TIFTON — Tift County’s track teams make their official 2019 debut this afternoon, journeying to Lowndes for a 4 p.m. quad meet.

The Blue Devils and Lady Devils will be a bit limited for this start. Coaches Josh Allen and Mark Ledford are both affected by basketball. The Blue Devils are playing an elite eight game at Gwinnett and track rosters are being thinned not only by players making the trip, but by cheerleaders and players’ siblings going, too.

Despite the absences, Tift has some foresight as to what might happen today at Lowndes. Track held “Under the Lights” last Friday, giving Allen and Ledford valuable time data.

“I think our kids did a good job competing,” said Allen, a former Blue Devils quarterback in his second season leading track. This is Ledford’s first year with the squads, having joined Tift’s coaching staff last summer.

This is a season of great promise. Both squads finished second to Lowndes at the Region 1 meet last summer. Numbers are again high, with many freshman joining the team and both coaches named several of these ninth graders that should make an impact.

Allen said this year will be “a chance to compete with the big dogs.”

On the field side, Allen said the Devils have Ron Jackson and Wendell McClain in high jump. Antonio Howard throws the shot, Kadarius McDaniel competes in long jump and Deontae Overstreet is a triple jumper.

Freshman Mercedez Simon will jump for the Lady Devils. She has the talent to compete in nearly every event, Ledford said. At Under the Lights, she had a lead of 17 feet in the long jump and 31’6” in the triple jump. Ansley Pritchett stood out in shot and discus.

High jumpers include Cali Conner and Alison Stone. Stone and Riley Watson are competitors in hurdles.

J.D. Bengston, Beau Bengston, Yamari Snow and Steven Croft were among those running distance races Friday. Stephen Thomas and Zach Carter are two of several sprinters. Jackson, Mike Jones, Danny Hill and Ivan White are hurdlers.

Ledford’s top two runners in the 1,600 and 3,200 were Ainsley Toews and Alexis Tucker. Toews had times of 6:00 and 13:13 in those runs. Tucker finished in 6:02 and 13:31.

Shadiamond McIntyre led at Under the Lights in the 100 hurdles, Simon in the 300 hurdles. McIntyre and Kalliyah Wright are expected to compete at Lowndes in the 200 meters. Josie Bullington and Karoline Ponder ran in the 800 Friday.

Pole vault is a work in progress for the Lady Devils. Allen said Mason Compton will take the stick for the Devils.

Tift’s track schedule for 2019 has them going to Lowndes today. They will compete at the Colony Bank Invitational in Fitzgerald Mar. 15. Mar. 20 will be a home quad meet before they travel to Lowndes Mar. 23 for Harmon’s Invitational. Tift hosts its annual Andy Summers Invitational Apr. 6, which is sandwiched by home quad meets Apr. 3 and Apr. 10. There will be another meet at Fitzgerald Apr. 12.

Lowndes will host the region meet this year, set to take place Apr. 24. Sectionals are to be at McEachern High on May 4.