JEFFERSON – Our Lady of Mercy senior Christian Coleman has had high expectations for himself all season. On Saturday at the GHSA boys state track meet at Memorial Stadium, he fulfilled them.
Coleman set three Class A-private state records for three gold medals on the day – adding to his long jump title from Thursday – to win the meet’s overall Outstanding Performer award and High Point Champion for Class A-Private.
Coleman set records in the 100 meters (10.38 seconds), 200 (21.1) and as a member of the 400-meter relay team, anchoring them to a time of 41.88 seconds. He accounted for 33.5 of Our Lady Mercy’s 63 overall points, which pitted the team in a second-place finish behind state champions Athens Christian (119 points).
“I’m just happy I was able to come out here and give it my all,” said Coleman, committed to Tennessee on a track scholarship. “I’m happy with my times. It’s a great feeling and blessing. I give all the glory to God.”
Coleman was going for the state record in the long jump on Thursday, but said he hurt his ankle during his second jump.
“I’m a little disappointed in that but I won, so I’ll take it.”
Pace Academy senior Kenny Selmon also turned in a strong individual performance with Class A-private state records in the 110-meter hurdles (13.96) and 300 hurdles (37.21).
“It’s surreal, I can’t even put it into words right now,” said Selmon, who has a track scholarship to North Carolina but is hoping for an opportunity to go pro and begin training for the Olympics. “I don’t know any other way I’d rather go out.”
Team champions include Athens Christian (Class A-private), Hancock Central (A-public), Lamar County (AA), St. Pius X (AAA), Marist (AAAA), Mount Zion (AAAAA) and Shiloh (AAAAAA).
Athens Christian repeats as state champions for the fourth straight year, finishing with a meet-high 119 points. St. Pius X and Marist are also defending champions, with Marist edging Carrollton 67-66 in the meet’s closest margin. To win, Carrollton needed a second place finish in the meet’s final event – the 1,600-meter relay – but finished third.
For Shiloh, it was the first state title in program history, accomplished under first-year coach Rob Blaszkiewicz.
“We brought in a new staff and a new way of doing things and the kids really adjusted,” Blaszkiewicz said. “Last year they got fifth and I knew they were disappointed. I knew we had a lot of talent this year.”
Blaszkiewicz said the improvement from this season’s team came from hard work, along with the philosophical change of the program. In season’s past, Blaszkiewicz said the team used one coach for all events. Blaszkiewicz brought in a staff to help specialize in specific events, and the staff worked to put the players in events best suited for them.
“We became more of a specialized team,” Blaszkiewicz said. “I’m not going to say it’s been easy.”
Shiloh was led by Jeremy McDuffie, the High Point Champion for AAAAAA who won state in the 110 hurdles and 300 hurdles.
Other High Point Champions were Central Talbotton’s Raytrez Jenkins (A-public), Lamar County’s Quay Searcy (AA), St. Pius X’s Fred Dorsey (AAA), Redan’s Chris McBride and Banneker’s Ryan Clark (AAAA) and Stephenson’s Denzel Harper (AAAAA).
Saturday’s results
400-meter relay
Class AAAAAA: 1. Shiloh (41.32); 2. Westlake(41.49); 3. Colquitt County (41.62)
Class AAAAA: 1. Creekside (41.36); 2. Mt. Zion (41.69); 3. Glynn Academy (41.9)
Class AAAA: 1. Sandy Creek (41.27); 2. Banneker (41.67); 3. Monroe Area (41.72)
Class AAA: 1. Buford (42); 2. Central Carroll (42.05); 3. Cedar Grove( 42.2)
Class AA: 1. Lamar County (41.77); 2. Calhoun (42.56); 3 Fitzgerald (42.82)
Class A-Public: 1. Hancock Central (42.81); 2. Dooly County (42.83); 3. Mitchell County (43.15)
Class A-Private: 1. Our Lady of Mercy Catholic (41.88, Class A state record); 2. Athens Christian (42.82); 3. First Presbyterian Day (43)
400 meters
Class AAAAAA: 1. Nathan Strother, Norcross (47.363); 2. Grant Swinton, Shiloh (47.369); 3. Jeramey Hampton, North Gwinnett (48.11)
Class AAAAA: 1. Jonathan E. Jones, Arabia Mountain (48.11); 2. Breshawrd Cooper, Cedar Shoals (48.13); 3. Andrew Nsuk, Mt. Zion Jonesboro (48.77)
Class AAAA: 1. Zaquavian Smith, Statesboro (47.6); 2. Ryan Clark, Banneker (47.62); 3. Donterious Copeland, Westside Macon (49.17)
Class AAA: 1. Quintaveon Poole, Washington County (47.3); 2. Todd Woodring, Jackson County (48.6); 3. Samuel McDade, Cross Keys (49.29)
Class AA: 1. Micah Abernathy, GAC (49.1); 2. Temperance Simmons, East Laurens (49.9); 3. Jared Pepper, Model (50.01)
A-Public: 1. Kereon Merrell, Dooly County HS (50.22); 2. Michael Taylor, Johnson County (51.08); 3. Dominic Morgan, Schley County (52.01)
Class A-Private: 1. Justin Brooks, Athens Christian, (48.93); 2. Josiah Brooks, Athens Christian (49.10); 3. Carson Howe, Mt. Pisgah (50.23)
100 meters
Class AAAAAA: 1. Travis Collins, Archer (10.57); 2. Lawrence Crawford, Rockdale County (10.63); 3. Rashaad Pollard, Westlake (10.73)
Class AAAAA: 1. Darius Watkins, Grovetown (10.49); 2. William Johnson, Lakeside DeKalb (10.5); 3. Evan Berry, Creekside(10.60)
Class AAAA: 1. Demek Kemp, Monroe Area (10.61); 2. Marvin Hubbard, Sandy Creek (10.7); 3. Trent Terrell, Carrollton (10.79)
Class AAA: 1. Andrew Slaton, Sonoraville (10.76); 2. Marquice Dye, Elbert County (10.81); 3. Wesley Shaw, Woodward Academy (10.96)
Class AA: 1. Jaquivius Cannon, East Laurens (10.55); 2. Darius Slayton, GAC (10.72); 3. Lance Austin, Lamar County (10.77)
A-Public: 1. Sonate Reynolds, Hancock Central (10.66); 2. Raytez Jenkins, Central-Talbotton (10.68); 3. McKinley West , Mitchell County (10.72)
Class A-Private: 1. Christian Coleman, Our Lady of Mercy (10.38, Class A state record); 2. Kevon Hudson, Prince Avenue Christian (10.86); 3. Demetris Robertson, Savannah Country Day (10.93)
110-meter hurdles
Class AAAAAA: 1. Jeremy McDuffie, Shiloh (13.83); 2. Daniel Roberts, Luella (13.92); 3. Robert Dunning Kennesaw Mountain (14.21)
Class AAAAA: 1. Terrence Jenkins, New Manchester (14.44); 2. Jonathon Ross, Mt. Zion (14.51); 3. Matt Moore, Union Grove (14.53)
Class AAAA: 1. David Gilstrap, Marist School (14.04); 2. Andreas Ward, Statesboro (14.33); 3. Quandarius Weems, Griffin (14.49)
Class AAA: 1. Andrew Slaton, Sonoraville (14.02); 2. Marquice Dye, Elbert County (14.05); 3. Kevin Johnson, Appling County (14.80)
Class AA: 1. Lawrence Austin, Lamar County (14.39); 2. Trey Graham, Fitzgerald (14.57); 3. Charlie Woerner, Rabun County (14.79)
A-Public: 1. Micheal Cooper, Terrell County (15.18); 2. Jahleel Hicks, Mitchell County (15.49); 3. Tamarcus Thomas, Hancock Central (15.95)
Class A-Private: 1 Kenny Selmon, Pace Academy (13.96, Class A state record); 2. Jonathan Raines, First Presbyterian (14.68); 3. Naim I Fareed, W. D. Mohammed (15.01)
Wheelchair, 800 meters
1. Logan Caudle, Gordon Central (2:41.96)
800 meters
Class AAAAAA: 1. Jeramey Hampton, North Gwinnett (1:51.84); 2. Josh Ingalls, Brookwood (1:51.86); 3. Bryan Kamau, Shiloh (1:52.52)
Class AAAAA: 1. Taylor Huntley, McIntosh (1:55.16); 2. Corey Jones, Richmond Hill (1:56.05); 3. Kameron Scott, Southwest DeKalb (1:57.57)
Class AAAA: 1. Devin Dixon, Eagle's Landing (1:55.66); 2. Nolan Daniels, Marist School (1:55.91); 3. Andrew Coggins, LaGrange (1:57.11)
Class AAA: 1. Harper Sigler, North Oconee (1:57.16); 2. Joseph Ferrugia, St. Pius (1:57.26); 3. Sam Ellis, Decatur (1:57.78)
Class AA: 1. Jordan Flowers, Westminster (1:56.41); 2. Eddie Stafford, Spencer (1:57.75); 3. Austin Dhillon, Westminster (1:57.81)
A-Public: 1. Joshua Jackson, Webster County (2:03.47); 2. Jose Rodriguez, Commerce (2:06.21); 3. Jarvis Turner, Central-Talbotton (2:06.82)
Class A-Private: 1. Robby Keough, Whitefield Academy (1:55.99); 2. Avery Cypress, Darlington (1:57.03); 3. Braxton Lindley, Holy Innocents (1:59.94)
200 meters
Class AAAAAA: 1. Lawrence Crawford, Rockdale County (21.23); 2. Grant Swinton, Shiloh (21.43); 3. Travis Collins, Archer (21.95)
Class AAAAA: 1. Darius Watkins, Grovetown (21.27); 2. Marquett Simmons, Mt. Zion (21.50); 3. Breshawrd Cooper, Cedar Shoals (21.86)
Class AAAA: 1. Trent Terrell, Carrollton (21.46); 2. Zaquavian Smith, Statesboro (21.715); 3. Ryan Clark, Banneker (21.718)
Class AAA: 1. Quintaveon Poole, Washington County (21.62); 2. Darius Freeman, Cedar Grove (21.85); 3. Juan Sims , Jackson (21.87)
Class AA: 1. Darius Slayton, GAC (21.70); 2. Jaquivius Cannon, East Laurens (22.13); 3. Lance Austin, Lamar County (22.16)
A-Public: 1. McKinley West, Mitchell County (21.89); 2. Raytez Jenkins, Central-Talbotton (21.93); 3. Sonate Reynolds, Hancock Central (22.09)
Class A-Private: 1. Christian Coleman, Our Lady of Mercy (21.1, Class A state record); 2. Kevon Hudson, Prince Avenue (21.66); 3. Jonathan Raines, First Presbyterian (22.14)
Wheelchair, 200 meters
1. Logan Caudle, Gordon Central (39.49)
300-meter hurdles
Class AAAAAA: 1. Jeremy McDuffie, Shiloh (37.57); 2. David Collins, Campbell (37.74); 3. Christian Smith, Grayson (37.79)
Class AAAAA: 1. Terrence Jenkins, New Manchester (38.75); 2. Denzel Harper, Stephenson (38.8); 3. Cameron Glenn, Stephenson (38.85)
Class AAAA: 1. Caleb Johnson, Carrollton (37.94); 2. Andreas Ward, Statesboro (38.14); 3. Kalin Cook, Shaw (39.34)
Class AAA: 1. Kevin Johnson, Appling County (38.18); 2. Damian Sanders, Washington County (38.69); 3. Justin McCray, Buford (39.34)
Class AA: 1. Lawrence Austin, Lamar County (38.12); 2 Trey Graham, Fitzgerald (39.76); 3. Dalton Hill, Jefferson (39.83)
A-Public: 1. Tj Lowe, Georgia Military College (40.03); 2. Evan Credeur, Claxton (41.57); 3. Robert Cornilious, Twiggs County (42.28)
Class A-Private: 1. Kenny Selmon, Pace Academy (37.21, Class A state record); 2. Stockton McGuire, Landmark Christian (39.26); 3. Naim I Fareed, W. D. Mohammed HS (40.06)
1,600-meter relay
Class AAAAAA: 1) Westlake (3:16.06); 2. Shiloh (3:17.24); 3. Mountain View (3:18.27)
Class AAAAA: 1. Mt. Zion(3:16.82); 2. Riverwood (3:18.16); 3. Miller Grove (3:20.7)
Class AAAA: 1. Banneker (3:17.07); 2. Eastside (3:17.58); 3. Carrollton (3:21.19)
Class AAA: 1. Cedar Grove (3:20.35); 2. Henry County (3:20.97); 3. St. Pius X Catholic (3:22.01)
Class AA: 1. Greater Atlanta Christian School (3:21.78; 2. Calhoun (3:22.47); 3. Lamar County (3:22.63)
A-Public: 1. Dooly County (3:31.44); 2. Turner County (3:31.47); 3. Terrell County (3:32.44)
Class A-Private: 1 Pace Academy (3:23.56); 2. Athens Christian (3:24.08); 3. Darlington (3:26.13)
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