MOULTRIE — The Colquitt County middle school cross country teams had strong seasons and give every indication of offering promise for the program in the future.
The boys team won the Tift County Invitational, the Bainbridge Invitational and the Baconton Invitational and finished sixth out of 27 teams in the Georgia State Middle School Championships held last Saturday at Bleckley County Elementary School in Cochran.
The girls won the Baconton Invitational and finished 13th out of 21 teams at the state championships.
Also this season, Hudson May of the boys team finished first in the Tift County Invitational and Steven Johnson was 13th in the state championships.
Kayla Webbe of the girls team won the Baconton Invitational.
“Most of this group wants to continue running, which is what they will have to do if they want to return next year and take it to a higher level with these northern Georgia teams,” middle school cross country coach Link Whittaker said.
“I was especially pleased with this team’s determination and consistency. Finishing the season with 23 runners is more than the last two seasons since we started the middle school program.”
Whittaker said his boys team was the strongest in each of the events it entered in the area.
The middle school Packers also went to Cochran and ran well against some strong north Georgia teams on a hilly course, finishing sixth out of 27 teams.
“I think it was quite an accomplishment for them to pull out a sixth place finish, considering we had just one eighth-grade runner,” Whittaker said.
Johnson, the team’s lone eighth-grader, finished 13th in the state championship with a time in the 2-mile run of 12:20.
“Steven improved with each race,” Whittaker said. “He ran hard at practice and separated himself as the the leader of this team.”
Also running in the team race for the middle school Packers in Cochran were Hudson May, 24th, 12:37; Ryan Littleton, 40th, 13:07; Garrett May, 42nd, 13:09; and Dominique Hall, 57th, 13:31.
The sixth-grade members of the team ran in No. 2 race at Cochran, classified as an individual race.
Luke Brinson led the sixth-graders with a 35th-place finish.
Also runing were Cody Mullis, 14:35; Michael Wilkes, 15:11; P.B. Henry, 15:24; Morgan Hart, 15:33; and Jared Brown, 15:33.
“I thought the sixth-graders as a whole ran a great race,” Whittaker said. “The all ran the two miles in under 16 minutes.
“They should be very competitive next season, especially with the four returning seventh-graders.”
The girls were led all season by three eighth-graders, Webbe, Katie Russell and Kaydee Mullis.
Whittaker said Tiffany Smith and Jordan Newberry, a pair of up-and-coming sixth-graders, ran well in the race in Cochran last weekend. Both ran in the individual, rather than the team race, but both had scores that would have been the fourth-fastest on the girls team.
For the girls team in Cochran on Saturday, Webbe was the top finisher, coming in 45th with a 14:49.
Also running were Russell, 15:02; Mullis, 15:48; Aureyuanna Rushing, 16:41; Cayla Rogers, 16:55; Amber Boyd, 17:00; and Vivian Larson, 17:01.
In the individual race, Smith had a 16:34; Newberry, 16:58; Juanita Zamara, 18:14; Rebecca Bartolone, 20:17; and Tamera Edwards, 23:41.
The girls team will return eight runners next season, including six of whom will be seventh-graders.
Local Sports
Middle school runners show promise
- Local Sports
-
-
Lamb signs to run at Columbus State
When Colquitt County High’s Heath Lamb signed in 2010 to run cross country at Darton College, he said that one of his goals was to be able to run faster.
Lamb accomplished that and more in his two years with the Cavaliers.
And his performances with Darton have not gone unnoticed.
Lamb signed this week with Columbus State University. -
Going to be a Blazer
Colquitt County linebacker/fullback Sharmaine Washington, front, right, was joined by his girl friend Najla Almond and Packers linebackers coach Danny Blaylock when he signed letter of commitment with Valdosta State University on Wednesday.
-
Rifle team defeats Fitzgerald
The Colquitt County High rifle team kept its record unblemished on Thursday, defeating Fitzgerald handily at the high school, 1,098-897.
-
Dykes signs to play baseball at Georgia Perimeter College
Colquitt County head baseball coach Tony Kirkland has a number of reasons to like Austin Dykes.
-
Sherrod, Owens place first in Dublin
Colquitt County Mat Hawg wrestlers Nathan Sherrod and Cage Owens took first- place finishes in their weight classes in the Michael Gay Memorial Tournament last Saturday in Dublin.
-
Checking the velocity
Colquitt County pitching coach Zach Grage checks the velocity of one of his hurlers.
-
Kelshaw signs with West Georgia
Colquitt County’s Lauren Kelshaw, second from right in the front row, signed on Wednesday to play her college soccer at the University of West Georgia. Kelshaw, who is preparing for the Lady Packers’ Feb. 25 season-opener against Brooks County, committed to West Georgia in September. With her when she signed were, front, from left, her grandmother Jolene Burdette, father Tim Kelshaw, mother Tracey Kelshaw and sister Reagan Kelshaw; back, grandfather Frank Burdette, Lady Packers coach Jimbo Jarvis, club coach Mike Wallace, Colquitt assistant coach Andy Chapura and middle school coach Ashley Hill.
-
Vines wins backstroke in region swim meet
Colquitt County High’s Austin Vines took first place in the 100-yard backstroke and was third in the 50-yard freestyle in the Region 1-AAAAA swim meet held last Saturday in Douglas.
-
Packers work out
The Colquitt County High baseball team continues workouts at Packer Park in preparation for the 2012 season that begins on Tuesday, Feb. 21, with a home game against the Lawton Chiles Timberwolves of Tallahassee. The Packers are coming off a season in which they won the Region 1-AAAAA championship, went 22-14 and reached the state semifinals. The team will hold an intrasquad scrimmage at 2 p.m. Saturday at Packer Park that will be open to the public. Here head coach Tony Kirkland oversees Aubrey McCarty’s workout.
-
Seventh-grade basketball teams advance to title games
The Colquitt County boys and girls seventh-grade basketball teams won South Georgia Athletic Conference semifinal games at the Willie J. Williams Middle School gymnasium on Thursday and will play for championships on Saturday in Douglas.
- More Local Sports Headlines
-
Killer of Fla. Girl Found in Landfill Gets Life
Army Orders Bradley Manning Court-martial
Cancer Charity Revives Breast-screening Grants
Heavy Snowstorm Hits Colorado On Its Way East
2nd Teacher From LA School Arrested on Sex Claim
Prosecutors Close Armstrong Inquiry, No Charges
Sights and Sounds: Football Fans Pour Into Indy
Unemployment Rate Down to 8.3%
Obama: Still Far Too Many Americans Need Jobs
GOP: Jobs Numbers Welcome, Can Do Better
Fla. Man Adopts Girlfriend in Legal Battle
More Deaths As Egypt Clashes Continue
Raw Video: Prince William in Falklands
Egpyt Protesters Blame Police for Soccer Deaths
'Lucky' 9-Year-Old Receives 6-Organ Transplant
Raw Video: Michelle Vs. Ellen in Pushup Contest
First Person: Will Peyton Manning Stay in Indy?
Egypt Shaken After Deadly Soccer Riot
New Suits, New Starts for New York's Unemployed
Hall of Famer Dorsett Speaks Out on NFL Injuries
