GHS junior makes statement at state track meet

JEFFERSON - Gainesville High's Mike Malone made a statement in Class AAA Saturday Georgia High School Association boys track and field championships.

The junior set a school-record and personal best time of 39.18 seconds to win the 300-meter hurdles.

The Red Elephants were just .11 seconds off another victory at the state meet when the 400-meter relay team finished second behind Carrollton.

In other local and regional performances, Gainesville's Jonathan Hawks took seventh in the 200-meters and South Forsyth's Michael Flournoy placed sixth in the 800 in Class AAA.

North Hall's Ryan Fisher was fourth in the 800 in Class AAAA.

In Class AA, Riverside Military Academy's Chris Williams was seventh in the 110-meter hurdles and sixth in the 200.

White County's Josh Davis took fourth in the 800 and the 4x400-meter relay team finished second.

In Class A, Buford's George Tucker was fifth in the 110 hurles and the 4x100 relay team took third and the 4x400 relay team finished seventh. The Wolves finised fourth overall in Class A.

For Jefferson, which finished sixth in Class A, Courtney Wiley placed seventh in the 100 and sixth in the 200. Travis Reed placed fifth in the 110 hurles while David Boring took fifth in both the 400 and 800.

Stone Mountain senior Dexter Faulk was the only athlete to lead all five classifications in two events Saturday.

Wheeler's Reggie Witherspoon was a double winner in the 200- and 400-meter dash and ran on the 400-meter relay team that finished third, but Stephenson won the Class AAAAA title with 43 points.

Witherspoon also ran on the team that won the 1,600-meter relay, but Wheeler was later disqualified when meet officials ruled one of its runners stepped out of the exchange zone. As a result, Wheeler finished in fifth place overall with 28 points instead in second place with 38.

Faulk, one of four individuals to win two events, took the 200-meter dash in 21.55 seconds and the 110-meter high hurdles in 13.85. His 20.5 points, however, weren't enough for Stone Mountain, which finished fourth and 22 points behind Class AAAA champion Cedar Shoals.

Faulk won the 110 hurdles last year in 14.04 seconds.

Evans' Roy Cheney won both hurdle events in AAAAA.

Rodney Almond led Cedar Shoals by winning the 400 dash for the second straight year. His 47.86 time was 0.63 slower than his 2001 effort.

Willie Green of Class AAAA Butler took the 100 dash in 10.84 seconds. He finished second in the event last year to former teammate Eugene Lee, who went on to sign a scholarship with Clemson.

Carrollton won the Class AAA championship behind 23 points from Justin Jones, who took titles in the long jump and triple jump Thursday and ran on the teams that won the 400 and 1,600 relays. Derrell Johnson, who anchored Carrollton's 400 relay, ran the 100 dash in 11.05 seconds to tie Jefferson County's Dantavius Harmon.

Pedro Powell, who won the 100 and 200 meters in Class A, accounted for 22.5 of Hawkinsville's 30 points. The Hawkinsville senior ran on a 400-meter relay team that finished second and a 1,600 relay team that came in fifth.

Repeating as winner of the 100, Powell improved his time from 11.04 to 10.75. He finished second in the 200 last year.

Washington-Wilkes kept Crim from winning the Class AA title for the fourth straight year as Kenderous Wylie won the 200 and finished second in the 100 dash. Wylie, who ran on the winning 400 relay team, led the meet with 24.5 points. He was fourth in the long jump Thursday.

Sergio Daniel led Crim by repeating as champion of both the 110-meter high hurdles and 300 intermediate hurdles. Crim had 50 points, 32 less than Washington-Wilkes.

Landmark Christian won a seventh straight championship in Class A. The Eagles were led by Blake Fertitta, who won the 3,200 run, finished second in the 1,600 and ran on a 1,600 relay team that finished sixth.

Landmark Christian, which last week celebrated a third straight girls title, had Clark Rivers contribute 16.25 points and Sean Hill 16. The Eagles' 107 points led the meet and were 34 better than second-place Pelham.