Marist, Miller Grove wins girls’ state track titles

 

It was a first for Miller Grove and a second consecutive for Marist as the two track-and-field teams brought home state championship trophies.

The Miller Grove Lady Wolverines won their first state title after outscoring Pope by one point, 60-59, to claim the 2014 Class AAAAA Girls’ state title at Hugh Mills Stadium in Albany.

With Pope holding a three-point lead and no more events to compete in, Miller Grove had one last event, the 4×400-meter relay, remaining to put it in the top position.

The Miller Grove 4×400 relay team of Pauline Arndt, Tatiyana Caffey, Imani Calhoun and Alexia King needed at least three points to tie Pope and four to win the title. The group finished fifth with a time of 3:56.20 to earn the four points to capture the Class AAAAA girls’ championship.

Miller Grove was led by senior Tiffany Flynn, who won three individual gold medals. She opened the meet by winning her second consecutive state title in the triple jump May 2 with a new meet record of 47 feet, and and 11 inches (47-11.00).

Flynn first broke the record on her third attempt with a leap of 41-08.25 and then broke the record again on her fourth try. The previous record of 41-07.75 set by Julienne McKee of Lassiter in 2002. Last year, Flynn won the event with a jump of 40-07.00 for her first state gold medal.

Later in the competition, Flynn and Arndt finished first and second, respectively, in the long jump. Flynn won the gold with a jump of 18-08.75 and Arndt took the silver with a jump of 18-00.50 to pull Miller Grove within two points heading into the finals May 3.

Flynn also won the 100-meter hurdles for her third gold medal of the championships with a time of 13.96.

Dunwoody senior Alex Cameron led the defending state champions Lady Wildcats to a ninth place finish as she won her third consecutive 1,600-meter run gold medal with a time of 5:06.23. Cameron finished her career at Dunwoody with four gold medals, including gold in the 3,200-meter run last year and the 2013 Class AAAAA cross-country individual title.

Cameron also owns a bronze medal in the 3200-meter run in 2012 to go with four cross-country medals including one gold (2012), one silver (2013) and two bronze (2010-11). She has finished in the top three in state level competition nine times during her career at Dunwoody.

Tucker’s Kiera Washington rounded out the gold medal performances in Class AAAAA by taking the 800-meter run title with a time of 2:19.90 to lead Tucker to a Top 15 finish with a tie for 12th with Arabia Mountain and Whitewater with 13 points.

Arabia Mountain was led by Joie Royer, who finished second in the 400-meter dash with a time of 52.73. Arabia’s 4×400-meter relay team also finished second with a time of 3:52.73.

Miller Grove’s title gives the DeKalb County School District 31 girls’ track titles, eight consecutive years with a title and 10th in those eight seasons. Miller Grove is also the 13th different team to win a girls’ state track championship.

 

Class AAAA

Marist won its second consecutive Class AAAA girls’ state title with a score of 96 points, outscoring second place finisher Monroe by 29 points.

Marist dominated in the field events, winning medals in four out the six field events. Bailey Weiland won gold in the high jump with a leap of 5-08.00 and Anne Marie Simoneaux won gold in the pole vault.

 

Bria Caesar finished third place in the pole vault and Kamryn Brinson got third place finishes in the discus and shot put.

Marist had a one-two punch in the 1,600-meter and 3,200-meter runs with Morgan Ilse and Kendall Nelson finishing first and second, respectively in the two races to help Marist close out the second day of competition with a state title.

Redan ran to a third-place finish in the state championship meet with 62 points while Chamblee finished in a tie for 11th.

Promise Clark won gold in the 400-meter dash for Redan with a time of 56.34 and the 4×100 team won gold with a time of 47.90. The 4×400 relay team finished second with a time of 3:53.64.

Redan’s Miyah Golden finished second in the 300-meter hurdles (44.52) and SheQuilla McClain took bronze in the 300-meter hurdles (45.35) and the 100-meter hurdles (14.40).

Chamblee’s 11th-place finish came up just two points shy of a Top 10 finish as its 15 point total tied with Richmond Academy and Grady for 11th. Sydney Holmes finished second in the 100-meter hurdles with a time of 14.20 to lead Chamblee.

 

Class AAA

St. Pius fell five points shy of Woodward Academy for the Class AAA girls’ state title. Woodward Academy won the title with a total of 61 points.

Alexa Rashworth won a silver medal for St. Pius in the triple jump while Myia Dorsey won silver in the 400-meter dash. Dorsey also won bronze in the 200-meter dash.

St. Pius also got bronze medals in the high jump (Martinique Edwards), 800-meter run (Rachel Pyden) and the 4×400-meter relay.

Decatur finished 12th with 17 points, led by Dominique Sullivan, who finished second in the 100-meter hurdles. Decatur’s 4×400-meter relay team also won a silver medal. Defending state champions Cedar Grove finished 16th with a team score of 15.

Daimer Gordon led Cedar Grove with a silver medal in the discus with a toss of 116-01.00.

Towers made the Top 20 with 12 points to tie Hart County and Johnson-Savannah for 20th overall. Aspen McLain’s fourth-place finish in the 100-meter hurdles and fifth in the triple jump accounted for nine of the 12 points for the Titans.