ROSWELL — Northeast Georgia-based athletes claimed 14 first place finishes and 50 state sectional spots during the Region 7-AAAA track and field championships this week in Roswell.
Both West Hall and White County competitors claimed gold, while Chestatee also booked spots in sectionals at the meet, which finished on Thursday -- including impressive performances from the Lady Warriors' Rachel Gearing, the Warriors' Kaleb Crane, the Lady Spartans' Aaliyah James and the Spartans' George Lira, each of whom won multiple events.
Gearing could perhaps lay claim to top athlete in all of 7-AAAA -- a region that also includes traditional powers Marist and Blessed Trinity -- after winning the 400 meters (58.30 seconds), long jump (17-2.75) and triple jump (36-6.75).
Gearing's 30 individual points helped the Lady Warriors to finish third -- just a point-and-a-half behind Blessed Trinity (145.5-144) -- Marist won both the boys and girls titles. The Warriors also took third, while both Chestatee teams were fourth and each West Hall program fifth.
Both James and Lira shone for the Spartans on Thursday, dominating the sprint events. James took the girls 100 meters (12.86) and 200 (26.50), while Lira finished first in the same events on the boys side (11.00 and 22.19).
White County's Kaleb Crane also dominated the boys hurdles, winning the 110 hurdles (15.80) and the 300 hurdles (41.56).
Other gold medal winners during the two-day event included the White County girls 4x400 relay (4:00), West Hall's Kinsey Wilson (high jump, 5-2) and White County's Ashton Summerour (discus, 97-9).
On the boys side, West Hall's Austin Sinclair won the long jump (20-6) and White County's Noah Rapert took the triple jump (42-4).
The top four finishers in each event will return to Roswell on April 29 for state sectionals -- where the top eight finishers in each event will qualify for the state championships.
(NOTE: Look below for top four finishers from northeast Georgia schools in each event)
TRACK AND FIELD
AREA TOP 4 FINISHERS IN REGION 7-AAAA CHAMPIONSHIPS
Tuesday and Thursday, Roswell
GIRLS
100 meters
1. Aaliyah James, West Hall, 12.86
3. Avery Prather, West Hall, 12.94
200 meters
1. Aaliyah James, West Hall, 26.50
400 meters
1. Rachel Gearing, White County, 58.30
800 meters
4. Jaelen Alexander, White County, 2:17
3,200 meters
2. Lindsey Grater, Chestatee, 12:00
100 hurdles
4. Rachel Lovell, White County, 17.48
300 hurdles
2. Megan Dew, Chestatee, 46.43
4x100 relay
2. White County, 51.09
4. West Hall, 51.45
4x400 relay
1. White County, 4:00
high jump
1. Kinsey Wilson, West Hall, 5-2
2. Kieran Schmidt, White County, 5-0
3. (tie) Rachel Lovell, White County 4-10
pole vault
2. Bailey Haff, Chestatee, 8-6
4. Kaitlyn King, White County, 8-0
long jump
1. Rachel Gearing, White County, 17-2.75
2. Megan Dew, Chestatee, 15-3.25
4. Kylie Johnson, White County, 14-6
triple jump
1. Rachel Gearing, White County, 36-6.75
2. Carina Brown, West Hall, 35-8.25
4. Ellie Gearing, White County, 33-2.75
shot put
2. Ashiya White, West Hall, 32-1.75
3. Bailey Mason, Chestatee, 29-3.5
4. Hannah Jones, Chestatee, 28-7.5
discus
1. Ashton Summerour, White County, 97-9
3. Ashiya White, West Hall, 82-7
4. Kaitlyn Babb, Chestatee, 78-11.5
BOYS
100 meters
1. George Lira, West Hall, 11.00
3. Will Anglin, White County, 11.46
4. Malik Cannon, White County, 11.53
200 meters
1. George Lira, West Hall, 22.19
2. Malik Cannon, White County, 23.16
4. Lay Lepkoske, White County, 23.19
400 meters
3. Noah Rapert, White County, 50.34
800 meters
4. Brady Dollyhigh, Chestatee, 2:01
110 hurdles
1. Kaleb Crane, White County, 15.80
300 hurdles
1. Kaleb Crane, White County, 41.56
2. Cody VerSluis, White County, 43.33
4x100 relay
2. White County, 43.72
4. West Hall, 44.29
4x400 relay
2. White County, 3:25
4. Chestatee, 3:33
high jump
4. Charles Jackson, Chestatee, 5-8
pole vault
4. Nic Burkett, White County 9-6
long jump
1. Austin Sinclair, West Hall, 20-6
2. Malik Cannon, White County, 19-11.5
triple jump
1. Noah Rapert, White County, 42-4
4. Kaleb Crane, White County, 39-0
shot put
3. Moises Cuevas, Chestatee, 43-4
discus
3. Moises Cuevas, Chestatee, 123-1
http://accesswdun.com/article/2017/4/527467/track-and-field-white-county-west-hall-athletes-win-multiple-golds-at-7-aaaa-meet