How Savannah area athletes excelled at the GHSA State Track and Field Meets
The Georgia High School Association held its State Track and Field Meets at several locations throughout the state this week, and Savannah area athletes put on an impressive show with a plethora of medalists who came through with podium finishes in the Top 8 of their events.
Savannah Christian senior Jadyn Singleton ended her stellar high school career with a flourish as she repeated as the Class 3A state champion in the long jump with a leap of 18-feet, 6 inches and doubled up as the champion in the Triple Jump with a mark of 39-1.
Singleton, who is headed to Georgia on a cheerleading scholarship, also took home a fourth place medal in the 100 meters with a time of 12:15.
"All my events are important, but I think winning the triple jump meant the most to me this year because it was a new event for me and I put so much time into it," Singleton said. "To see that hard work pay off was great. And winning the High Point Award at state in my last meet was special.
"I was looking for 19 feet in the long jump, but was happy to win. And I felt good about the fourth place in the 100 meters since I was racing out of lane eight against some talented competition."
Her teammate, Jamari McIvory, defended his title as the Class 3A 400 meter champion with a personal best time of 47.11 and was second in the 200 meters (21.45).
Coray Stafford of Jenkins came on strong as the junior took home a gold medal in the Class 5A 100 meters with a time of 10.63 in the finals.
Richmond Hill's Billy Cunningham delivered a personal best with a leap of 24-feet to take the Class 7A long jump title.
Benedictine had a strong showing in the Class 4A meet as the Cadets won the 4x200 relay crown with a time of 1:27.11 as Na'Seir Samuel, Jack Ganem, Stanley Smart Jr., and Bubba Frazier finished atop the podium.
The Cadet 4x100 meter relay squad of Stephen Cannon, Frazier, Samuel and Smart Jr. finished second in 41.85.
Savannah Country Day junior Andrew Wynn won the Class 3A 300 hurdles in 39.16 and was second in the 110 meter hurdles (14.59).
Liberty County junior Jaidyn Hayes won the Class 3A girls discus title with a throw of 123-10 and was eighth in the shot put.
Top 8 finishes from Savannah Area athletes
Class 7A
Girls
400 meters
7th — Kinley Gibson, Richmond Hill 56.26
1600 meters
7th — Julia Anastasio, Richmond Hill, fresh., 5:13.21
Shot put
2nd — Jada Brown, Richmond Hill, jr., 41-3.75
3rd — Mmekom Inyang, Richmond Hill, jr., 40-7
Discus
4th — Jada Brown, Richmond Hill, jr., 120-9
4x100
4th — Richmond Hill, 47.50
4x200 Relay
5th — Richmond Hill, 1:40.78
4x400 Relay
6th — Richmond Hill, 3:54.56
4x800 Relay
3rd — Richmond Hill, 9:34.92
Boys
1600
8th — Memphis Rich, Richmond HIll, sr., 4:20.25
3200
4th — Memphis Rich, Richmond HIll, sr., 9:17.67
300 hurdles
3rd — Kendrick Joshua, Richmond Hill, soph., 38.09
Long Jump
1st — Billy Cunningham, Richmond Hill, jr., 24-0
Pole Vault
5th — Garrett McDade, Richmond Hill, jr., 14-0
4x800 Relay
6th — Richmond Hill 7:59.38
CLASS 6A
Boys
400 meters
6th — Dakarai Walker, Effingham County, jr., 49.62
High jump
4th — Harrison Crofts, South Effingham, jr., 6-4
Girls
800 meters
6th — Brooke Crickard, South Effingham, 2:17.75
High Jump
T2 — Justine Nevels, South Effingham, fresh., 5-2
Discus
6th — Dani Lynn, South Effingham, fresh., 119-9
CLASS 5A
Boys
100 meters
1st — Coray Stafford, Jenkins, jr., 10.63
200 meters
3rd — Jacoby Pasley, Bradwell, fresh., 21.88
7th — Coray Stafford, Jenkins, jr., 22.51
110 hurdles
5th — Billy Johnson, Jenkins, sr., 14.64
300 hurdles
2nd — Billy Johnson, Jenkins, sr., 37.95
High jump
3rd — AJ Bynum, Jenkins, sr., 6-4
4x100 Relay
4th — Jenkins, 42.09
4x200 Relay
4th — Jenkins, 1:27.95
4x400 Relay
6th — Bradwell, 3:22.34
Long jump
6th — Jahzhia Thomas, Bradwell, sr., 22-1.5
CLASS 4A
Boys
100 meters
5th — Bubba Frazier, Benedictine, soph., 10.74
8th — Ben Hockman, New Hampstead, soph., 10.79
200 meters
5th — Ben Hockman, New Hampstead, soph., 21.69
Discus
6th — Aaziah Scott, New Hampstead, sr., 153-6
High jump
4th — Henry Sink, Benedictine, sr., 6-2
4x100 relay
2nd — Benedictine (Cannon, Frazier, Ganem, Jones) 41.85
4x200 relay
1st — Benedictine (Samuel, Ganem, Smart Jr., Frazier) 1:27.11
CLASS 3A
Girls
100 meters
4th — Jadyn Singleton, Savannah Christian, sr., 12.15
200 meters
5th — Le'Ryah Bryant, Johnson, sr., 24.95
7th — Haely Grant, Johnson, sr., 25.20
400 meters
2nd — Grant, Johnson, 58.30
4x100 relay
5th — Liberty County, 49.39
6th — Savannah Christian, 49.43
4x200 relay
4th — Johnson,1:42.98
4x800 relay
6th — Savannah Country Day, 10:20.39
High jump
5th — Jameria Gadson, Johnson, soph., 4-10
5th — Islabella Melendez, Liberty County, sr., 4-10
Long jump
1st — Jadyn Singleton, Savannah Christian 18-6
3rd — Bryant, Johnson 18-0
Triple jump
1st — Jadyn Singleton, Savannah Christian 39-1
2nd — Amirah Ali, Johnson, sr., 37-2.75
3rd — Zi'Kira Anderson, Liberty County, jr., 37-1.75
Pole Vault
6th — Riniya Roberts, Liberty County, jr., 8-0
Discus
1st — Jaidyn Hayes, Liberty County, jr., 123-10
4th — Anarnia Gray, Liberty County, sr., 114-4
Shot put
8th — Jaidyn Hayes, Liberty County, jr., 35-0
Boys
200 meters
2nd — Jamari McIvory, Savannah Christian, sr., 21.45
400 meters
1st — Jamari McIvory, Savannah Christian, sr., 47.11
800 meters
3rd — Charles Pope, Savannah Country Day, soph., 1:58.77
110 hurdles
2nd — Andrew Wynn, Savannah Country Day, jr., 14.59
300 hurdles
1st — Andrew Wynn, Savannah Country Day, jr., 39.16
4x400 Relay
6th — Johnson, 3:28.93
High jump
8th — Shiv Patel, Savannah Christian, 6-0
Long jump
2nd — Shiv Patel, Savannah Christian, 22-10
7th — James Tisby, Beach, sr., 21-7.5
Pole Vault
6th — Javon Brown, Liberty County, jr., 11-6
Discus
2nd — DeAnre' Jackson, Savannah Country Day, sr., 175-0
CLASS 2A
Girls
1,600 meters
5th — Leah Nyce, Savannah Arts., jr., 5:26.27
3,200 meters
4th — Leah Nyce, Savannah Arts., jr., 11:35.40
6th — Frances Tedder, Savannah Arts., fresh., 11:54.38
Boys
100 meters
7th — Jhordan Brooks, Windsor Forest, soph., 10.96
Long jump
8th — Jayden Harris, Windsor Forest, soph., 21-1
CLASS A DIVISION I
Boys
Long jump
4th — Tyler Grant, Woodville-Tompkins, sr., 21-3
Shot put
4th — Austin Clemons, Bryan County, sr., 47-4
GIRLS
400 meters
7th — Jasmine Gaither, Woodville-Tompkins, jr., 1:01.72
Discus
3rd — Emily Johnson, Bryan County, fresh., 115-10
Triple jump
8th — Elyse Hall, Woodville-Tompkins, soph., 32-9
4x100 Relay
6th — Woodville-Tompkins, 50.73
4x200 Relay
6th — Woodville-Tompkins, 1:48.13
Dennis Knight covers sports for the Savannah Morning News. Contact him at Dknight@savannahnow.com. Twitter: @DennisKnightSMN
This article originally appeared on Savannah Morning News: Savannah area athletes win eight gold medals at State track and field meets
