ALBANY — Three Bulloch Academy athletes captured state titles and helped propel both Gator squads into the lead after Day Two of the Georgia Independent School Association (GISA) Class AA state track and field championships Thursday.
Senior Ethan Lovett, freshman Sally Marie Futch and eighth grader Taylor Collins won their respective events to earn the title of state champion. Lovett cleared 11-feet in the boys' pole vault for his state title while Futch threw the discus 101-6 and Collins cleared 5-feet in the girls' high jump.
The 10 points which comes with a first-place win helped push both teams into second-day leads. The Bulloch girls have netted 68.5 points to take a nine-point advantage over Region 2-AA foe Trinity Christian School through the eight completed events. The Lady Crusaders are in second place with 59.5 points while the Gatewood Lady Gators from Eatonton are third with 42. Thomasville's Brookwood School is fourth (39.5) while Warrenton's Briarwood Academy is fifth (23).
Bulloch's boys have compiled 49 points and hold a slim two-point advantage over the Crusaders. Trinity has 47 points for second place while Randolph Southern from Shellman is third with 31.5 points. Tiftarea Academy from Chula is fourth (30.5) while The Heritage School from Newnan is fifth (20).
Even though this was Collins' first trip to the state championship meet, the eighth grader wasn't in awe of the competition, the crowd or the legendary Hugh Mills Stadium.
"I came in thinking to just do my best and whatever happens, happens," said Collins. "I was really excited to win. I still can't believe it. I had cleared 5-0 before but I knew it was going to be tough."
Collins and teammate Whitney Hinson competed for the top spot. Both hit the bar at 5-feet on their first attempts but Collins used her strategy to clear the height on her second attempt.
"I had to get up higher on my takeoff if I wanted to clear the bar," she said. "I have a problem when the heights increase. I kick my feet too early and that brings my upper body down so I usually hit the bar. I tried to focus on not kicking too early and floating over the bar longer."
Hinson tied for third at 4-10.
Sally Marie Futch, who was the state runner-up last year, made it her goal throughout the season to win the state title.
"My goal for this year was to win the discus at the state meet," she said. "I am estatic right now. I really wanted to throw a lot farther because my best is 111-9. My parents are staying in room 117 at the hotel and I wanted to throw that."
Futch threw the winning distance on her first and then her fifth throws.
"You know how you have the tops that you wrap the string around and pull?" said Futch. "That's basically what you're doing when you throw a discus. A full throw includes a spin and ends with a standing throw. The rhythm is slow, fast, slow. You start off slow then whip your feet around and rotate fast. Hip, shoulder then discus. That's what makes it fly. I try to flip the discus off my pointer finger which makes it spin like a top.
"My daddy told me that if I won state," continued Futch, "he would do two things. He would rent a Hummer limo for my Sweet 16 party and he would take a picture with me and smile."
Both Futch and Collins, as did most field-event winners, had to emerge from a competitive field of 16 competitors where anything could, and sometimes did, happen.
Lovett, who set a new GISA record in the 300-meter hurdles during qualifying Thursday, was not particularly pleased with himself.
"I did not perform to my best ability today but I got the job done," he said.
Bulloch boys also had two state runners-up.
Senior Jordan Walker performed well in the long jump, busting out with a 19-91⁄2 leap for second place. Sophomore Paul Son threw the discus 123-2 for a runner-up finish. Both netted eight points each for the squad.
Junior Chan Newton collected valuable points with a third-place finish in the high jump (5-10) and a sixth-place finish in the triple jump (37-9 1/2). Walker also had a fourth in the triple jump (38-1 1/4). Senior Ben Stephens was seventh in the 800-meter (2:15.6) and junior Nathan Brown was seventh in the shot (39-6 3/4).
For the Lady Gators, senior Abi Foy was third in the pole vault (7-6). Fourth-place finishers were turned in by Hinson in the triple jump (31-10 3/4), Futch in the shot (29-7), junior Rebekah Beasley in the pole vault (7-6) and sophomore Heaven Hinton in the discus (80-8).
Junior Kaylee Lanier was fifth in the long jump (15-2 1/2) and sixth-place points were garnered by Foy in the shot (27-5) and freshman Rachel Gilbert in the long jump (15-2). Sophomore Kelcie Jacobs was eighth in the 800m (2:38.04).
In other divisions, First Presbyterian Day School of Macon leads the girls' Class AAA meet with 77 points followed by Deerfield-Windsor of Macon (43) and Stratford Academy of Macon (32). In Class AAA boys, Deerfield-Windsor leads with 63 points with Gainesville's Riverside Military Academy in second (58) and First Presbyterian in third (39).
Camilla's Westwood School leads the girls' Class A meet (77) while Dawson's Terrell Academy is second (44) and Lyon's Robert Toombs Christian Academy is third (42). Macon's Covenant Academy heads the boys' Class A division with 58 points with Westwood in second (57) and The Cottage School from Roswell in third (42).
There are nine running-event finals today, beginning with the 3200m at 10 a.m.
Senior Ethan Lovett, freshman Sally Marie Futch and eighth grader Taylor Collins won their respective events to earn the title of state champion. Lovett cleared 11-feet in the boys' pole vault for his state title while Futch threw the discus 101-6 and Collins cleared 5-feet in the girls' high jump.
The 10 points which comes with a first-place win helped push both teams into second-day leads. The Bulloch girls have netted 68.5 points to take a nine-point advantage over Region 2-AA foe Trinity Christian School through the eight completed events. The Lady Crusaders are in second place with 59.5 points while the Gatewood Lady Gators from Eatonton are third with 42. Thomasville's Brookwood School is fourth (39.5) while Warrenton's Briarwood Academy is fifth (23).
Bulloch's boys have compiled 49 points and hold a slim two-point advantage over the Crusaders. Trinity has 47 points for second place while Randolph Southern from Shellman is third with 31.5 points. Tiftarea Academy from Chula is fourth (30.5) while The Heritage School from Newnan is fifth (20).
Even though this was Collins' first trip to the state championship meet, the eighth grader wasn't in awe of the competition, the crowd or the legendary Hugh Mills Stadium.
"I came in thinking to just do my best and whatever happens, happens," said Collins. "I was really excited to win. I still can't believe it. I had cleared 5-0 before but I knew it was going to be tough."
Collins and teammate Whitney Hinson competed for the top spot. Both hit the bar at 5-feet on their first attempts but Collins used her strategy to clear the height on her second attempt.
"I had to get up higher on my takeoff if I wanted to clear the bar," she said. "I have a problem when the heights increase. I kick my feet too early and that brings my upper body down so I usually hit the bar. I tried to focus on not kicking too early and floating over the bar longer."
Hinson tied for third at 4-10.
Sally Marie Futch, who was the state runner-up last year, made it her goal throughout the season to win the state title.
"My goal for this year was to win the discus at the state meet," she said. "I am estatic right now. I really wanted to throw a lot farther because my best is 111-9. My parents are staying in room 117 at the hotel and I wanted to throw that."
Futch threw the winning distance on her first and then her fifth throws.
"You know how you have the tops that you wrap the string around and pull?" said Futch. "That's basically what you're doing when you throw a discus. A full throw includes a spin and ends with a standing throw. The rhythm is slow, fast, slow. You start off slow then whip your feet around and rotate fast. Hip, shoulder then discus. That's what makes it fly. I try to flip the discus off my pointer finger which makes it spin like a top.
"My daddy told me that if I won state," continued Futch, "he would do two things. He would rent a Hummer limo for my Sweet 16 party and he would take a picture with me and smile."
Both Futch and Collins, as did most field-event winners, had to emerge from a competitive field of 16 competitors where anything could, and sometimes did, happen.
Lovett, who set a new GISA record in the 300-meter hurdles during qualifying Thursday, was not particularly pleased with himself.
"I did not perform to my best ability today but I got the job done," he said.
Bulloch boys also had two state runners-up.
Senior Jordan Walker performed well in the long jump, busting out with a 19-91⁄2 leap for second place. Sophomore Paul Son threw the discus 123-2 for a runner-up finish. Both netted eight points each for the squad.
Junior Chan Newton collected valuable points with a third-place finish in the high jump (5-10) and a sixth-place finish in the triple jump (37-9 1/2). Walker also had a fourth in the triple jump (38-1 1/4). Senior Ben Stephens was seventh in the 800-meter (2:15.6) and junior Nathan Brown was seventh in the shot (39-6 3/4).
For the Lady Gators, senior Abi Foy was third in the pole vault (7-6). Fourth-place finishers were turned in by Hinson in the triple jump (31-10 3/4), Futch in the shot (29-7), junior Rebekah Beasley in the pole vault (7-6) and sophomore Heaven Hinton in the discus (80-8).
Junior Kaylee Lanier was fifth in the long jump (15-2 1/2) and sixth-place points were garnered by Foy in the shot (27-5) and freshman Rachel Gilbert in the long jump (15-2). Sophomore Kelcie Jacobs was eighth in the 800m (2:38.04).
In other divisions, First Presbyterian Day School of Macon leads the girls' Class AAA meet with 77 points followed by Deerfield-Windsor of Macon (43) and Stratford Academy of Macon (32). In Class AAA boys, Deerfield-Windsor leads with 63 points with Gainesville's Riverside Military Academy in second (58) and First Presbyterian in third (39).
Camilla's Westwood School leads the girls' Class A meet (77) while Dawson's Terrell Academy is second (44) and Lyon's Robert Toombs Christian Academy is third (42). Macon's Covenant Academy heads the boys' Class A division with 58 points with Westwood in second (57) and The Cottage School from Roswell in third (42).
There are nine running-event finals today, beginning with the 3200m at 10 a.m.