The Chamblee Lady Bulldogs added the Region 5-5A girls title to their trophy case. (Courtesy Photo)
The Chamblee Lady Bulldogs led the way at the Region 5-5A Track and Field Championships bringing home the championship trophy while 38 boys and girls from DeKalb County track programs qualified for State Sectionals.
Ariel Raggs led the way for 13 Lady Bulldogs moving on to the Class 5A Sectional A at Union Grove on Saturday as she brought home three gold medals and one silver in an outstanding performance in Region 5-5A.
Raggs won the 100-meter hurdles (15.50), 300-meter hurdles (44.51) and high jump (5-02.50) and came in second in the triple jump (33-03.00). Kennedi Bates grabbed gold in the 400-meter dash (58.60) and silver in the 200-meter dash (25.26) while the Chamblee 4×400 (4:01.31) and 4×800-meter (10:25.21) relays also collected gold medals.
The Martin Luther King Jr. Lady Lions finished fifth in the team standings Sydni Thomas with a gold in the discus (105-08.00) and silver in the shot put (32-07.50). Thomas was joined in qualifying for sectionals by teammate Janiya Harris who was fourth in the high jump (4-06.00).
Lithonia came in sixth in the team standings with 25 points led by D’Azhia Woods bronze medal finish in the 400-meter dash (1:02.08) and Janiya Smith’s bronze medal in the discus (93-00.00). Both qualified for the State Sectional.
Southwest DeKalb finished seventh overall with Ayla Evans qualifying for sectionals with a fourth place finish in the shot put (31-05.50). Stone Mountain was eighth with 5 points led by the 4×100-meter relay team’s sixth place finish.
Southwest DeKalb’s Isaiah Taylor swept the Region 5-5A hurdle events to lead the Panthers to a second-place finish. (Photo by Mark Brock)
Class 5-5A Boys Championships
Decatur won the 5-5A Boys Championship with 148 points followed by a close two-three finish from Southwest DeKalb (109) and Chamblee (108).
Southwest DeKalb won six gold medals on the track while qualifying five participants for sectionals in five events and all three relay events.
Isaiah Taylor swept the 110-meter hurdles (15.14) and 300-meter hurdles (39.59) to lead the way for the Panthers. His twin brother Xzaviah Taylor won the 400-meter dash (50.22) and qualified fourth in the 300-meter hurdles (44.43).
Taylor Anderson won the 100-mtere dash (11.16) and took second in the 200-meter dash (22.42). Southwest won the 4×100-meter relay (42.38) and 4×400-meter relay (3:23.93) while finishing second in the 4×800-meter relay (8:26.69).
Chamblee pushed seven individuals through to sectionals along with its 4×400-meter relay (2nd, 3:28.65) and 4×800-meter relay (1st, 8:16.35).
Bulldog thrower Stephen Campana led the way with a gold in the discus (163-00.00) and silver in the shot put (45-05.00). Tyler Hood joined Campana with a gold medal picking up the win in the 800-meter run (1:54.83). Chamblee’s Michael White leapt to silver in both the long jump (20-09.75) and triple jump (42-10.00).
Lithonia took fifth in the boys’ championship behind four silver medalists including Karis Fuller (100, 11.18), Jaquan Brooks (400, 50.27), Michael Orvil (high jump, 5-04.00) and Jeremy Whyte (discus, 112-06.00). Lithonia qualified four total individuals in six events and its 4×100 and 4×400 relay teams.
Martin Luther King Jr. was sixth with 45 points led by Marco Hill’s gold in the triple jump (43-00.00) and bronze medal in the long jump (20-07.00). The Lions put three individuals into the sectionals in four events along with its 4×100 relay (3rd, 43.20).
Clarkston was eight overall with 20 points led by a bronze medal from Thaddee Barge in the 800-meter run (1:56.16). He was the only Angora to qualify.
Stone Mountain’s Henry Kofowo accounted for all of his team’s 15 points in the standings as he won the shot put (53-05.50) and finished fourth in the discus (105-06.00).
See links below for Region Results/Sectional Qualififers: