Sports

Field Events Start Boys State Track Meet

Cobb schools will be well-represented today, including the 1,600-meter run to finish the day.

If you like jumping and throwing events finished off by a middle-distance run, Thursday's first day of the Georgia High School Association boys state track and field meet is for you.

The three-day meet begins at 12 noon today in Jefferson, the longtime home venue for the event, and athletes from several Cobb schools will be worth watching.

Preliminaries and finals in the pole vault, discus, high jump, long jump, and triple jump will be today, as will the 1,600-meter run in all classifications.

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In Class AAAAAA, Marietta, Harrison, Hillgrove, Kennesaw Mountain and Walton have multiple athletes who've led the performance lists heading into the state meet. A preview in The Marietta Daily Journal labeled Marietta, which has athletes entered in 12 events, as a favorite for the team title, along with Kennesaw Mountain and Hillgrove.

In the discus, John Thomas of Marietta, Joey Connors of Harrison and Jaylan Reid of Hillgrove are among the favorites. Reid and Connors are also contenders in the shot put, along with Isaiah Rogers of Campbell and Trey Bartlett of Marietta.

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Cobb has seven pole vaulting competitors: Lyndon Lee of Walton, Jimmy Rowe of Lassiter, NaQuon Shelton of Marietta, Taylor Wood of Kennesaw Mountain, Ethan Bilkert of Lassiter and Braden Evans of North Cobb.

Walton's Brian Sullivan is the top qualifier in the 1,600-meter run, and the field includes Turner Ozmer of Kennesaw Mountain, Kenan Farmer of Walton, Ben Pleak of Marietta, Spencer Borchelt of Harrison and Jake Bagwell of Marietta.

Kell of Northeast Cobb is the defending champion in the GHSA's second-largest classification, but the Longhorns qualified in only four events for the Class AAAAA meet. Sprayberry, last year's runner-up, has several athletes entered this weekend, as does Pope, which was fourth in 2012.

In the shot put, Sean Hayden of Pope and Rod Trujillo of Sprayberry have reached the finals. Pope's Braxton Phipps is in the triple jump and Sprayberry's Willie Dorcin has qualified for the long jump competition. Allatoona's Trey Oates is among the favorites in the pole vault.

Patrick Fleming of Pope, in what was Class AAAA, is aiming for a repeat.

For more information on the GHSA boys meet click the meet information link.

Running events will take up most of the schedule on Friday and Saturday.

The girls state meet is next weekend in Albany.


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