Gilmer High track and field athletes were in Cleveland last Friday.
The GHS Bobcats and Lady Cats made the trek to White County’s Mt. Yonah Invitational, and six other teams joined them.
The host Warriors were the top boys and girls teams at the event with room to spare. The Bobcats finished sixth with 66 points, and the shorthanded Lady Cats were the seventh-place girls team with 40.5.
Lady Cat Taylor McCormick was the top high jumper once again. She cleared 5’ 4” for first as runner-up Maci Shelnut of White County topped out at 5’.
The Bobcats were able to secure a pair of runner-up placements. Logan Ellis did so first with a throw of 123’ 9” in the discus. Teammate Will Kiker reached 12’ 6” in the pole vault for second.
The Bobcats had 12 more individual placements that helped tally team points.
Carson Purvis crossed the finish line in third place in both the 1,600 meters (4:48.88) and the 800 meters (2:10.58). Aspen Hataway cleared 11’ in the pole vault for fourth.
Dylan Byrd took fifth for Gilmer in the 3,200 meters at 11:04.93 and was eighth in the 1,600 (5:19.63). Carson Hughes finished fifth in the 300-meter hurdles (49.28) and sixth in the 110-meter hurdles (19.40).
John Keener secured points for GHS in a trio of individual events. He landed in sixth in the 1,600 (5:11.78), was seventh in the 800 (2:19.69) and finished eighth in the pole vault (9’ 6”).
Bobcat Cole Ellis clocked in at 11.94 in the 100-meter dash for sixth, and Andrew Mooney turned in a time of 57.31 for seventh in the 400 meters.
The Bobcats also scored points in three relay events. In the 4x400, Byrd, Mooney, Cole Ellis and Purvis teamed up for fourth in 3:55.61. Right behind them were teammates Michael Little, Keener, Hughes and Kiker in fifth at 4:00.59.
In the 4x100 relay, Little, Hataway, Hughes and Cole Ellis placed eighth at 48.53.
The Lady Cats were without four athletes who joined the soccer team for a region match. In addition to McCormick, they scored points in nine more individual events.
Emily Hancock placed third for the Lady Cats in the pole vault (7’ 6”). In hurdle events, she finished fifth in the 300 (52.80) and seventh in the 100 (18.64).
Sierra Ellis claimed fifth in the 200 meters (29.03) and clocked in at 14.07 for seventh in the 100 meters.
Jocelyn Birko was the Lady Cats’ top thrower. She placed sixth in the shot put (30 5 1/2”) and eighth in the discus (80’ 7”). Kaitlyn Grice scored GHS points in the 400 meters by taking ninth in 1:14.61.
Gilmer finished fourth in the 4x400 relay when the team of Grice, Kayleigh Robbins, McCormick and Hancock turned in a time of 4:46.06.
The top three girls teams at the event included White (155 points), Lumpkin County (110) and Athens Academy (104).
White County also won the boys competition over Habersham Central, 157-123.5. Athens Christian was third with 119.5 points.