JEFFERSON — Jake Shewbert went out with a bang Friday at the Georgia Olympics.
The Flowery Branch senior followed his 1600-meter victory on Thursday by blowing away the field in the 3200-meters to take his second gold of the 2016 state meet.
Shewbert crossed in a state-meet low 9:02.94 to beat Allen Clark of Lakeside-Evans by more than 20 seconds. Falcons teammate Grant O'Callaghan took fifth as the pair helped the Falcons (31.5) climb within 2.5 points of first place Starr’s Mill (34) in the Class AAAAA team standings heading into the final day on Saturday.
The Kennedy brothers of East Jackson also had a big day on Friday.
The pair dominated the Class AAA 3200 field leading from start to finish.
Chase Kennedy finished first in a 9:17.09 time with brother Chandler Kennedy taking second more than 18 seconds behind. Jefferson’s Addison Cochran took fourth.
The Eagles, with the 1-2 finish by the Kennedy’s, jumped into first place in Class AAA with 33 points. Blessed Trinity was second with 26 and Jefferson third with 23.
Guy Gober of Rabun County finished fourth in the Class AA 3200-meter run. That put the Wildcats in third place in the team standings, just 10 points behind first place Bleckley County (34).
North Hall’s Corson Teasley finished sixth in the Class AAAA 3200
In action completed from Thursday’s field events, Greyson Burke and Jay Acker finished first and second in the Class A Public pole vault. The top finishes pushed the Tigers into first place on Class A Public with 54 points.
In the Class AA pole vault, Dalton Keener of Rabun County finished third while James Brubeck of Riverside Military took fourth.
In the Class AAAAA high jump, Kyle King of Flowery Branch tied for seventh.
The track qualifying events were held Friday with just a handful of area runners advancing.
In the Class A Public, Commerce moved several into the finals as the Tigers took the team lead into the final day. TreTez advanced in the 100 and 200. Jalen Walton advanced in the 110-meter hurdles, Jay Acker qualified in the 800, Lane Sorrow qualified in the 300-hurdles as did the 4x400 relay team.
In Class AAA, Austin Pierce of Lumpkin County posted the third-fastest qualifying times inboth the 100 and 200 to advance to the finals in both. Demetrius Walker of Banks County qualified in the 100 hurdles. Jefferson’s Clay Pender and Max Higgins and Andrew Elliott of Banks County all qualified in the 800 giving Region 7-AAA three of the top eight spots.
Also in Class AAA, the Jefferson “A” 4x400 relay team qualified for the finals.
In Class AAAA, the Buford 4x100 medley relay team qualified for the finals grabbing the eighth spot. The Wolves’ Josh Blackwell advanced to the 100-meters finals. The White County 'A'
4x400 relay team also qualified.
In Class AA, Trey Harrison of Rabun County qualified in the 110 hurdles.
