By Michael A. Lough

The Sports Report

centralgasports@gmail.com

Top-8 seeds at bottom

          The second GHSA spring sport to crown champions in 2021 after battling the early stages of the COVID-19 shutdown a year ago is track, and competitors are ready to get after it.

          Action starts Thursday at Hugh Mills Stadium in Albany (4A, 3A, A Public), McEachern (7A, AA, A Private), and Grisham Stadium in Carrollton (6A, 5A, Adapted).

          Tickets are $7 and available on GoFan.

          The Central Georgia school with the most entries is Baldwin in Class 4A, with nine boys and 16 girls, plus a boys relay and two girls relays. Entries means how many athletes are in an event, so one competitor in the events counts as three entries.

          Next is Stratford in Class A Private. The Eagles are in 13 events and 11 girls events, and two relays in both.

          West Laurens (4A), Bleckley County and Washington County in AA, and FPD in A Private have 17 individuals each.

          Bleckley County’s boys in AA are defending champs, with Hancock Central’s boys taking the 2017 title in A Public.

          GMC is the last girls champion from Central Georgia, winning in 2015 and 2016.

          Justin Wachtel of Mary Persons in his final high school go ‘round, and highly expected to add to his 2019 Class 4A state title this year in 3A, as well as the loads of other major races he’s won in his career. He blew up his personal record in the 800 in sectionals with a 1:54.56, and is the top seed in the 3,200, 1,600, and 800. He was third in 2019 in the 4A 1,600 by about two seconds.

          East Laurens’ Ikeria Hamilton is back defending her AA 100 hurdles title, and will also compete in the high jump and triple jump, plus a relay. Hamilton is seeded first in the triple jump, second in the hurdles, and fourth in the high jump.

          Also back to defend is GMC’s De’Aisha Stephens in the girls A Public 800, where she’s seeded first. She’s second in the long jump.

          Jones County’s Zion Hagins, a freshman multi-sport standout, is seeded first in the 5A 100 and 200, while teammate Erin Blount is first in the 400. The Greyhounds are seeded in the top eight in two relays.

          Warner Robins’ Zemaya Carson is seeded first in 5A girls discus.

          Washington County’s Malyk Walker has the top qualifying mark in the long jump and 400, with teammate Jayden Kemp first in the triple jump.

          Macon County has a pair of top seeds in A Public boys, Ken’Wan Felton in the shot and Chance Simpson in the 100. FPD’s Claire Harrison in the girls discus and Bowen Kramer in the boys pole vault are top seeds in A Private, as is Stratford’s Jack Miscall in the high jump and Walden Davis in the 300 hurdles.

          Top-10 team finishers in 2019:

          Class 6A: Houston County girls, tied for ninth

          Class 4A: Mary Persons boys, fourth

          Class 3A: Central girls, seventh

          Class AA: East Laurens girls, fourth; Bleckley County’s girls, fifth; Washington County’s girls seventh; Bleckley County boys, first; Washington County boys, tied for 10th

          Class A Public: Hancock Central girls, fifth

          Class A Private: FPD’s boys, eighth