Seven qualify for state track and field meet

May 7—ATLANTA — Tift County track and field qualified for the state finals in seven events Saturday that involve seven athletes. Qualifying was at Atlanta's Lakewood Stadium, the sectionals involving teams Regions 1, 4, 5 and 8.

Antonio Burgess, Caitlyn Burgess, Nairobi Graham, Jalon Miller, Taliyah Thomas, Diamond Wallace and Bailee Williams are going to Rome's Barron Stadium for the finals later this week.

Graham will be on the track four times, having qualified twice as individual and twice with relay teams.

Williams had the best finish of any Tift athlete, placing second in the shot put with a throw of 39-10. First went to Jasmine Baxter of Langston Hughes, who threw 41-3. The two are the top two qualifiers in the state in the event.

Antonio Burgess and Miller, the only male Tift runners to make the finals, each earned fifth place in their events. Burgess ran the 110 hurdles in 15.07 seconds and Miller completed the 400 in 50.25 seconds.

Graham was sixth in the 400 in 58.3 seconds and seventh in the 200 in 25.48. Relay teams, with Graham, Caitlyn Burgess, Thomas and Wallace, were both sixth. The 4x200 team ran in 1:44.35 and the 4x100 in 49.33 seconds.

The Lady Devils had two ninth places finishes at sectionals: Wallace in long jump at 17-6 and Makayla Bryant in high jump at 4-10. Bryant fell in a tiebreaker.

Others competing at sectionals for Tift County

Lily Bruce (110 hurdles); Caitlyn Burgess (100 meters and high jump); Illianna Cleveland (400 meters); Jordan Gaskins (110 and 300 hurdles); Trendon Miller (triple jump); Anthony Pace (pole vault); Trinity Parker (shot put); Williams (discus); Ahmadre Woods (high jump).

The Blue Devils also sent teams in the 4x100, 4x200, 4x400 and 4x800 and the Lady Devils in the 4x400 and 4x800.