Trinity’s track and field teams both placed second at their recent region championship meet, and went on to produce three runners-up – out of six athletes to make top eight in their events – at the GIAA state finals this past weekend. 

Both girls and boys teams were overall runners-up to the Robert Toombs girls and Central Fellowship boys (by only two and a half points) at the region event, hosted by Brewton-Parker on April 22. 

Twenty Crusaders clinched one spot or more individually in the state championship meet, which was held as always at Locust Grove’s Strong Rock Christian School, last Thursday through Saturday. 

Top finishers Lily Kidd (discus, 105-4), Linza Pettis (pole vault, 7’9″) and Hudson Shirley (pole vault, 10′) each claimed silver medals at state, while Anna Hazel Preston (seventh, triple jump), Griffin Lane (sixth, triple jump) and Grayson Knowles (eighth, 3200-meter dash) were also among the best in the running. The girls placed 12th overall, and boys 15th. 

Here were each of Trinity’s state qualifiers from the region event: 

• Brinley Vinson, 400-meter dash; runner-up, long jump; runner-up, triple jump 

• Reese Cobb – fourth, 800-meter; fourth, 1600-meter

• Bethany Sumner – runner-up, 3200-meter; third 100-meter hurdles; third, 300-meter hurdles 

• Bethany Hawkins – third, 3200-meter

• Anna Hazel Preston – third, triple jump

• Linza Pettis – first (8′), pole vault

• Lily Kidd – first (95-6) discus; fourth, shot put 

• Girls 4×100 relay, fifth

• Girls 4×400 relay, runner-up 

• Griffin Lane – sixth, 100-meter dash; sixth, long jump; runner-up, triple jump 

• Mason Lane – sixth, 400-meter dash; first (21.82), 110-meter hurdles

• Grayson Knowles – third, 800-meter; runner-up, 1600-meter; runner-up, 3200-meter

• Hudson Shirley – fourth, 1600-meter; first (10′) pole vault

• Blaze Milburn – fourth, 3200-meter

• Kennedy Beasley – third, 110-meter hurdles; third, 300-meter hurdles; third, pole vault

• Brooks Barrs – first, (45.93) 300-meter hurdles; third high jump; third, triple jump 

• Alec Preston – sixth, discus 

• Boys 4×100 relay, fourth

• Boys 4×400 relay, fourth 

• Boys 4×800 relay, runner-up 

🏃🏼 🏃🏿‍♀ 🏃🏽 🏃‍♂ 🏃🏾‍♂ 🏃🏻‍♂ 🏃🏿‍♂

Local GHSA track and fielders took the next steps in their postseason journey Saturday, and a number of athletes representing Dublin, East Laurens and West Laurens advanced as the former two made a short right back to Cochran and the latter a more lengthy jaunt to Jefferson to compete in GHSA sectional meets. 

There, competitors must place top eight in their events (or post one of the six next-best times behind winners in events that are broken down into heats) to advance to the state championships, set for next week, May 11-14, at the University of Georgia’s sparkling new Spec Towns track complex in Athens. 

Athletes who punched their ticket to the Classic City are as follows… 

Dublin…

• Major Morton – seventh, discus 

• Girls 4×200-meter relay, eighth 

• Boys 4×100 relay, eighth 

• Boys 4×200 relay, eighth 

East Laurens…

• Caleb Jackson – first, discus (154-2); second, shot put 

• Garyunna Mitchell – seventh, 100-meter dash; eighth, 200-meter 

• Kimora Dudley – third, 400-meter

• Kalise Williams – second, 100-meter hurdles; fifth, 300-meter hurdles 

• Girls 4×400 relay, fifth 

• Deanna Lowther – third, discus; eighth, shot put 

West Laurens…

• Levi Dailey – sixth, 1600-meter dash 

• Justin Blash – heat winner (14.99), 110-meter hurdles; fifth, 300-meter hurdles 

• Boys 4×100 relay, sixth 

• Boys 4×200 relay, seventh 

• Boys 4×800 relay, fifth (with another school record-breaking time of 8:42.84) 

• Juvon Hill – first, triple jump (47-9.5)

• Bryson Campbell – sixth, pole vault 

• Leroy Mack – third, shot put 

• Girls 4×100 relay, heat winner (49.44)

• Girls 4×200 relay, sixth 

• Sydney Howard – sixth, triple jump 

• Sophie Kavuri – first, pole vault (8-0)

• Leah Wells – sixth, discus 

• Jerniya Mack – eighth, discus