CLASS AAAAA
Flowery Branch
4x400 relay team, 4:04.95
Erika Plummer, 1,600 meters, 5:21, and 3,200, 11:42
Hailey Pierson, 3,200 meters, 12:20
Taniyah Worth, high jump, 5-4, and 300 hurdles, 42.40
Ashley Woodroffe, long jump, 17-4
Gainesville
Faith Moss, pole vault, 8-6
CLASS AAAA
Buford
4x400 relay, 3:50
Berkley Berrett, pole vault, 8-6
Destiny Jackson, 100 meters, 12.39, and 200 meters, 25.63
Erin Marsh, 400 meters, 57.00, and 300 hurdles 43.57
Dominique Martin, high jump, 5-2
Brittany Poole. shot put, 34-6
Alexa Rossum, 100 meters, 12.23, and 200 meters, 25.00
Zikaya Wright, discus, 108-5
Chestatee
Megan Dew, 800 meters, 2:23
North Hall
Mattie Bohanan, 800 meters, 2:22
Rebecca Bowen, shot put, 32-9.5
Olivia Bradley, 300 hurdles, 46.03
Tori Hamby, discus, 104-0
Trini Puente, long jump, 17-8, 200 meters, 25.99, and 100 hurdles, 15.01
Mary Seid, pole vault, 8-6
Hennebry Waters, 800 meters, 2:25
Brooklyn Watson, pole vault, 8-0
White County
Jaelen Alexander, 3,200, 11:45
Jenna Gearing, 1,600, 5:17, and 3,200, 11:44
Kiernan Schmidt, high jump, 5-2
CLASS AAA
Banks County
4x100 relay, 52.10
4x400 relay 4:24
Dawson County
Abby Cotter, 400 meters, 1:02
Bailey Cotter, 800 meters, 2:34
Camryn Geiger, 300 hurdles, 51.41
Marley Hamby, 1,600 meters, 5:52, and 3,200, 12:45
Dana Little, pole vault, 7-0
Melanie Rimawi, 3,200 meters, 13:11
Faith Sinclair, 1,600 meters, 5:46, and 800, 2:34
East Hall
Shyla Anderson, high jump, 4-10
Ashlyn Ellison, 200 meters, 26.95
East Jackson
4x400 relay
Shiquita Sturdivant, long jump, 16-6.5, 400 meters, 1:03, and triple jump, 33-9.5
Sue Ann Morales, 1,600 meters, 5:16 and 800 meters, 2:18
Fannin County
Julie Jacobs, pole vault, 7-6
Jackson County
4x400 relay, 4:21
Destiny Gaudlock, triple jump, 33-1
Karis Harbin, discus, 99-8
Bailye Hendley, 100 meters, 17.63
Jaycie Ponce, 800 meters, 2:30
Sadondra Wells, pole vault, 8-9
Jefferson
4x400 relay
4x100 relay
Akera Benton, long jump, 17-8, 400 meters, 1:01, and triple jump, 36-5
Ryan Childress, shot put, 31-9.25
Maggie Dyer, 1,600, 5:28, and 3,200, 11:59
Ellie Isaacs, shot put, 31-5
Taylor Love, 300 hurdles, 50.30
Madison Lucas, pole vault, 7-6
Ella Rosenberger, 3,200, 13:23
Lumpkin County
Amanda Garner, discus, 91-2
West Hall
Kristine Hunter, shot put, 33-6.5
Mia Mckensey, high jump, 5-2
Avery Prather, 200 meters, 27.2
CLASS AA
Rabun County
Lindsay Caudell, pole vault, 7-0
Perryn Morgan, discus, 88-6 and pole vault, 8-0
Georgia Stockton, 400 meters, 1:01
Madison Utt, discus, 93-5
Union County
Emma Garrison, 1,600, 5:25, and 800 meters, 2:21
CLASS A PUBLIC
Commerce
4x400 relay, 4:24
Anna Hardy, pole vault, 9-0
S'Brasha Jones, triple jump, 31-10.25
Kate Massey, 1,600, 5:37, and 3,200, 12:45
Sydney McClure, high jump, 4-8, and 300 hurdles, 52.05
Savannah Mullis, shot put, 29-11.5
Madison Rodriguez, 1,600, 6:04.55
Ansley Romans, discus, 85-10
Brittany Webb, 3,200, 14:46
