TIFTON — Dallas Hunt scored a first place finish in the 400-meter dash and multiple Tiftarea Academy track and field athletes did well in the GISA Region 3-AAA meet.

Hunt, who had been predicted by head coach David Dark as being assured for state, ran the event in 54.92, two seconds faster than second place.

Hunt was part of Tiftarea’s other first place finish, a team first place in the 4×400 relay. Hunt, Sam Cook, Adam McKinney and Spence Massey combined for a 3:50.53 time, five seconds ahead of Deerfield-Windsor and 13 seconds ahead of third place.

The Panthers finished third at the meet overall. Deerfield-Windsor swept the region championships, the girls winning by 99 points, the boys by 57.

Dark said the meet could not have been held on a more ideal day.

“A lot of good items and a few disappointing items,” he said. Out of 34 athletes Tiftarea took to the meet, 16 qualified for state, including more than half of the Lady Panthers participating.

“I’m super proud of these kids,” said Dark. “They really gave what it took and some gave a little more in things that they didn’t qualify, but deserved to. And some folks gave a good showing and sadly just missed the cut.”

Reese Speight and Caroline Sullivan both just missing making it to state.

Marlee Marlowe and Sara Beth Royal had a 2-3 finish in the 100 hurdles. Marlowe was edged by Valwood’s Erin Moss for first place, Moss finishing in 16.43 to Marlowe’s 16.51. Royal finished in 18.44. Another second place finish for the Lady Panthers was in the 300 hurdles by Royal. Her time was 54.18.

Royal was the first Lady Panther to qualify in both hurdles events, Dark said.

Massey earned second in the 100-meter dash with a time of 11.65 seconds. The 100 was perhaps the closest race of the entire meet. Massey was a half-second behind Garrett Jones of Deerfield-Windsor and edged Southland Academy’s Clay Owens by one-hundredth of a second for his position. Five competitors total finished within a second of one another.

The top four in each event qualified for the state tournament, which is set to take place April 26-28 at Hugh Mills Stadium.

Carswell made it in the 400, running in 1:05.85 for fourth place.

Tiftarea’s “A” in the 4×100 was fourth at 55.79. The group consisted of Carswell, Caroline Sullivan, Marlowe and Adylein Hunt.

Jaden Jones will be going in the 200, having completed it in 25.65 seconds. He was a one one-hundredth of a second from third place. McKinney took third in the 800 at 2:15. Nate Fortson was third in the 3,200 at 12:11.49.

Tristan Scarberry was third in the 110 hurdles at 18.66 and qualified fourth in the 300 hurdles at 47.71.

The 4×100 team of Grant Hall, Colby Grant, McKinney and Massey were fourth at 47.57 seconds.