The track and field postseason is upon us, and the Gilmer High Bobcats and Lady Cats were in action in Flowery Branch.
Eight teams gathered for the Region 7-3A Championships last Thursday and Friday. A top-four placement was needed to advance to sectionals, and GHS achieved that feat 13 times.
Lady Cat junior Taylor McCormick was the No. 1 high jumper in attendance, and she secured Gilmer’s only individual region championship. She claimed the title by clearing 5’ 3”, which was an inch better than White County’s Maci Shelnut.
As a team, the Bobcats placed fourth and achieved nine placements high enough to advance to sectionals. The Lady Cats finished seventh in the girls standings and secured sectional spots in four events.
Five Bobcats will make their way to sectionals in individual events thanks to their region placements. Dominic Tarantino was a region runner-up in both the discus (128’ 10”) and high jump (5’ 8”). Will Kiker landed in second when he topped out at 12’ in the pole vault.
The Bobcat 4x800 relay team of Zachary Bobak, Carson Purvis, Michael Little and John Keener joined forces for second with a time of 8:31.90, which also established a new GHS record.
Purvis also set a new Bobcat 1,600-meter standard when he finished third in 4:39.38. He also placed fourth in the 3,200 at 10:29.71. Hunter Watkins clocked in at 11.61 in the 100-meter dash for Gilmer’s final third-place mark.
Bobcat Issac Freeman also cleared 5’ 8” in the high jump, but it took more tries than Tarantino so he settled for third.
The 4x100 quartet of Little, Watkins, Issac Rellinger and Kiker took third in 45.56. The same four made up the 4x200 team that placed fourth in 1:35.91. Both times were personal bests for relays on the year.
Aside from McCormick, Jocelyn Birko will make her way to sectionals after her runner-up finish in the shot put at 30’ 3”. Reagan Boling will join them following her fourth-place leap of 15’ 5 3/4” in the long jump.
Josephine Royer, Boling, Amayah Jones and Kenzie Sewell had their best 4x200 performance of the year in 1:51.27, which secured fourth place for the Cats.
Also scoring team points but falling short of sectionals was Birko in the discus (87’ 5”) and 100-meter hurdles (19.03). Boling was sixth in the 400 meters (1:03.42). McCormick also placed sixth in the triple jump (32’ 3”) and was eighth in the 300 hurdles (58.70).
Gilmer’s 4x100 relay team of Birko, Boling, Jones and Sewell turned in their top time (54.12) on the year for fifth. The 4x400 squad of Libby Pike, Kayleigh Robbins, Royer and McCormick kept the day’s theme going with their best showing (4:49.83) for seventh.
Sewell’s times of 13.75 in the 100 meters and 28.53 in the 200 were fast enough for eighth. Madison Stanley also placed eighth in the 1,600 meters at 6:16.74.
Kiker scored team points in the 200 meters in 23.73 for sixth. The team of Little, Keener, Purvis and Andrew Mooney recorded their yearly personal best time (3:39.67) in the 4x400 for sixth. Tarantino’s shot put of 37’ was good enough for eighth place.
White County won the boys region title over West Hall, 163-126. North Hall (99) was third ahead of Gilmer (74). Cherokee Bluff (188) won the girls championship with room to spare. White was second (125), and North Hill (109) took third to round out the top three while GHS was seventh (48).
GHS athletes will have two weeks to prepare for the May 7 sectional meet at Greater Atlanta Christian. Those who place in the top eight of their respective event will qualify for the state meet.